Remember Dave Eggers’s 30 Days, 30 Songs project in which musicians record songs with the noble aim of thwarting a Trump presidency? Well, it’s been upgraded to 40 songs, and today’s entry is by Seattle’s Long Winters. Written by John Roderick and titled “Make America Great Again,” the song (the band’s first original composition in 10 years) satirizes nearly every rotten stereotype of low-information Trump supporters. Even the music—a more-righteous-than-thou, acoustic-guitar strumfest—carries that Make Americana Grate™ stench that will make sophisticated urbanites retch. Trouble is, the people who proudly, unironically wear that Trumpian red hat will likely take every word in “Make America Great Again” literally. But perhaps we can take comfort in the knowledge that Slog readers are too sharp to make that mistake.
As my colleague Sean Nelson said, Roderick deserves credit “for having the nerve to write a song that turns on irony during the most irony-challenged moment in the past 100 years.”
To wit:
Well I watch the news and I know what’s what
I go to rockin’ worship and I pray
And I see the whole world fallen’ apart
And I thank God I live in the USAWell I might not have a PhD
But those so-called elites aren’t so smart
It’s their do-what-you-want lack of morality
That’s tearing our country apartchorus
Well I’m no gun nut, but I protect my family
I’m not racist but my heritage makes me proud
My wife’s no feminist, but she knows how to treat a man
And we want someone to make America Great Again!Let’s say you start a small cake-bakin’ business
And you worked hard to build what you’ve got
Then you’re taxed and fined and told you’ve got to serve
Every LGTQB and whatnotWell we used to have a sense of humor about things
And everyone knew how to take a joke
Back when sticks and stones may break your bones
And bones hardly ever got brokechorus
Now don’t try to tell me I’m a bigot
I’ve got a good friend at work who’s black
And I love baseball and half of them are some kind of Mexican
But they’re the good ones
Yeah they’re the good ones!I know America was built on immigration
Why my own great-grandfather came here from Sweden
Back when the land was still wide open
And all the immigrants were EuropeanNow all the laws are going so-called politically correct
Where less-qualified applicants get the jobs
It was traditional values that built this country
With no help from whining East Coast college snobs
Don’t forget to follow The Stranger‘s election cheat sheet.
