JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Is this patriotism or red neck danger?

http://www.cmt.com/videos/aaron-lewis/602049/country-boy.jhtml

Aaron Lewis sings "Country Boy" it is an interesting song with a guest (it looks like) George Jones and Charlie Daniels. It is very political I think.

Humm,
Just a weak song as far as I can hear. And somewhat confusing also.

Samuel, Sounds like it starts as another generic old "hee haw I'm a country boy" song that's been done a thousand times but still's good for some sales if you're major artist. About two-thirds of the way through, it veers off into Tea Pary, neo-con, corporate sponsored propaganda. So I'd say they're trying to kill two birds with one stone. Pick up the "aw shucks" crowd while also making it a battle cry for Tea Party, pro-corporatist and anti-government types.

To each their own.

WELL YOUALL--

When America started with a BUNCH of UPSTART RURAL and RUGGED individuals--It gradually became the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The Constitution and Bill Of Rights are the Basis of Law, for our FREEDOMS--For sure it's been a STRUGGLE, to get where we are today--REDNECK and POLITICAL really don't describe the feeling I get from this song--I feel it is all about INDEPENDENCE--But maybe not written that well--Those who don't feel this VIBRATION, probably haven't been exposed to enough of the struggle in their life time--In my 73 years I HAVE lived hard and still do--I CALL IT AMERICAN PRIDE!

It's like any SONG--If you can't IDENTIFY or UNDERSTAND it, then there is always ANOTHER SONG FOR YOU.

THE BEAUTY OF AMERICA IS WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT, BUT "WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO THE REAL SKINNY" MOST AMERICANS STILL WANT TO BE FREE--

Mackie

Wow,

tattoos, soldiers, hunting buck, diesel trucks, don't tread on me flags, old shack down a dirt road, george jones, charlie daniels, Hank, a country boy can survive,

how can it miss? Even I think it's an awful sounding song on first hearing?

By the way, I like the Tea Party. More power to 'em. God bless Sarah Palin.

The thing that really ticks me off about this video is the pic of the two year old at the beginning and at the end. If you want to do your macho stuff, leave out the kids. There is a bible verse I can't quite recall, but it had to do with the little children coming first."suffer the little children . . . ." Not with this video, which seems to advocate violence in the pursuit of beliefs. Leave the kids out of your posturing.
Ott

I think that is an awful song. Sounds like someone should put him out of his misery. I suppose the lyrics might appeal to some tattooed redneck country boys. I didn't really hear much in the way of political agendas other than a bit of patriotism. A slap in the face of record label types which is odd.

I always find this interesting. I don't care for this song or artist at all. But it is a bit interesting that let a country artist declare something about his patriotism or personal opinion and a lot of peopel go nuts as this is the rise of some Neo Nazi faschist movement, yet when rappers, rockers, gang thugs, can openly call for the killing of cops, destruction of the government, slaughter of anyone that voices their opinions or Heaven forbid anyone with opinions on a certain middle Eastern religion, they are celebrated as "Freedom of speech."

Interesting perspectives.

MAB

Aaron Lewis stopped selling records when people realized that all he could write was whiny songs about how depressed he was. Now he's trying to cash in by selling a lowest common denominator country song. Somehow, despite all the attempts at strong sentiments in the lyrics I STILL want to slit my wrists after hearing it. Seriously... This guy could make a song about having a kid sound depressing.

What amuses me most is that he sold a ton early on after the record company "told him to change" and then now he's going "back to his roots" into a genre that has FAR greater sales than his original one.

I hope it takes a nose dive.

Here is the lyric
I don't think it is very well written. It lacks focus. There is nothing new or original. It could be a decent "Country Boy" song if it was well written. But there's been so many why bother?
What I don't understand is the contempt I see for what the guy is trying to say.
The singer says he doesn't drink Alcohol but smokes a little weed. I'd think the liberals would be singing along with that line.

Other than taking a stab at the LA music industry I don't see much here.
He says Family and Friends are more important to him. What's wrong with that?
There is a reference to the Tea Party in the Flag but that's about it.

Personally I like Pickup trucks, Country living, Dirt roads are fine with me. I own a big red International Harvester Tractor. Deer hunting is a favorite, I have a safe full of guns. I have flown an American Flag in my Yard. And was proud to do so.
Why would an American have a problem with that?
Looking through the lyric the only reference I see to Government is the guy supports himself and doesn't expect a government handout.
There are no references to corporate America.
I think the line about not going anywhere without his 9 or 45 is just weak but the gangsta rappers should love it.

I suppose if you are not a conservative American, or like the idea of a Nanny State, or if you support the idea that our President should go around appologizing for who we are, you might be offended by the song.

Neo-Con? That's funny. I seriously doubt this guy was ever a liberal.

But "Redneck Danger"? I doubt it. It's just another over the top Country Boy song

I'm sure the Progressive Student Network will hate this one.

John,

Frankly this is the kind of song we get on writer's nights all the time. Several people sent this thing to me and for the life of me I have no idea what there is to like about it. I hear the same drivel all the time almost every night on the writer's stages around Nashville.

MAB

Marc
The issue isn't the quality of the songwriting. It's the message and content

It's kind of like the Anti Corporate sentiment by the same people who think GE is the Greatest company ever.

Gee Marc,
You took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to say that this is what you hear from a lot of song writer's in Nashville. Most have not lived the life and cannot write about it. Hence they try to write about what they haven't lived. It is hard to write a good song! And my songs have been turned down by experts! I once got a note back from Tony Brown. The submission was sent to someone else but Tony answered. By the way, I didn't want to say drivel!

MAB, I haven't seen anybody go nuts here about this song or the Tea Party, neo-con or corporatist philosophy that seems popular with about 20-30 percent of the electorate. What I call the Limbaugh Brigade.

What I have seen is people sneer at and express disagreement with the straight-jacket political, social and economic policies expressed by the Koch Bros., the Limbaughs, Ann Coulters-Fox News and that whole anti-union, anti-middle class reverence for corporations and the rich.

Conversely, I see others express contempt for the Liberal, socialist-communist agenda they see in folks like me and insist that Obama was born in Kenya or Ghana or the moon or somewhere else.

But there's nothing new about this. American history is the story of the constant struggle between opposing political, social and economic philosophies. We even had a civil war over it.

A lot of people disagree with my political, social and economic philosophies. A lot disagree with yours. And Jay-Z and all the thugz rappers and metal monsters of rock or whoever. Probably MOST people have no use for the gangsta-thugz pose and lifestyle. Some don't like gays. Some don't like Christians. A LOT don't like Muslims because of the times.

Hey. This is America. In a lot of ways it's still the wild west. Welcome to Freedom of Speech.

Dan,

That is why for the most part I keep all my discussions to music, something I actually know about. I just make observations at times.

MAB

Can I get an "AMEN!"?

MAB, Well, I still like you. And we agree that you know your business!

Back at cha Dan.

M

meanwhile back in Japan-the noise and vibrations of the earthquake-plus the sirens about the radiation levels rising-have woken up Godzilla from his deep sleep.........now that place is in real trouble........

Tom

I find the delusions of both parties quite hilarious. Since it seems the leftists have exposed themselves on this one, and as a Libertarian I quite dislike both parties, but find the whining and hypocrisy needle pinned far to the left these days whereas when the right was in power it was the reverse to a nearly equal percentage. Until people start waking up to the truth that both parties are equally corrupt, but if there's any doubt, the government should ALWAYS be limited in power because they back up their corruptions and dirty dealing with the military just as the regimes we work with and fight against do in the middle east. The government should enforce a narrow set of laws covering defense, international trade, infrastructure, military, safety of the public and keeping other people from violating someone elses rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The rest should be left up to the states who should be free to be as far left or right as they want to be. Then people can vote with their feet and move to whichever state meets their desire. Want high taxes and a nanny state? Move left. Want no public assistance even when you're down? Move right. Want a sane moderate choice? Move to the center. But when the Federal Government controls everything, the only option for 95% of people is to try and survive it all. The US has been split 40-40 with 20% in the middle feeling like they are stuck in hell these days. As a Moderate Libertarian (true Libertarians are neither left nor right, they are only falsely portrayed as such), I think government should stay out of our social lives and our pocketbooks both. And we should keep other countries in line, or out of our neck of the woods if they don't want to cooperate. No more trade imbalances without sanctions that even out the dollars. No more military support unless it is in our on defense or unless those we're helping pay us back with interest (like these oil rich countries we help and defend (Saudi Arabia for example?) who should use their oil to pay us back. Same with Iraq.

And isn't it laughable to hear the left bring up the Koch brothers while George Soros and Trumpka from the Unions rule the administration and nearly all the media? It's equally laughable when the right does the reverse. I believe there are forces out there who want to see armed revolution break out in the USA which could only lead to massive deaths and then an extremist communist, extremist facist or complete collapse and nuclear death for most human followed by massive starvation of the remaining people who manage to survive.

In other words, both sides are evil and corrupt and when you fight to defend or attack either side you're just part of the problem because you ignore the evil on your own side which is the same as endorsing it.

But I don't want to get political or anything. I haven't heard the song in question. Sounds like a stupid typical load of crap. Yawn. By the way, I have plenty of active Tea Party friends who are not being ordered to do anything by any entity. I also know many union friends who ARE being told to picket and demonstrate. That's a fact. But it doesn't change my opinion other than there's more hypocrisy that comes from whoever is in charge and right now it's the leftists. Obama starts another war but the press is just fine with it. Obama cuts off oil (after coming out FOR doing more drilling) but opens up our own coastlines to the Brazilians, who until they were exposed were owned (Petrobras) in part by Soros. The Afghan war is a mess, you know the "good" war.. but that's okay too. And of course we've abandoned most of our allies starting with Poland and the Czech Republic who we left to the mercy of the Russians after they stuck out their necks to cooperate with us. Then the Brits and Israelis and so on. And wow.. isn't a certain military prison still in operation in Cuba? Where are the protests?

Hypocrits. On both sides. And the poor 20% of us in the middle who just want to have a good life, work hard, do the right thing and help others when we can. But if I am seen with my Tea Party friends I am a racist hatemonger red neck moron on the payroll of the Koch Brothers (who frankly I've only heard of as a bogeyman set up by the left) and if I hang with my left wing friends, I am a commie, abortion loving, welfare abusing, lazy, child. Sound familiar? Frankly if we could just lose the 80% on the fringes we could get some things fixed.

Brian

"Those who want to lead are often those least qualified to do so" - ergo, we shouldn't let anyone who wants to become a politician become a politician.

And thanks everyone for the performance notes on playing in Nashville - Don't make the audience commit suicide before you get to the bridge!!

Guess I got me a Redneck Bone, but I watched the Video..didn't find Much There I'd Disagree-With. It's rather Simplistic, yet it
IS simple things like Family-Continuation & Freedom from an Oppressive Government that this country WAS founded-upon.

I'm no gun nut..but do have a few..partly because Our Forefathers thought it Best for the General Citizenry to have some to make sure the Elected Officials couldn't make slaves of we, the electorate & taxpayers.

Of course, today's Man on The Street...or In The Backwoods..has lots LESS Firepower (Both ballistically & financially) than most of our forebears had. (So I kinda like the Inherent Threat that's woven through this Lyric..& that "Don't Tread on Me" Vibe that's getting stronger-than-ever..among the "fringes" of our so-called Society.)

I found the song OK, a bit Overly-Macho (who needs ALL those Tattoos to be "A Real American"?)..Well-Produced/Admirable Scene of Singer Visitin' The Troops..& chock-fulla Country Icons & Viewpoints, none of which offended my sensibility in the least.

As for the Kid Pics, Hell, we were ALL Young Once...& the rest of the Vid's just showing how Singer Grew Up..in His Version of America. (The Putdown of L.A....heh..prettymuch Stock-Footage for a NashCity Production.)

Which tempts me to pen a Parody: "A Sunset Boy Can Survive"..but I guess I know-better.

Best Wishes/Big Hugs,
Stan

This song wants me want to puke. The same, tired ol' country boy crap. The same subject matter. A rehash of the same crap and country fans eat it up. It is what I detest about contemporary country music. I rarely listen to the radio anymore, I buy cd's. I listen to some songs on the chart on the internet just stumbling across current stuff. In the past ten years, every few months, a song that is almost a mirror image of this song hits the country charts. It happens a LOT. It's one reason many people that like a country sound distance themselves from country music, they go alt-country or Americana.

Gee I'm sorry some of you worked Politics into this. Ya All need to Google Pogo and scroll down where he says we have found the enemy and it is .....

AND, book your own life, it's better that way.

Brian, Whatever I think of your political views, mainstream or middle of the road is the last thing that comes to mind. Ayn Rand is the first. Libertarianism takes the most extreme views of the left and the right to the edge of anarchy and then dares you to jump. Having said that, since I am an extremist on the left, we do agree on somethings. Like Butler in the NCAA Final Four. And Obama's unconstitutional war in Libya. And American Imperialism abroad. As they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.

Stan the Man, A sizeable number of Americans share most of your views. So you're not out of step. Patriotism is big these days. Flag waving probably always has been. Even if it's the Rebel flag. I'd like to see you write that parody, "A Sunset Boy Can Survive." It sounds rife with that old Tampa Stan humor.


When I die lay me in my coffin
Beside my double barrel, hon
'Cause I always said I wouldn't be caught
Dead without my gun

I'm not sure about this "I hate this song because it's the same old crap country boy song I've heard before so many times"

ALL country songs are the same old crap I've heard before a hundred times.
My girl left me, my guy left me, I'm gonna get drunk, I'm not gonna get drunk, I got a pickup truck, etc etc etc.

I think the only thing people don't like about this song is it will piss off the left.

And a lot of the right won't like it because it might make them look like a redneck if they say they do

I remember seeing this video about 6 months ago or so over at songramp and most of the discussion centered around how boring it was. Now that I see it again and read the lyrics, I am sort of surprised that folks are making this out to be some anti-left manifesto of some sort. There are lots of mainstreams in America and most of the stuff he writes about in the song is not that far off the beaten path for rural, country folk. It is just not that interesting of a presentation. It just goes on and on.

I think it is OK, but Steve Earle does this kind of thing much better.

By the way, I don't think the country is split 40-40-20. It is more like

1-3-5-10-15-16-16-15-10-5-3-1 -- or something like that.

Kevin

Dan,
You forgot to Google Pogo! It is a well known fact that the Liberals and Democrats want to run the country but they want the Consevatives and Republicians to pay for it. I had a friend that had a saying for that. He said Go Fry Your Ass! Unfortuntaly we have been doing things your way for at least the last 75 years and we now have a 14 trillion dollar debt to show for it.

President Kennedy said, "Think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". The only thing he forgot to add was Send Money. Dan, you forgot to send the money!

Oh, I forgot, you are a Liberal. That explains it. I'm pedeling as fast as I can but I'm gonna come up way short.

Is this patriotism or red neck danger?

It looks like a music video to me.

Yep

And I have decided
I don't particularly like it
I don't particularly dislike it

I have no feelings.

When you think about it, there's not really a lot of difference between this video and that Rebecca Black "Friday" video.

When has that ever stopped you?

Spoken like a true right-winger...

One way to look at it I suppose. Does this mean you consider yourself a true left winger?

In context I suggest it shows I am Centrist.

Spoken like a true left-winger...

I want to see nekid women. Where are the Girls?

Thanks for posting this for us, Joe.

Personally, I enjoyed it. I thought the video was well done and the song was a pretty good "cover" of "A Country Boy Can Survive." Different words but the message is pretty much the same. No, I don't buy everything the writer put down. But I don't see it as a threat to national security. It is patriotic in a convoluted sort of way.

I enjoyed everyone's comments. I especially liked the insertion of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter into the conversational mix. Whether CNN or FOX... it's all about controversy. Keep the "masses" stirred up... it pulls them in so we can run another fifteen minute commercial break.

Whatever happened to the little man sitting behind a desk just reading the news, weather and sports without commentary? I know we're all gonna interpret the news according to our slant on things... but I'd rather interpret for myself.

Dave: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Ott

Back in those old days those "little guys reading the news" were the same leftist extremists that have run network news since the start. When there was no other competition, they could collude with each other to lie in the same words (much like the Dem Senator who was just caught on tape saying he'd been told to always use the word "extremists" when referring to the Tea Party and the Speaker of the House by some comittee). When the oil companies Price Fix, they are doing the same thing. News fixing went on for generations until Cable News finally offered up a single dissenting voice to the leftist dominance. CNN and MSNBC were also "outed" for their bias and to their credit (or discredit really) all of them across the board admitted AFTER the election they had been biased and unfair. Then they picked up right where they left off again. CNN in the USA isn't nearly as bad as CNN International who used anti American Propaganda when the Right was in Charge and dishonest leftist Propaganda with Obama in charge. Anyone outside of the USA who things CNN International remotely represents what is going on in the USA is being lied to and led down a propaganda path right out of the pages of the WWII liars and propagandists.

Does Fox News lean to the right? Yup. Do all other Televised news entities lean far left? Yup. Can you trust any of them completely? Nope. But if you at least watch the opposing news to the regime in charge, you'll get closer to the truth than watching the one that supports the regime. The left media did a good job pointing out all of Bush's faults. But they ignore the exact same faults with Obama. He still supports rendition. He still uses Gitmo. He still uses Drones to kill from afar (more than Bush ever did). He's still in Iraq. He upped the ante in Afghanistan, the war he called the good war during the election. Oddly enough, Fox News has been consistent. They supported that stuff with Bush in office AND with Obama in office. But now the left, who vehemently opposed it, is quiet for the most part about Obama. Hypocrits down to the bone.

The sad truth is that both parties only make decisions based on re-election. And if we (the USA) don't wise up fast, we're going to lose it all much more quickly than we can imagine. And most of the Western world will circle the drain behind us.

I do not follow any man made organized religion. But I can't ignore how Israel is behing demonized and set up to be murdered by all those around them and the US seems perfectly happy to leave them in dire straights. But Israel rightfully is not going to stand by passively to be slaughtered like they did with the Nazis. And when they have to use Nukes, will the US be there on their side? Nothing in Obama's actions suggests he will be. With him in office, it's a death sentence for Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East, and like that old poem said, We stood by while they came for the X, Y and Z's and said nothing. Now they are coming for me and there's no one left to speak up. Does anyone in the USA believe that anyone other than a small handful of countries would lift a finger to help the USA if China and Russia ganged up on us? I don't. These Middle Eastern rebels sure won't. The South American leftist won't. The leftists in our own society won't. Things are getting scary folks. And the USA, if forced into civil war, will see more deaths internally than ever imagined in world history due to the fact that the USA has more guns per capita than any western country.

Sorry to raise the flag of concern, but this isn't the end of trouble, it's only the start. That's why some, like the Tea Party, are asking us to return to being Americans and to our own constitution, and not some new world order. If the left want to change the constitution, they can, via ammendments, not through presidential order which goes around congress and our laws. The left hated when Bush did it, but love it with Obama doing it. And even if you love it because your side is in charge, imagine if Obama loses and the Tea Party is in Charge and uses all these new tactics to avoid our constitution. How will you feel then?

Wake up folks, both parties are ruining us. Call it like it is before it is too late.

Brian

Amen.

Brian, Many liberals have expressed displeasure with Obama's Libyan policy. You have one here on JPF who criticized it in song.

But you are right about one thing. If the Tea Party ever comes to power we might as well tear up the U.S. Constitution. We've got a governor here in Michigan who just got the legislature to give him authority to declare financial emergencies and disband school boards and government entities and appoint a financial Czar to rule over the citizens.



If we can't get him recalled this Summer, who knows what happens next.

Dan, I think you need to re-read the "Tea Party" section in Brian's post.

Ha,
Don't you just love Country Music. Google, ALL OF THE MONKEYS AIN'T IN THE ZOO. And, take personal responsibility for your lives, don't expect the Govnment to do it.

And, WHEN IN DOUBT, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

I like reading JD's stuff way better than Ray's or Brian's.

Ha. And Michigan did so well under Granholm. Did you work on the Granholm recall effort?

Bill, Granholm never pushed through legislation giving her authority to overturn local, county and school board elections and appoint overseers to run these bodies. So, no, I never worked to overthrow her.

Well, I'm just looking in as an outsider.....

And what I can't quite figure, is why everyone is getting uppity.

I just see it as one man's view. It's how he sees the world, and he wishes to express it this way. I think it's genuinly honest, and an expression of the way he feels.

You can get into politics all you like, but the question asked was...."Is this patriotism or red neck danger"?

Personnaly, I do see it as a form of exremism. Yet, at the same time, don't disagree with the value system being expressed. All in all, I see it as a positive sentiment, to the values that he holds.

On the other hand, which is way more important, it''s a pretty cruddy song. I was looking for it to take off after the first verse, but it never did.

The start out is great, the set up is good, but it kinda flops just like a lad that's had too many beers. The ladies will be able to relate to that one.

*shrugs*

cheers, niteshift

Ray,

Me and you and maybe Dunbar might be the only people who remember that song.