Come Monday...Accidental Racist

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

I had not heard the song yet, but I was hearing plenty about just how awful it was.  In fact, the “stuff” was hitting the proverbial fan in chunks over [Brad Paisely’s] Accidental Racist.

It would seem that the main criticism of the song is that it is [dishonest].  [Some] were more civil about it than [others].

Alas, I am here to tell you that the song is all too painfully honest.  For that could have been me wearing that Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt without any thought of what it represents to those who did not grow up in the culture I did.

Hey, it is arguable that Paisley just put to the music what I basically told a confused young man from Iowa one night at my house 30 some-odd years ago.  For he had followed our bunch over to the house to eat breakfast after a night of drinking and dancing in an area honky-tonk, and in the middle of still having too much fun, he said that he did not understand why there were still so many Confederate battle flags on prominent display around the southwestern part of Missouri since the Union had won the war.  Yeah, the party came to a screeching halt, and I took him outside to explain what was what before someone decided to do more than just have a talk with the boy.

That was a long time ago, and there are a lot of things that I see differently now that our Heavenly Father has allowed and enabled me to see things through His eyes.  To be perfectly honest about it, there is a lot that I wish I could not see so well.  For I still find it quite irksome that the south was so completely in the wrong.

No, I have never been a supporter of slavery in any form, but I have been in favor of states’ rights to a much greater extent than I am comfortable with these days.  For divided, we cannot stand, and if the current crop of hardcore conservatives would like to see what the United States of America would look like if they win the day this round, all they have to do is look at the mess that the [European Union] has wrought.

Oh, and Arlynda would never let me hear the end of it if I failed to mention just how much we enjoy [LL Cool J] on [NCIS: Los Angeles], but I liked many of his rap songs long before she started paying attention.  So, there!

Accidental Racist

Brad Paisley (with LL Cool J)

To the man that waited on me

At the Starbucks down on Main

I hope

You understand

When I put on that t-shirt

The only thing I meant to say

Is I’m a Skynyrd fan

The red flag on my chest somehow

Is like the elephant

In the corner of the south

And I just walked him right in the room

Just a proud rebel son

With an ol’ can of worms

Lookin’ like I got a lot to learn

But from my point of view

I’m just a

White man

Comin’ to you from the

Southland

Tryin’ to understand what it’s like

Not to be

I’m proud of

Where I’m from

but not everything

We’ve done

And it ain’t like you and me can re-write

History

Our generation

Didn’t start this nation

We’re still pickin’ up the pieces

Walkin’ on eggshells

Fightin’ over yesterday

And caught between

Southern pride

And southern blame

They called it Reconstruction

Fixed the buildings

Dried some tears

We’re still siftin’ through the rubble

After a hundred-fifty years

I try to put myself in your shoes

And that’s a good place to begin

But it ain’t like I can walk a mile

In someone else’s skin

‘Cause I’m a

White man

Livin’ in the

Southland

Just like you I’m more than

What you see

I’m proud of

Where I’m from

But not everything

We’ve done

And it ain’t like you and me can re-write

History

Our generation

Didn’t start this nation

And we’re still paying for mistakes

That a bunch of folks made

Long before we came

And caught between

Southern pride

And southern blame

Dear Mr. White Man

I wish you understood

What the world is really like

When you’re livin’ in the hood

Just because my pants are saggin’

Doesn’t mean I’m up to no good

You should try to get to know me

I really wish you would

Now my chains are gold

But I’m still misunderstood

I wasn’t there when Sherman’s March

Turned the south into firewood

I want you to get paid

But be a slave

I never could

Feel like a newfangled Django

Dodgin’ invisible white hoods

So when I see that white cowboy hat

I’m thinkin’ it’s not all good

I guess we’re both guilty

Of judgin’ the cover

Not the book

I’d love to buy you a beer

Conversate

And clear the air

But I see that red flag

And I think you wish I wasn’t here

I’m just a

White man

If you don’t judge my do-rag

Comin’ to you from the

Southland

I won’t judge your red flag

Tryin’ to understand what it’s like

Not to be

I’m proud of

Where I’m from

If you don’t judge my gold chains

But not everything

We’ve done

I’ll forget the iron chains

it ain’t like you and me can re-write

History

Can’t re-write history baby

Oh

Dixieland

The relationship between the Mason-Dixon

Needs some fixin’

I hope you understand

What this is all about

Quite frankly

I’m a black Yankee

But I’ve been thinkin’

'Bout this lately

I’m a son of the

New south

The past is the past

You feel me

And I just want to

Make things right

Let bygones be bygones

Where all that’s left

Is southern pride

RIP Robert E. Lee

But I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln

For freeing me

Know what I mean

It’s real

It’s real

It’s truth

Lyrics From: [BradPaisley.com]

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[FishHawk Droppings]

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[The Tribulation Times Herald-Exhorter]