If you were to open your mouth and belt out the words “This land is your land,” you could rest assured that someone nearby would add: “This land is my land.”
Well Mickey, there you go again! Jesus, Woody AND U2 in the same post? This is why I read you every morning! I think Bono and his mates might be some of the richuns, though. Just sayin'.
And yes, I almost added a note to declare that I'm *not* endorsing U2's globalist agenda. It's tricky because I actually like their version of Woody's song!
I'm glad you didn't include the note. I find I like a lot of art that is authored or made by folks I disagree with. Yes, there is a tension I feel when that happens, but there is something about that tension (and living with it) that adds to the Human mystery in which we dwell. That probably doesn't make sense; I wonder if it is supposed to.
Thanks Mickey - Way back about 50 years ago I read Bound For Glory, Woody Guthrie's autobiography and absolutely loved it - he was a real man of the people...
I am happy to learn about Woody Guthrie's Jesus song. I think you've managed to solve a little mystery for me. I recently visited Central Park. An enthusiastic fan ran past me to get closer to a busker proclaiming, "It's the Jesus song!"... The musician was a folk guitarist. I was upset about how he was introducing his next number with a diatribe mocking people for esteem of scripture. He considered the Bible obsolete; religious people moronic....
As we understand from the Sermon on the Mount and so much of his ministry, Christ's compassion for the poor cannot be underestimated. And yet, his righteous message has somehow been co-opted for uncharitable ends, including by the once-great Society of Jesus whose political intrigues have rocked the foundation of His church. (Have you read Martin's "The Jesuits"? By page 3, one understands that so much of the nefariousness of today was seeded in the 1960s and '70s.)
Guthrie wrote, "This Land is Your Land" as a rebuttal to "God Bless America", a song with which there is hard to find objection. His folk music undergirded Dylan's aesthetic and was extolled by Beatniks and Yippies. The progressive counter-culture appropriated Christ's message and twisted it into a new age of Aquarius --a drug-induced delusion of licentiousness and irresponsibility under the guise of freedom. This was incisively exposed by Joan Didion in, "Slouching Towards Bethlehem". While the essay references Joni Mitchell's song (Mitchell also composed the anthem of the movement, "Woodstock"), it hearkens to Yeats. I wonder how to even imagine "The Second Coming" were it to come to pass today, especially in the streets of New York.
The deepest deceptions and heresies always contain a portion of the Truth. It is getting harder to even tell the Truth apart from the trickery.
Well Mickey, there you go again! Jesus, Woody AND U2 in the same post? This is why I read you every morning! I think Bono and his mates might be some of the richuns, though. Just sayin'.
Thank you, as always, Brian! Much appreciated.
And yes, I almost added a note to declare that I'm *not* endorsing U2's globalist agenda. It's tricky because I actually like their version of Woody's song!
I'm glad you didn't include the note. I find I like a lot of art that is authored or made by folks I disagree with. Yes, there is a tension I feel when that happens, but there is something about that tension (and living with it) that adds to the Human mystery in which we dwell. That probably doesn't make sense; I wonder if it is supposed to.
Yes! I feel we all benefit from embracing nuance.
If I prevented myself from every listening to a U2 song because Bono meets with Klaus Schwab, it wouldn't do anything to challenge the WEF agenda.
All I'd be doing is punishing myself while using the same cancel culture tactics I criticize.
Yes! That is so true and a great way to look at it!
Thanks Mickey - Way back about 50 years ago I read Bound For Glory, Woody Guthrie's autobiography and absolutely loved it - he was a real man of the people...
Amen to that, Will. If that's the Joe Klein book, I also read it back in the day.
Everybody needs to hear this.—written after Clinton's second election in 1996. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF6ZEpQD9Gg
Thank you, Jack, I'll check it out. And THANK YOU for becoming a paid subscriber. Much, much appreciated!
I am happy to learn about Woody Guthrie's Jesus song. I think you've managed to solve a little mystery for me. I recently visited Central Park. An enthusiastic fan ran past me to get closer to a busker proclaiming, "It's the Jesus song!"... The musician was a folk guitarist. I was upset about how he was introducing his next number with a diatribe mocking people for esteem of scripture. He considered the Bible obsolete; religious people moronic....
As we understand from the Sermon on the Mount and so much of his ministry, Christ's compassion for the poor cannot be underestimated. And yet, his righteous message has somehow been co-opted for uncharitable ends, including by the once-great Society of Jesus whose political intrigues have rocked the foundation of His church. (Have you read Martin's "The Jesuits"? By page 3, one understands that so much of the nefariousness of today was seeded in the 1960s and '70s.)
Guthrie wrote, "This Land is Your Land" as a rebuttal to "God Bless America", a song with which there is hard to find objection. His folk music undergirded Dylan's aesthetic and was extolled by Beatniks and Yippies. The progressive counter-culture appropriated Christ's message and twisted it into a new age of Aquarius --a drug-induced delusion of licentiousness and irresponsibility under the guise of freedom. This was incisively exposed by Joan Didion in, "Slouching Towards Bethlehem". While the essay references Joni Mitchell's song (Mitchell also composed the anthem of the movement, "Woodstock"), it hearkens to Yeats. I wonder how to even imagine "The Second Coming" were it to come to pass today, especially in the streets of New York.
The deepest deceptions and heresies always contain a portion of the Truth. It is getting harder to even tell the Truth apart from the trickery.
Thank you, Adria, for such a thoughtful contemplation. You've given me plenty to ponder. 🙏
As a HUGE U2 fan from their beginnings, hearing Bono sing this song has really rattled me. Not bad, but really different.
I was a big fan back in the day, too!