Did you catch the contrary music messages at the Democratic Convention?

DJ Cassidy at Democratic National Convention. image: Rolling Stone

Those of us from the Sixties believe that popular music from that era is its greatest because it is fundamentally about revolt against the status quo more than anything else. That’s why I spent more time trying to listen to DJ Cassidy’s playlist. He pumped a fresh song for each state representative as they were introduced.

Sure there was plenty of popular stuff like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Kendrick Lamar, Fleetwood Mac, Kiss, Prince and B52’s - mainly uncritical, unthinking good time music.

But I’m guessing that most who attended to the event, whether physically, or digitally like me, missed the irony of two tracks.

Alabama — “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The lyrics were a mocking response to a song by Neil Young that attacked the legacy of slavery in the Jim Crow South. The song was particularly incongruous as the state’s Democratic leaders’ spoke about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement before they announced their delegates’ votes in support of Harris.

New Jersey — “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen. Many interpret the title of this song as a patriotic anthem, but the lyrics are about a young man sent to fight in Vietnam and his suffering, hardships and persecution when he returns home.

#popular music

#Democratic Convention

#DJ Cassidy

#Sweet Home Alabama

#Born in the U.S.A.