I really like The Pretty Reckless. Taylor Momsen’s melodic singing, the hard guitars, interesting lyrics—for whatever reason, it all just works. I definitely do not listen to their songs for the politics, but my brain does sometimes pick out possible messages.
“And So It Went” (video below) is certainly not a homegrown, consciously conservative or libertarian song. I doubt Momsen is anything of the sort, and guest guitarist Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) absolutely is not. But that’s the thing with the organic human wisdom of conservatism and the unassailable classical-liberal principles of libertarianism…they show up even when they are not intended. They show up because they are good and right and true.
For example—in spite of the political inclinations of the people working in the entertainment industry, Hollywood movies often end up having fairly conservative/libertarian themes. Self-reliance. Hard work. The triumph of scrappy individuals over a faceless collective. These themes show up over and over because they are consonant with real human values—the kinds of organic truths that people just know.
Partisan politics often get in the way of the values that most people share, making us think that we do not agree when actually we do. For example, the lyrics of “And So It Went” (NSFW, for one instance of profanity) appear to lament chaos, violence, and anger. Indeed, she confirmed as much:
"The world has been in such a state of civil unrest," Momsen said in a statement. "'And So It Went' basically comes from that vision. As a songwriter, I feel like I'm not here to preach. I use music to observe and communicate what I see around me."
Do we not all generally agree? Was 2020 (the year the song was written) not a culmination of an especially ugly few years? However we might affix blame for causes, we all are saddened by the strife.
And the bullets start to fly
And the bough’s about to break
Want to hear them cry
It's too much for me to take
And we especially hate to see children suffer.
And so it went
The children lost their minds
Crawlin' over bodies of
Those who gave their lives
And ultimately, the chaos and division—fueled in large measure by media and political forces—dehumanizes us all, and pits us against each other rather than against those who benefit from engineering that division.
And the fists began to throw
And the fire starts to blaze
Don't you think they know
That I'm fuckin' human race?
Then, in the chorus, the children make a statement that will appeal to many of us…
They said the world does not belong to you
You are not the king, I am not the fool
They said the world does not belong to you
It don't belong to you
It belongs to me
Obviously that can be taken a bunch of different ways, but it sure sounds to me like a salvo against authoritarianism, and that is definitely how I choose to take it. Setting aside the partisan politics of the day, that definitely makes this freedom music. And its defiant tone makes this song a must in any freedom-music playlist.
What do you mean you do not have a freedom music playlist? You should definitely get one so you can stay pumped up and inspired for another day in the endless struggle to claim the liberty that is our birthright as human beings.
Good music is good music and good lyrics are good lyrics, and if it comes from 4 commies (Rage Against the Machine), so be it. Doesn't change the message one bit just because I differ from them politically. Their self titled debut is still IMO one of the greatest albums ever made, and has some of the most powerful lyrics ever written. Sadly, there are those who will write off great music simply cuz the artists 'think wrong'.