The other day I was reading an old National Review post about conservative rock songs. The idea of identifying songs as “conservative” is probably a bit dubious because it is difficult to identifies a writer’s meaning from a few lines of a song.
As far as I know, the only well known rock band that could loosely be described as 'conservative' are the The Kinks, who released a number of songs with conservative lyrics, such as their 1972 hit Lola which questions the ethics of transgender lifestyles.
Probably the Kinks most conservative album was Village Green Preservation Society, which many critics also regard as their best. A number of rock bands have fallen foul of the left wing music press from time to time, such as Gary Numan and Duran Duran in the 1980s, but it is unlikely that any had a coherent conservative philosophy.
The Canadian progressive rock band Rush was labelled “crypto-fascist” by some leftist music critics in the 1970s, but their lyrics are more right-liberal than conservative. A number of their albums have frequent references to libertarian themes and Ayn Rand literature.
In the late 1970s Rush did produce a couple of albums with some conservative lyrics- Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. Unfortunately Rush’s music often leaves a lot to be desired, with unduly screechy guitar work and vocals that often sound like a high pitched Donald Duck imitation.
Hemispheres is about the only Rush album that reaches the artistic standards of leading early 1970s prog rock pioneers like Yes, King Crimson and Genesis.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I thought "Lola" celebrated, or at least sympathised with, tranvestitism.
Intellectual Pariah
What about "I fought the law, and the Law won?" or "Sweet Home Alabama" or "What the world needs is a few more rednecks?"
There have to be more.
Anonymous, you may be right that the song 'Lola' suggests tolerance of transvestism/homosexuality but it it also seems to suggest that it ok for hetrosexual males to feel uncomfortable about it. By rock standards this is a pretty conservative idea. A true leftist would criticise someone who was uncomfortable about transvestism/homosexuality as
homophobic.
There are also probably better examples of conservatives lyrics in Kinks songs, though, so in rhetrospect I shud probably have used a better example.
Swift - There are probably some country influenced rock bands that are pretty conservative, but that it not an area I know much about.
There are also alot of individual songs by non-conservative bands, such as the Who, that have conservative sounding lyrics in them.
"There are also alot of individual songs by non-conservative bands, such as the Who, that have conservative sounding lyrics in them."
Especially if you consider the countless songs about the negative effects of substance abuse, cheap sex, and a tawdry existence. Since rock music is usually so enmeshed in the bohemian lifestyle, songs that have melancholy themes can usually broadly be considered 'conservative'.
Two words. Johnny Cash. "Hurt" and "God's gonna cut you down" are both classic nods to what Russell Kirk called "the tragic vision" of life. Also possibly U2, although I know little of their music.
Rush went straight over my head, but I did enjoy the odd tune from their '80s synth period like 'The Big Money' & 'Spirit Of Radio'
For a modern group with seemingly conservative views (on social issues) I consider The Offspring to be a contender, 'Why don't you get a job?', 'The Kids Aren't Alright' and 'Hit That' are cogent examples.
Sorry to comment so far after the fact, but I can't see how "Lola" suggests in any way that the singer is uncomfortable with transvestism/homosexuality. The last lines of the song are "I'm glad that I'm a man, and so is Lola."
The suggestion that The Kinks are conservative comes up occasionally, but it seems to me that it's a misunderstanding of either The Kinks, the idea of conservativsm, or both. Ray Davies find dignity in the everyday lives of people and he denounces anything that destroys individuality. Those forces are both on the left and the right, and he's spent time attacking both sides.
Even on Village Green Preservation Society, he sings about "protecting the new" along with "preserving the old," and Arthur is as much, if not more, an attack on the traditional class system as it is a tribute to the past.
"Now I think of what my mamma told me
She always said that it would never ever work out
But all I want to do is make some money
And bring you home some wine
For I dont ever want you to see me
Standing in that line
cause that union mans got such a hold over me
Hes the man who decides if I live or I die, if I starve, or I eat
Then he walks up to me and the sun begins to shine
Then he walks right past and I know that Ive got to get back in the line"
- Get Back In Line
I always saw this song by the Kinks as critical of the trade union bosses who forced the workers to strike as a class conflict weapon.
Rush is libertarian.
Ted Nugent is conservative.
Post a Comment