The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #174338 Message #4228945
Posted By: Stilly River Sage
20-Sep-25 - 11:11 AM
Thread Name: Jesse Wells - Political Bard for our time
Subject: Jesse Wells - Political Bard for our time
I've listened to a few of his songs when people shared them in social media, and this morning I heard an interview with him on Weekend Morning Edition (but try as I might, it's not appearing in the NPR feed at the moment).
Wells is a well-respected and established rock musician who is observing the current toxic political environment and writing excellent songs about it.
Apparently last year Wells moved back to Arkansas to care for an ailing family member (father) and is doing his songwriting on topical material and performing in front of his phone out in a field (looks like under the power transmission lines).
He talked about writing songs, how once they are put to a tune they are "like a tattoo" in that it is fixed in place. His most recent one about Charlie (Kirk) has the lyrics under the video. The chorus goes
I heard laughing I heard glee but it coulda been you it coulda been me