Studio 360

just listened to "the music of The Young Republicans" and laughed! Not an original bit of music there-only parody of some really wonderful songs of freedom and peace. Typical right wing thinking-bad mouth and destroy, but no constructive or original thoughts. The Capitol Steps are a group that parody left and right using borrowed tunes and they are very funny, but they do not claim to be furthering a political agenda.

Thank you for having the guts, the openness to air this program. Even though I am an independent with leftist leaning, it is refreshing and entertaining to be exposed to other peoples perspective of reality. I wish those artist's music was more available.

Well, I believe I can speak with some authority on the subject being an actual living breathing currently operating folk singer. And perhaps one of the reasons that nobody has heard some of the examples of right wing "folk" music aired on this segment was that irrespective of their message, they were truly horribly written songs. But I can give you an example of an anti-left wing song written by one of the stalwarts of the Great Folk Scare of the 60's, Phil Ochs: "The Draft-Dodger Rag". The chorus goes

Searge, I'm only 18, got a ruptured spleen

And I always carry a purse.

Got eyes like a bat and my feet are flat

And my asthma's getting worse.

Think of my career and my sweetheart dear

And my poor old invalid aunt.

Besides, I ain't no fool. I'm going to school

And I'm working in a defence plant.

Now there's a well-written song.

Mike Agranoff

www.MikeAgranoff.com

Oh the memories that flashed w/ the clip of those songs. I realize that after being raised w/ an out there but delightful right wing (J. Bircher) mama; I still have all the lyrics to the Goldwater's album we owned embedded in brain. Children need music, if they're too young to buy their own they'll absorb what's provided for them . I don't bring up politics with her Ever, but God bless her, "I look at life from both sides now". Thank you for your show, I always appreciate it.

Well! I just listened to that segment and did not even hear the rest of the show to come to my conmuter and respond.

The reason none of these artists are known today? They just plain were not very good. The songs were cheap knockoffs of folk music of the day, and thoroughly mean-spirited. (Oh yes they were.)

As a previous poster noted, Phil Ochs wrote the Draft Dodger Rag. One of the songs -- "Yellow Berets" -- paraphrased it and did not seem to get the point of the original at all.

Why do you waste air space with this tripe?

I, too, rushed home to my computer to respond, only to find out it had been done very well by the previous responders. These are not good songs.

I would like to add that Sergeant Barry Sadler and Phil Ochs make the oddest music/ lyrics team ever.

Sure, we lefties make better folk music, the the right has march music pretty well locked up. (Except for maybe the Internationale.)

BTW, the best song from the 1964 campaign was about the right wing youth movement. It was 'Barry's Boys' by Chad Mitchell. Here are lyrics:

We're the bright young men,

Who want to go back to nineteen-ten,

We're Barry's Boys.

We're the kids with a cause,

A government like Grandmama's,

We're Barry's Boys.

Back to when the poor were poor,

And rich were rich,

And you felt so damn secure

Just knowing which was which.

Oh, we're the bright young men,

Who want to go back to 1910,

We're Barry's Boys.

Very interesting. The right was apparently more innovative back then. I don't hear any right-wing rap today. Apparently the right has given up on America's youth?

lydia klatsky wrote:

>Not an original bit of music there-only parody of some really wonderful songs of freedom and peace. Typical right wing thinking-bad mouth and destroy, but no constructive or original thoughts.

Janet Green's song "Termites" was an original composition. It is my understanding that, after her first album she wrote all of her own tunes. I only had limited time for this piece and so I went for the songs that would be the most remarkable, and those tended to be the ones with familiar tunes.

>The Capitol Steps are a group that parody left and right using borrowed tunes and they are very funny

I have performed and written for the Capitol Steps since 1984. I am glad you like our material.

Bernardo A Merizalde wrote:

>I wish those artist's music was more available.

Here is a link to many of Janet Greens songs

http://www.conelrad.com/greene/janetgreene_songbook.php

Here is a link that contains clips of many of the Goldwaters' songs

http://www.conelrad.com/media/atomicmusic/sh_boom.php?platter=25

Great show, keep this up and do more! Who knows maybe one day you will be fair and balance, like real news stations.

I've been watching this display of country western music very intently. The latest twanger to chime in with his family tradition aka commie fascist watch is Hank Williams Jr.

Williams has changed the words to his boozing and pot smoking family tradition song lyrics to make a McCain/Palin country song to rile up the True patriots. They used these same country western patriot singers in the movie "Wag The Dog" if you recall.

Apparently these tactics go a long way back in the propaganda scheme of things. I've noticed and I write about these divisions in music extensively

I can't wait to see the movie. I'll be adding it to my blogsite I'm sure.