(On Brad Paisley's "Welcome to the Future," [above])
I think this is a pretty incredible illustration of the power of the historical understanding of man. It is a complex and extremely problematic philosophical idea of progress expressed in the most simple of popular music idioms. (Who says pop music is mind-numbing?) It is also extremely compelling and moving. (Who could resist the conclusion?) Finally, notice the amalgamation of technological, political, and cultural progress. And the fusing of the religious with the political. What a crazy world we live in. Quite exhilarating and horrifying.
[Editor's note: It is ironic that these themes are present in a country song--usually I think of country music as being provincial and local, while this extols globalism (yet with American flags and the statue of liberty all over the place). Additionally, the pro-technology theme is surprising in a country song--often country music praises his old truck or tractor or something.]
3 comments:
it's been a looooong time since country music was provincial and local. now it's just pop (and therefore represents all the things listed--globalism, technology, etc), plus a fiddle.
i adore country music
while the country music industry may be globalized, commercialized, etc, i think the subject matter of country songs still tends towards the local and provincial. for example,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2RZQlxkMUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUhaqUHGeQU
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXw0RpWRZC4
also, interestingly, the pop country genre is miraculously capable of maintaining simultaneously in its current top ten charts the previously mentioned paisley song and this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHuzRuFQFo0
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