"The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Song" by the Flaming Lips
Let's start with the most recent song that comes to mind, from the Flaming Lips. The central "yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus of this song strongly puts me in mind of the Kelly brothers singing informative songs on the SNL Weekend Update — which is cool, cause they're actually fairly musical.
Anyway, there's a broader point, but the lyrics express not a skepticism of the particular people in power, but in ANYBODY having power. "It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want/Because you cannot know yourself or what you'd really do/
With all your power"
"Money and Corruption/I'm Your Man" by the Kinks
I could well enough make a whole list of "conservative" songs by Ray Davies. He was famously swimming against the hip tide even during the sixties, with the whole Village Green Preservation Society album, for starters. Per his titles, it might be better to call him a conservationist or preservationist. Plus, you could reasonably argue that his opposition to land developers and such is really left-wing environmentalism — though it's a lot more than that as it comes from Davies.
But calling Ray Davies a "conservative" would be just the kind of dumbing down that I'm objecting to, reducing the kinks of his thinking to an ideological label that doesn't represent his thinking. For one thing, Ray Davies' work has often been informed by a distinctly Marxist class consciousness.
The conflict becomes most clear in this centerpiece cut from the criminally underappreciated Preservation, Act I. This is one of the greatest songs and recordings of their distinguished career, in which he lays out the kinks in the form of an extended composition. It's like Ray's saying that he WANTS to be a good Marxist revolutionary — but he knows the bad places that will lead.
The "money and corruption" part is a rousing rock song, the rabble crying out in the streets while "crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep." But then it becomes an entirely different tune halfway through in a different voice, as a man of the people rises up to lead them with a swelling vocal chorus of the proletariat backing his campaign plan. "I'm your man. I'll work out a five year plan." Thank God. But soon enough he's talking about nationalizing the wealthy companies "and all the directors will be answerable to me." This isn't an argument for free markets over socialism, but again an underlying distrust of giving ANYONE power. But to my thinking, that's the more important principle.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Nothing by the Dixie Chicks Al? I'm truly disapointed in you.
-Glen
2 - Al Barger
Yeah Glen, I wanted some DC, but I just couldn't think of anything vaguely appropriate. Don't think the idea didn't occur to me, though.
3 - Delanie
The fact that these artists make oodles of money (isn't that a major complaint against conservatism??) and are obliged to corporate record producers seems to be lost on a lot of people. Oh the irony.
4 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
and the problem with working hard and making "oodles of money" is...?
...and being obliged to the largely undemanding bosses who hired them to do a job is...?
Oh the stupidity.
5 - IgnatiusReilly
The fact that producers are not corporate nor are artists obliged to them seems lost on one person. The artists are signed to labels.
Oh, the humanity!
6 - Baronius
I completely disagree with your interpretation of "If 6 Was 9". For years I've used it as an example of 1960's cynicism. People forget how the happy early days of voter registration turned into the years of the Weathermen. The anti-war movement turned out to be an anti-draft movement - a perfect example of "fall mountains, just don't fall on me". When Dad stopped sending tuition money, jobs suddenly made sense, and the principle of free love disappeared as soon as the herpes sore showed up.
Hendrix's lyrics illustrate the selfishness of the era. The only way the song is conservative is if you assume right=selfish and left=virtuous.
7 - Dave Nalle
With all this interest in 'conservative' music, I wonder where the country music entries are. Surely there are some good old down home values to be found there.
Dave
8 - Al Barger
Yes Dave, that's just the point with why there's not attention going to "conservative" themes in country music- it's too easy and obvious.
The other side is that there people working up lists of LIBERAL sentiments in country songs.