Politics and Music


The Trumpets of Jericho

Beethoven and Napoleon 

Wagner and the Nazis

"Ohio" and the Vietnam War

"Imagine" and consumerism 

The Dixie Chicks 

Countless examples illustrate the intersection of Music and Politics. Jerry Garcia referenced his group as "just a dance band." Always pondered how we react to our choices of music. Divorce it entirely from the controversies of the day and merely enjoy the artistry or allow it to change the way in which we view the world. Transformative, escapism, nostalgia, intellectual profundity, cultural discovery. Large questions. Your thoughts?

jpwarren58

Most musicians, especially rock era musicians, and even later day bluegrass and Americana music artists are decidedly liberal if they are political at all. This uncritical "group-think" is pervasive among them. I note that Bela Fleck of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones even voted for communist Bernie Sanders.

It’s like they all grew up smoking weed and jamming, so they were in that mindset and never outgrew it.

As a conservative, I simply try to enjoy their music for what it is worth and leave the politics aside. But it is refreshing to find someone not indoctrinated as most are or actually even push back against that indoctrination like Kid Rock or Ted Nugent.

I can still enjoy Jason Isbell’s "Georgia Blue" even though the back story is that he named it that way because Georgia went "blue" in the last election cycle. At least the songs on the album (some REM and and other standards) aren’t political even if the artists themselves are.

It’s like Frank Zappa said of these political types of music artists, "Shut up and play yer guitar".

Thank God, or the Supreme Soviet (if that is what you believe in) that stare decisis isn't the be all, end all. Otherwise we might still have slavery.

When ideas become so repugnant, even ideas enshrined by the courts, (think late term abortion), it is good that times can change. 

Actually, Frank Zappa himself got very involved in politics in 1987, when he went up against Tipper Gore over warning labels on albums, even testifying before Congress.

I know a fair number of musicians who identify as Libertarians, the interesting mix of social liberalism and economic conservatism.

@moonwatcher Your agenda clear, always inculcated belief system based on indoctrination for liberals, truth for conservatives, inevitable zero sum game.

 

And talk about repugnant, forcing victims of rape and incest to carry child to term.

Kind a simple if you do not like an entertainers political opinions (who really cares?) Then do not listen, buy or view their material. 

No one is making you listen, unless you are in North Korea.