Today is the Fourth of July aka American Independence Day. This makes me wonder; who is considered America's most patriotic rock and roll band? Some people consider anyone who plays or even is a fan of rock and roll as essentially unpatriotic but those people also consider anyone who votes Democratic as unpatriotic.
I know the Fourth is a holiday where it can be assumed The Beach Boys have a gig somewhere, and with a big fireworks display. The Beach Boys present and represent an idealized version of America whereas someone every bit as American, say, Bruce Springsteen, tends to represent America in a brutally honest light. Honesty is largely dependent upon one's point of view but Springsteen has the ability to make one proud to be American and homesick for the America that was or that might have been, or that never really was (the Beach Boy's America), while presenting America as a deeply flawed place. Songs like My Hometown brings up feelings of love and nostalgia even while lamenting the fact that my hometown has gone to hell.
Bruce Springsteen's classic album Darkness On The Edge Of Town makes the listener wish he (probably not she) could live in the world from where the narrator of the song itself seems to wish he could escape. I suppose that's the power of the poet, making even the tragic and depressing romantic and noble or maybe it's just the power America itself has to make us believe no matter how bad times get here it is still an honor to be here now to suffer through it all together.
Happy Fourth Of July Bruce.
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