Song of the Day 8/25: Tim Grimm, “Broken Truth”

Guest post by Mike Dinsmore

I am relatively new to Tim Grimm. Or should I say that Tim Grimm is relatively new to me. I’ve had his album “A Stranger in This Time” (2017) for about four years, and it disappeared into my huge stack of CDs that I listened to once and then stored away.

It was only after I saw “Woody’s Landlord” on YouTube that I became interested in Grimm’s music. Or re-interested, perhaps. I played the song on the radio, and received a telephone call from an angry Trumper who did not appreciate my playing a song which made fun of the former president.

In early April, I found “Broken Truth,” which I think is the best anti-Trump song I’ve heard. I love the line, “Damn that man, who tears this country apart.” The great thing about the song is that he never mentions Trump by name, but leaves it up to listeners to work it out for themselves. The comments on YouTube echo my feeling about the song. Grimm released the CD single on April 5th., 2024, and introduced it in a concert at the Two Way Coffeehouse in Chicago. The segment starts at 45:50

I played “Broken Truth” on the radio a couple of times, and got a call from a listener who thanked me for restoring his faith in humanity. That sort of made up for the previous call!

After hearing these songs, I dug out “A Stranger in This Time” and put it on a flash drive so we could listen while driving around Scotland. I can’t believe I had shelved the CD after listening once. This is a wonderful album. As soon as we heard “Gonna Be Great” we realized that the song was also about Trump.

So that’s a Trump trilogy: “Woody’s Landlord” (2016), warning us about Trump (not enough people listened); “Gonna Be Great” (2017), warning us about what lay ahead; and “Broken Truth” (2024), warning us once again. As one commenter noted, “Broken Truth” should be played at Democratic rallies everywhere.

Tim Grimm is an everyman, or as described in his bio, a “Renaissance Man.” He has been an actor, having had bit parts in over 40 movies and TV shows, including “Clear and Present Danger” and “Backdraft.” He’s been a farmer, having taken over the family farm in Indiana, and for the past 25 years has been a songwriter and folksinger.

Grimm has been compared to John Prine and Woody Guthrie. Personally, I compare him to Bill Staines. Like Staines’ songs, Grimm’s are about everyday people and events. Nothing is overproduced. It’s just the lyrics and acoustic instruments. He has made at least 12 albums over the past two decades. I have no idea why I had not heard of him until recently. Perhaps when you’re from the Heartland, people on the coasts don’t hear about you unless you get discovered by someone famous.

Grimm’s songs are all over YouTube. This one is really special:

Currently, in addition to performing in the U.S., Western Europe, and Ireland, Grimm also organizes folk music tours of Ireland and Scotland. I would love to see him become more well known, because he is a brilliant songwriter. However, folk music does not get much airplay any more, except down at the left end of the radio dial, home to college and NPR stations. I’ll continue to do my bit to promote his music, and explore more of his back catalog.

And before I close, one bit of trivia: Tim Grimm grew up in Indiana. He went to high school with Mike Pence, and was on the debate team with him.