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14 Jun 02 - 12:33 PM (#729982) Subject: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Genie Happy Flag Day, you U.S. folks! Just wondering if any of you 'cats have written any 'patriotic' songs -- or know of any -- that are not chauvinism and arrogance encapsulated. Thinking of the torn and beaten flag that survived the WTC Towers attacks got me to thinking about writing a meaningful tribute to our* flag that reflects what the flag is SUPPOSED to stand for and reflects humility as well as national pride and hope. Haven't gotten to it yet, so maybe you other USA folks know of some. Genie *"I say "our," since I'm a Yank. |
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14 Jun 02 - 12:45 PM (#729987) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: mousethief Does "It's a Grand Old Flag" qualify? I mean it's a little mawkish but not in the least xenophobic. Alex |
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14 Jun 02 - 12:52 PM (#729996) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Genie Actually, Alex, I sing "Grand Old Flag," as well as the War-betwee-the-states song "Battle Cry of Freedom [Rally 'Round The Flag] AND the 1st and 3rd verses of The Star Spangled Banner for my patriotic holiday programs [and, unlike most folks, I actually LIKE the Star Spangled Banner]. I also do a mean rendition of the ENTIRE "Stars And Stripes Forever" on the kazoo [plus running through the vocal chorus once, even thought the lyrics ARE a tad chauvinistic or at least can be taken that way]. Still, I'm curious about new songs or old songs that I don't know. Genie |
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14 Jun 02 - 12:57 PM (#730002) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: mousethief Maybe we need to write our own. To the tune of, oh, say, Oh Susanna. All Hail Flag Day by Alex Riggle
Well it's time again for Flag Day
All hail flag day! It's just the day for me
Well I like it when the stripes are sewn
All hail flag day! It's just the day for me
Now I know the symbolism, and all that it stands for
All hail flag day! It's just the day for me Copyright ©2002 Alex Riggle. All Rights Reserved. ------- or is that not what you meant? Alex |
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14 Jun 02 - 01:05 PM (#730005) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: mousethief (I hope you know I'm just yankin' yer chain for fun, and not trying to make you feel bad!) Alex |
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14 Jun 02 - 01:06 PM (#730006) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Deda BBBBwwwwaaahahahahaha! (Aside from arrogance and xenophobia, the other tone that might be better avoided is victimhood, heard in "The Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star", which more or less says, "We're a great bunch of people who love our land, but then those nasty Yankees threatened our rights and freedoms, so naturally we had to take up arms, why, what's a fellah to do, I ask you..." |
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14 Jun 02 - 01:49 PM (#730038) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Jerry Rasmussen When I think of flags, my mind most often goes to the flags they hung in front room windows here during the Second World War. (The war to end all wars..) Families who lost a son or daughter in the war hung a dark blue flag in the window with a single gold star in the center. From what I remember(I was a little kid) a silver star indicated that you'd had a family member wounded in the war. When I walked to school in high school, many homes still had those flags hanging in their front windows, faded from the sun. I remembered those flags in a song that my friend Burl recorded, the Silver Queen.
Several years ago when I was visiting my family, they had a parade in my home town, commemorating the 150th Anniversary of its founding. As the parade wandered through town, I noticed an old pick-up truck coming down the street. It looked like he had just picked up some feed and inadvertently gotten caught up in the parade. But, as the truck approached, I saw a banner on the side of the truck that said "Gold Star Mothers." Sitting on the back of the flat bed truck were six or eight elderly women sitting on folding chairs waving little American flags to the people lining the streets. I felt a stab in my heart and thought of all the young men we'd lost in the war. Burl can remember those times over in England, and I'm sure feels the same poignancy, thinking about the lasting pain of losing a loved one. There was nothing mawkish or jingoistic about those mothers waving their small flags. They still believed that their sons or daughters had died for something, and even though they may not have been able to walk tall themselves, they sure SAT tall in those folding chairs.
Maybe an oxymoron for the thread on that topic should be "Won the War." Some wounds never completely heal. Jerry |
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14 Jun 02 - 02:12 PM (#730050) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: mousethief [Pedant alert ON] The FIRST World War was called the "War to End All Wars" not the 2nd (by then they presumably knew better). [Pedant alert OFF] ---------------------------- Excellent story, though, Jerry. Alex |
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14 Jun 02 - 03:01 PM (#730094) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Genie Actually, Alex, I LIKE your song! There's also John Prine's "Flag Decal." Nonetheless, I think we need some non-silly "patriotic" songs that aren't mawkish or "we're so much better'n everyone else." Genie |
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14 Jun 02 - 05:15 PM (#730190) Subject: RE: Help: Non-jingoist Flag Day songs From: Sorcha Hmmm. I'm thinking ( it's so hard, but I'm trying!) Seems almost like, anything very patriotic by definition is mawkish, ethno-centric or jingoistic. Isn't that sort of what patriotism is about? (I love my country better than you love yours.......) Seems to me what we need are planetary unifying songs, such as "This Pretty Planet". Can we not all love the planet at least as much as we love our country? |