Friday, July 1, 2011
BY THE DAWNZER LEE LIGHT: On a long weekend that gives us both the Fourth of July and Canada (you may cease rocking your body now, per Robin Sparkles), let's go with an appropriate playlist theme--songs that are about America (or your home country). I'll offer two to start us off--one from the fine folks behind South Park (NSFW!), and some Bruce (yes, I know if you listen to the lyrics, it's subversive and all, but still).
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Neil Diamond's "America." Of course.
ReplyDeleteMy country tis of thee
(TODAY!)
Sweet land of liberty
(TODAY!)
Of thee I sing
(TODAY!)
American cheese at its very finest.
Willie Nelson: City of New Orleans (Good morning America, how are you?)
ReplyDeletePink Houses by Mellencamp
ReplyDeleteFuel by Ani Difranco (you might think Independence Day, but that's just a damned good love song.)
A little Canadian:
ReplyDelete<span>Joel Plaskett Emergency - True Patriot Love
http://youtu.be/nLoO_XsYAxQ
And a little America to balance it out:
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - American Girl (from The Old Grey Whistle Test)
http://youtu.be/uNgt7U9QrFQ</span>
1) Ameirca the Beautiful as performed by Ray Charles.
ReplyDelete2) The Star-Spangled Banner as performed by Hendrix.
John Denver, Colorado Rocky Mountain High, and Take Me Home, Country Roads.
ReplyDeleteWon't forget traveling in France with a bunch of Americans over 20 years ago, and we all started singing Take Me Home on the 4th of July. And everyone, even the hipsters, knew the lyrics.
Obviously not patriotic, but "Going to a Town" by Rufus Wainwright.
ReplyDeleteSimon & Garfunkel's "America" almost always makes me catch my breath:
ReplyDeleteLive in Central Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCbOEZ8c8dM
Album version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W773ZPJhcVw
I'm not a huge folk music fan, so I was thrilled to hear Sharon Jones get hold of "This Land Is Your Land": http://youtu.be/w9E86xHKop4
(I first heard this in "Up in the Air")
As a kid, I had this record: http://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Doodle-Mickey-Various-Artists/dp/B00004TC2Y and therefore can't hear any of the Armed Forces individual themes without thinking of the medley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvM7KLTYW40). Apparently, that album had a song that didn't make the reissue CD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXzTx7aS24k (it's pretty terrible, that song).
<span>Also, true fact, in first grade when we'd sing "My Country Tis of Thee" in school, I thought we were singing: My country 'tis of thee / Sweet land of liberty / of V. I. C." I always wondered what "V. I. C." stood for. I came up with "Victory in Country" as my best guess and asked the teacher if I was right. I'm forever grateful to Mrs. Todorovich for not laughing as she explained that what we were supposed to be singing was "of thee I sing."</span>
ReplyDeleteAnything by Stompin' Tom Connors, but especially "Sudbury Saturday Night" because I was born in Sudbury, "The Peterborough Postman" because I grew up in Peterborough for the most part and my parents and sister still live there, and "Real Canadian Girl" because, well, duh.
ReplyDeleteHappy Canada Day!
When I got the newly redesigned American passport last year, I immediately thought of that Team America: World Police song.
ReplyDeleteOh, and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGHMw_67fOk
ReplyDeleteWhy can I only think of snarky ones?
ReplyDeleteAni DiFranco Tis of Thee
Pink Dear Mr. President
CCR Fortunate Son
Melissa Etheridge All-American Girl
Martina McBride Independence Day
That being said, I do love some of the VERY cheesy ones:
Brooks and Dunn Only in America
Lee Greenwood God Bless the USA (don't judge me, it makes me cry!)
Hulk Hogan - "Real American"
ReplyDeleteFor me, this discussion begins and very nearly ends with "This Land Is Your Land." I'd vote for any Pete Seeger version -- I'm partial to this one that includes frequently omitted verses.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Happy Canada Day to ONTTN.
I don't care that all Chuck Berry songs sound alike, because I like that sound.
ReplyDelete"Back in the USA" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98_Ot6Qltd8
SOUSA!! SOUSA!! SOUSA!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXwu0h_ulpw
American Tune, both the Paul Simon original and the Indigo Girls cover.
ReplyDeleteI also rather like God Bless the USA, can't help myself.
First of all much credit to the "Ramona the Pest" post-title, which (forgive the off-topic note) reminds me that for all the Beverly Cleary fans out there, I was lucky enough to meet her earlier this year and if you want to see a video made in tribute to her career that includes portions of the interview done on that visit, you can watch it here.
ReplyDeleteBack on topic:
American Land (Bruce Springsteen)
Livin' In America (James Brown)
Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young)
The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan)
American Pie (Don McLean)
And I second the Ray Charles version of America the Beautiful and Paul Simon's America.
Just jumping in to say ROBIN SPARKLES!!!! Is it weird that I'm considering buying a replacement t-shirt for my "Sparkles Mall Tour 1993" shirt because the first one has been worn to death? (http://www.glarkware.com/adult/sparkles-mall-tour-1993)
ReplyDelete"On The Fourth Of July" by James Taylor. Super cheesy, but appropriate.
ReplyDeleteYoung Americans - David Bowie
ReplyDeleteFor America - Jackson Browne (this would have worked for last week's sax playlist also)
Girl America - Mat Kearney
Oh yeah, and "American without Tears," Elvis Costello.
ReplyDeletePaul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Chuck Berry are all on my imaginary July 4 playlist. Some others:
ReplyDeleteMarvin Gaye's version of the national anthem at the '83 NBA all-star game, even with a cheesy drum machine, is so seductive it gives new meaning to loving one's country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRvVzaQ6i8A
"This is My Country" by Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions, a top 40 hit which paraphrases the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural and sounds like Langston Hughes ("I Too Sing America," "Let America Be America Again") set to music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlF2GzfU7DE
Elvis's "American Trilogy," the apotheosis of America's peculiar genius of being simultaneously cheesy and profoundly moving, in which Elvis reconciles North ("The Battle Hymn of the Republic") and South ("Dixie"), and black and white (the spiritual "All My Trials"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jpXWOXNOD8&playnext=1&list=PL15810A5589048FA6
Maret, great choices. But I'll see your "American Land" and raise you "Land of Hope and Dreams" (also Bruce).
ReplyDelete"Land of Hope and Dreams" (Bruce)
ReplyDelete"I Am A Patriot" (Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul did it first, but Jackson Browne did it a bit more famously, and Eddie Vedder has covered it live both as a solo act and with Pearl Jam.)
A classic - "American Woman" by The Guess Who (not actually patriotic, but they're Canadian!)
ReplyDeleteA new comer - "American Honey" by Lady Antebellum
Yep, this one makes me cry every time.
ReplyDeleteOf course this thread needs some NPH
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/qJf9QQkZwls" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I pitched in and did the playlist this week: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC5D00CD48C53ABDE
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!