Someone, I think it was Greil Marcus, once wrote something along the lines that difficult political times result in the best art, as expressions of protest and dissent.
Where they fit into the spectrum of American history is for future historians to decide, but these are some challenging times, no doubt. And they've resulted in some great music, this song being one of the primary examples. There are allusions to President Trump, although he's never mentioned by name.
Ultimately, the key lines are the ones that leave the listener with hope - and can be applied universally to the picture the singer paints, which is one of good vs. evil.
The road is heavy and the road is long
And we've only begun to fight
We just can't give in, we just can't give up
We must go boldly into the darkness
And be the light.
Top 50 Songs of the Decade, #18 - "The World Is On Fire," American Aquarium.
No comments:
Post a Comment