Monday, April 22, 2013

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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8 comments:

  1. Oh I like LL Cool J on NCIS LA too! I thought of you last night when I watched a Ford commercial that was completely stupid! I figure it will make it to your bad slot...I'm sure of it. Even hubby agreed when I said- it didn't even make sense!

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  2. Thanks for stopping by, my dear Karen!!! Which Ford commercial? There are so many of them--you know?

    By the way, Arlynda also thinks of me whenever she sees or hears something stupid, but it has nothing to do with helping me gather new material. Sigh.

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  3. I've never heard this song. I'll have to come back later to listen though.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by, my dear Ann!!! I think it will be way too country for Wade to stomach much of. So, you might have Duke herd him toward his man cave before you get it going.

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  5. Oh my ..... we are still paying or the sins of our fathers aren't we? This reminds me of an argument I had with a Chicana girl in Los Angeles more than 20 years ago. We were talking about fav movies, and I really liked 'Driving Miss Daisy.' Oh my, you'd think I had brought out the heavy artillery with that statement. She railed me from racism to anti-feminism to being a part of the white establishment and then some!

    I do understand how art: music, movies, books etc become politicized in our world. But what I saw in that movie was this very beautiful relationship between a black man and a white woman in a world that would have happily punished the black man for 'overstepping' his boundaries. Both characters had to overcome inherent prejudices to discover the truth as we all know it: we are human beings all walking this path of humanity. And if you give one of us a chance, we might surprise you, accept you, befriend you and love you.

    If only we all could truly love our neighbors ....

    xxx

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  6. Thanks for stopping by, my dear RDG!!! VERY WELL SAID!

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  7. Thanks for stopping by, my dear Adullamite!!! Yes, they had many tunes that I loved, and what is left of the band is still playing. They are currently on their God and Guns tour. Sigh.

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