H-Net Discussion Networks - Re: Country Music and Political Ideology

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From: Michael Bertrand <bertrand@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>
List Editor: Michael Bertrand <bertrand@MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>
Editor's Subject: Re: Country Music and Political Ideology
Author's Subject: Re: Country Music and Political Ideology
Date Written: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:15:26 -0000
Date Posted: Tue, 27 Mar 2006 19:15:26 -0500

Colleagues,

I have been lurking on this list from its inception and
liking it. I would now like to venture a comment mostly
for the irony of the matter.

About a year ago I attended a Kiwanis meeting at which
the patriotic song of the day was THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.
I found the irony delicious of a business oriented group
singing a song composed by someone who while not necessarily
a Stalinist and member of the CPUSA in the 30s and 40s
was certainly in the language of the time a "fellow traveler."
It says volumes for the nature of the tune and the beauty of
the words. I was so taken by the irony of the matter that I
went home and tried to play my LP of Sacco-Vanzetti a "folk
opera" of sorts by Guthrie.

In the interests of self-disclosure I whould note that I
was attending the meeting as a dues paying member.

Gus Seligmann
University of North Texas

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