OT: Why Is Modern Pop Music So Terrible? (Video by Thoughty2)

AudioGus

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

@AudioGus said:
The fact that pop music pretty much always has a 'front person' or lead singer, to me was the tip off when I was younger that there was something fishy going on. Music to me was a place to escape the strutting, too-cool-for-school assholes in my life. Lyrics and singers are overrated. I may not dig huge on EDM (the alt-pop or whatever) but I totaly dig the fact that the experience of it is not about staring down the gullet of a glorified, strutting self absorbed poet.

Haha, I would love to see the issue that came from.

JohnnyGoodyear

@AudioGus said:

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

@AudioGus said:
The fact that pop music pretty much always has a 'front person' or lead singer, to me was the tip off when I was younger that there was something fishy going on. Music to me was a place to escape the strutting, too-cool-for-school assholes in my life. Lyrics and singers are overrated. I may not dig huge on EDM (the alt-pop or whatever) but I totaly dig the fact that the experience of it is not about staring down the gullet of a glorified, strutting self absorbed poet.

Haha, I would love to see the issue that came from.

Bit tied up staring down my own self-absorbed gullet at the moment, but if I come across it you'll be the first to know

AudioGus

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

@AudioGus said:

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

@AudioGus said:
The fact that pop music pretty much always has a 'front person' or lead singer, to me was the tip off when I was younger that there was something fishy going on. Music to me was a place to escape the strutting, too-cool-for-school assholes in my life. Lyrics and singers are overrated. I may not dig huge on EDM (the alt-pop or whatever) but I totaly dig the fact that the experience of it is not about staring down the gullet of a glorified, strutting self absorbed poet.

Haha, I would love to see the issue that came from.

Bit tied up staring down my own self-absorbed gullet at the moment, but if I come across it you'll be the first to know

Gah, did I actually say that? I'm such a douche.

JeffChasteen

@greengrocer said:

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

@mannix said:

My opinion is that pop artists with political opinions are an embarrassment to the human race.

Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Lives in the Balance - Jackson Browne
Tramp Down the Dirt - Elvis Costello
War - Edwin Starr
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Working Class Hero - John Lennon
Going Backwards - Depeche Mode
Sympathy For the Devil - Rolling Stones
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

There's no problem for me with political messages in music, in fact they could create awareness and open discussions. The problem nowadays is that everything is drawn into to political domain (to a degree that is beyond absurd) by a group of people that are not afraid to silence messages that they don't like (through social media bans). An example how things also could be played is Lynyrd Skynyrd's response to the endless bitching about people in the Southern States (because of their more conservative view) and the generalization that all Southerners are the same type of people. In fact their protest song Home Sweet Alabama became a classic. In the playing field nowadays it's impossible to imagine such a response and even becoming a hit.

Yes, but that block-headed and flag-waving abomination that now calls itself Lynyrd Skynyrd is a completely different animal than the slyly progressive Lynyrd Skynyrd responsible for "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimmie Three Steps", and "Saturday Night Special"
There was NOTHING redneck about the sentiments expressed in those songs.

JeffChasteen

@cian said:

@greengrocer said:

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

@mannix said:

My opinion is that pop artists with political opinions are an embarrassment to the human race.

Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Lives in the Balance - Jackson Browne
Tramp Down the Dirt - Elvis Costello
War - Edwin Starr
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Working Class Hero - John Lennon
Going Backwards - Depeche Mode
Sympathy For the Devil - Rolling Stones
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

There's no problem for me with political messages in music, in fact to could create awareness and open discussions. The problem nowadays is that everything is drawn into to political domain (to a degree that is beyond absurd) by een group of people that are not afraid to silence messages that they don't like (through social media bans). An example how things also could be played is Lynyrd Skynyrd's response to the endless bitching about people in the Southern States (because of their more conservative view) and the generalizaion that all Southerners are the same type of people. In fact their protest song Home Sweet Alabama became a classic. In the playing field nowadays it's impossible to imagine such a response and even becoming a hit.

You say conservative views, I say damn racist.

No not all southerners are the same - but the culture they celebrate is backward, racist, unequal, oppressive and cruel. And the confederates that too many of them are nostalgic about were the Nazis of their era. Though to be fair the Nazis could make the trains run on time - Southern elites are ****ing useless at doing anything other than continuing their pampered, indolent, selfish, self-indulgent lives.

I live in the South near the buckle of the bible belt so you know - this is based upon experience.

Musically the song is fine - but lyrically... Good god.

Listen to the lyrics closely. They are NOT an endorsement of the policies of George Wallace and the peckerwood racists of Alabama (and other parts of the south)
Pay particular attention to the very careful and precise use of pronouns in the song.
Ronnie Van Zandt can not be faulted for being smarter than much of his audience.

JeffChasteen

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

And the confederates that too many of them are nostalgic about were the Nazis of their era.
>

I recently watched a political documentary by Dinesh D'Souza, concerning the origins of the Democrat party. Eye opening stuff. Suffice it to say early Democrats included President Andrew Jackson, a man who had over 100 black slaves, was directly responsible for the Trail of Tears, and who makes Trump look like a pussycat. Another big fan was the guy who invented the Ku Klux Clan! It was all supposed to change with something called the Big Switch, where 'evil racist' Democrats became republicans. Except, only a handful actually switched, and the Democrats went on to recreate the plantations as urban ghettos, which still exist today.

So, back to music in politics. Should the above - and anything else so wrong - be sung about as a protest and to wake people up? Hell yes, loud and proud!

I saw that Gunga Dim ( yeah, yeah, I know) was the latest one trying to beat that long dead horse of trying to peel away the Black vote from going reliably Democratic in elections. The right has been trying that canard for decades...and it just isn't working.
The only things that I would consider D'Souza expert at would be parlaying a lowly undergraduate degree into being some kind of pseudointellectual powerhouse, and committing campaign finance fraud. He's rather stupid about everything else (hell, he even got caught on the finance fraud)

JeffChasteen

@cian said:

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

And the confederates that too many of them are nostalgic about were the Nazis of their era.
>

I recently watched a political documentary by Dinesh D'Souza, concerning the origins of the Democrat party. Eye opening stuff. Suffice it to say early Democrats included President Andrew Jackson, a man who had over 100 black slaves, was directly responsible for the Trail of Tears, and who makes Trump look like a pussycat. Another big fan was the guy who invented the Ku Klux Clan! It was all supposed to change with something called the Big Switch, where 'evil racist' Democrats became republicans. Except, only a handful actually switched, and the Democrats went on to recreate the plantations as urban ghettos, which still exist today.

Evil racist Democrats joined the Republican party. Black people stopped voting Republican and started voting Democrat. This is why the South went from being dominated by the Republicans to being dominated by Democrats. Nixon built his political strategy on using the south's racism to bring them into the Republican party. It's hard to crack open an American history book without learning this pretty elementary fact. And if he really argues that urban ghettos are the equivalent of plantations (e.g. slavery), then words fail me.

Dinesh D'Souza is perhaps not the person to attack others for racism given that he's built a career on his own racism. When at college he published an interview with a KKK leader, accompanied by a picture of a lynched black man. Ten years later he published a book called the 'End of Racism' which basically argued that all the problems black people faced were their own fault. When the AEI (a deeply conservative, right wing, think tank) hired him - two of their black fellows resigned in protest.

So, back to music in politics. Should the above - and anything else so wrong - be sung about as a protest and to wake people up? Hell yes, loud and proud!

I'm not really a fan of bad history being turned into pop music.

Afuckingmen!
Wonderful post.
D'Souza is a longtime fraud. And just a highly punchable twit.

[Deleted User]

@JeffChasteen said:
D'Souza is a longtime fraud. And just a highly punchable twit.

>

But was he factually correct about Andrew Jackson, and the guy who founded the KKK? I believe that he was, and that moving the poorest folk into places where they could be more easily controlled was by design.

[Deleted User]

@JeffChasteen said:
Ronnie Van Zandt can not be faulted for being smarter than much of his audience.

True.

kobamoto

@Zen210507 said:

@JeffChasteen said:
D'Souza is a longtime fraud. And just a highly punchable twit.

>

But was he factually correct about Andrew Jackson, and the guy who founded the KKK? I believe that he was, and that moving the poorest folk into places where they could be more easily controlled was by design.

but where do you think those folk lived before Jackson and the guy who founded the kkk?
just sayin, the distinction isn't really coming through in the comment. Everywhere was a place where black people could be more easily controlled.

anyways some good rhythms got salvaged outta those old negro spirituals huh!

JeffChasteen

@Zen210507 said:

@JeffChasteen said:
D'Souza is a longtime fraud. And just a highly punchable twit.

>

But was he factually correct about Andrew Jackson, and the guy who founded the KKK? I believe that he was, and that moving the poorest folk into places where they could be more easily controlled was by design.

The first two are absolutely verifiable facts from...150 and 180 years ago.
The third is completely unfounded horseshit intended to turn African Americans away from the Democratic Party. Unfortunately for the purveyors of said horseshit, African Americans are far smarter than those scumbags are giving them credit for.
They just aren't falling for it.

[Deleted User]

@JeffChasteen said:
The third is completely unfounded horseshit intended to turn African Americans away from the Democratic Party.

So, just to be clear, bearing in mind I'm a Brit, are you saying that there was no design to create black ghettoes in US cities, and that happened without any help from the government? In other words, black people spontaneously congregated in places they chose to be, creating ghettoes themselves?

JeffChasteen

@Zen210507 said:

@JeffChasteen said:
The third is completely unfounded horseshit intended to turn African Americans away from the Democratic Party.

So, just to be clear, bearing in mind I'm a Brit, are you saying that there was no design to create black ghettoes in US cities, and that happened without any help from the government? In other words, black people spontaneously congregated in places they chose to be, creating ghettoes themselves?

Economics and good ol' Merikun racism and discrimination were factors, not some nefarious plot cooked up by US liberals and henchmen in the Democratic Party. Also, not every Black community is a "ghetto"
Seriously, consult other sources than D'Souza; his credibility as a scholar is nonexistent.

Souper

@MonzoPro said:

@cian said:

I love Nurse With Wound.

Recent album Dark Fat has been played pretty constantly here for the last few months. Gives me an excuse to post my favourite YouTube vid here again:

This led to this
https://youtube.com/watch?list=RDEMDubddz5xs6rP25o6dwfyYA&params=OAFIAVgC&v=SiFH1VGxPIs&mode=NORMAL
which reminded me of this

@u0421793 said:
Growing up in the late 60s through the 70s into the early 80s, it's incredible how much of the music I lapped up was actually just heavily imprinted from this:

which had reminded me of this

I'm never going to make it through this thread

[Deleted User]

@JeffChasteen said:
Also, not every Black community is a "ghetto"

I didn't say they were. In years past I have visited the US many times, but haven't really studied it's history beyond issues that interest me more.

greengrocer

@Souper said:

@MonzoPro said:

@cian said:

I love Nurse With Wound.

Recent album Dark Fat has been played pretty constantly here for the last few months. Gives me an excuse to post my favourite YouTube vid here again:

This led to this
mode=NORMAL
which reminded me of this

@u0421793 said:
Growing up in the late 60s through the 70s into the early 80s, it's incredible how much of the music I lapped up was actually just heavily imprinted from this:

which had reminded me of this

I'm never going to make it through this thread

And those remind me of this from 1976 Johnny Wakelin

greengrocer

@JeffChasteen said:

@greengrocer said:

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

@mannix said:

My opinion is that pop artists with political opinions are an embarrassment to the human race.

Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Lives in the Balance - Jackson Browne
Tramp Down the Dirt - Elvis Costello
War - Edwin Starr
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Working Class Hero - John Lennon
Going Backwards - Depeche Mode
Sympathy For the Devil - Rolling Stones
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

There's no problem for me with political messages in music, in fact they could create awareness and open discussions. The problem nowadays is that everything is drawn into to political domain (to a degree that is beyond absurd) by a group of people that are not afraid to silence messages that they don't like (through social media bans). An example how things also could be played is Lynyrd Skynyrd's response to the endless bitching about people in the Southern States (because of their more conservative view) and the generalization that all Southerners are the same type of people. In fact their protest song Home Sweet Alabama became a classic. In the playing field nowadays it's impossible to imagine such a response and even becoming a hit.

Yes, but that block-headed and flag-waving abomination that now calls itself Lynyrd Skynyrd is a completely different animal than the slyly progressive Lynyrd Skynyrd responsible for "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimmie Three Steps", and "Saturday Night Special"
There was NOTHING redneck about the sentiments expressed in those songs.

Agree. Though my point is that a song like Home Sweet Alabama wouldn't just get any airplay nowadays because a small (but influential) bunch of people are so sensitive that they wouldn't understand any subtle nuance. And will have it banned, because radio stations are again sensitive from criticism. So even if lyrics are smart and subtle they wouldn't get a chance because of those people who see everywhere insults, etc.have an enormous power and of course radio stations are afraid for these hords of twitter warriors.

JeffChasteen

@greengrocer said:

@JeffChasteen said:

@greengrocer said:

@Zen210507 said:

@cian said:

@mannix said:

My opinion is that pop artists with political opinions are an embarrassment to the human race.

Hurricane - Bob Dylan
Lives in the Balance - Jackson Browne
Tramp Down the Dirt - Elvis Costello
War - Edwin Starr
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Working Class Hero - John Lennon
Going Backwards - Depeche Mode
Sympathy For the Devil - Rolling Stones
God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

There's no problem for me with political messages in music, in fact they could create awareness and open discussions. The problem nowadays is that everything is drawn into to political domain (to a degree that is beyond absurd) by a group of people that are not afraid to silence messages that they don't like (through social media bans). An example how things also could be played is Lynyrd Skynyrd's response to the endless bitching about people in the Southern States (because of their more conservative view) and the generalization that all Southerners are the same type of people. In fact their protest song Home Sweet Alabama became a classic. In the playing field nowadays it's impossible to imagine such a response and even becoming a hit.

Yes, but that block-headed and flag-waving abomination that now calls itself Lynyrd Skynyrd is a completely different animal than the slyly progressive Lynyrd Skynyrd responsible for "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimmie Three Steps", and "Saturday Night Special"
There was NOTHING redneck about the sentiments expressed in those songs.

Agree. Though my point is that a song like Home Sweet Alabama wouldn't just get any airplay nowadays because a small (but influential) bunch of people are so sensitive that they wouldn't understand any subtle nuance. And will have it banned, because radio stations are again sensitive from criticism. So even if lyrics are smart and subtle they wouldn't get a chance because of those people who see everywhere insults, etc.have an enormous power and of course radio stations are afraid for these hords of twitter warriors.

Yes, I agree with you.
I have gone through SHA line by line with reasonably intelligent people and pointed out how RVZ uses both nuance and explicitness to express his opposition to what they think is being said, but their minds are resolutely made up that it is nothing more than a belligerent redneck hell yeah! anthem.
I think there is some classism/regionalism involved in that they think the high school graduate son of a Florida truck driver would be incapable of such nuanced thinking and expression. Of course, they would be wrong.

[Deleted User]

@greengrocer said:

@Souper said:

which had reminded me of this

I'm never going to make it through this thread

And those remind me of this from 1976 Johnny Wakelin

Absolutely love that song, commemorating my favourite sporting moment.

For those too young to know, even Ali thought he might get killed, literally, but took the fight anyway. In those days Foreman was about as far away from his cuddly current self as you could imagine.

kobamoto

yep, he was a beast!

[Deleted User]

Using art as a means of political persuasion seems to compromise both the quality of the argument you're presenting and the art itself. If you're attempting to persuade someone, I believe they must be willing to hear you out and vice versa. You must understand their POV and address their concerns to be the most effective. Ultimately it's their decision as to whether what you've told them is enough to change their mind and to what extent.

In my opinion, more engaging art can not be a one sided affair where you're trying to advocate for a specific action. Quality art depends upon being an expression of the more complex, wide ranging, and nuanced experiences of life than urging the adoption of a narrow partisan perspective. I would also agree that artists should NOT sanitize how they express themselves in their art in order to avoid any appearance of being political either.

When artists set out to create art to advance a political agenda, they've moved from the sphere of art into that of advertising or propaganda. People frequently go to great lengths to minimize their exposure to advertising and propaganda and resent its presence in their lives. Not too surprisingly, they're not going to be fond of a political song foisted upon them when they're hoping to enjoy an artistic aesthetic.

Who is really going to change their mind based upon a simplistic message delivered through a song especially if it's perceived as trying to manipulate them through their emotions? This might appeal to people who already share the belief being advocated in the song as it validates their values but it's doubtful opponents will see it this way.

As to censorship in pop music, pop music is driven by the economics of the status quo. If they believe certain themes or ideas in songs will help or hurt their bottom line they'll react accordingly. They're not in the free speech movement, they're trying to corner as much of the free market as they can and it's literally their legal obligation to their stock holders.

BigDawgsByte

@JeffChasteen said:

@pichi said:
It seems to me the 21st Century is not a great time for the creative arts in general. Whether it be art, movies or music it's primarily a recycing of formulas well established in the previous century. We are so mired in entertainment it seems there is a kind of cultural exhaution. At the same time our 'great societies' seem to be regressing, devides between rich and poor growing. The internet was supposed to be the great equalizer, instead it has just become the great passifier.

A friend of mine has dubbed ours the Mannerist Era in light of our undeniable recycling of well established formulas. He actually arrived at their term/description 25 years ago, but it is still valid. Nothing has changed, just been rearranged.

Bingo. The problem with most POP music is the same now as it was in the 60s, too many Monkees on stage . Once a legacy studio finds a formula they repeat it until they go out of business SMH. If you are a teenager whatever you search out and find is new to you. If you are 60+ and have listened to music all your life then much of POP music sounds repetitive and boring as the studios rehash the same techniques over and over. Its not better or worse, you are just tired of the SOS.

Hell I stopped watching prime time TV after February 28, 1983 for the same reason. All the shows keep using the same situations, jokes etc. and are just plan boring IMHO.

As others have said and posted examples , there is still a ton great stuff coming out today, and the internet makes it easier to make and find than ever before. My personal opinion is that the music world is stronger and more creative than it has ever been before because of the internet. How ever it is really hard for someone without a lot of online experience to sort through all the BS tossed around.

JeffChasteen

@BigDawgsByte said:

@JeffChasteen said:

@pichi said:
It seems to me the 21st Century is not a great time for the creative arts in general. Whether it be art, movies or music it's primarily a recycing of formulas well established in the previous century. We are so mired in entertainment it seems there is a kind of cultural exhaution. At the same time our 'great societies' seem to be regressing, devides between rich and poor growing. The internet was supposed to be the great equalizer, instead it has just become the great passifier.

A friend of mine has dubbed ours the Mannerist Era in light of our undeniable recycling of well established formulas. He actually arrived at their term/description 25 years ago, but it is still valid. Nothing has changed, just been rearranged.

Bingo. The problem with most POP music is the same now as it was in the 60s, too many Monkees on stage . Once a legacy studio finds a formula they repeat it until they go out of business SMH. If you are a teenager whatever you search out and find is new to you. If you are 60+ and have listened to music all your life then much of POP music sounds repetitive and boring as the studios rehash the same techniques over and over. Its not better or worse, you are just tired of the SOS.

Hell I stopped watching prime time TV after February 28, 1983 for the same reason. All the shows keep using the same situations, jokes etc. and are just plan boring IMHO.

As others have said and posted examples , there is still a ton great stuff coming out today, and the internet makes it easier to make and find than ever before. My personal opinion is that the music world is stronger and more creative than it has ever been before because of the internet. How ever it is really hard for someone without a lot of online experience to sort through all the BS tossed around.

Thanks.
The saddest thing is that "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" absolutely smoke the latest product cranked out by Dr Luke, Linda Perry, Max Whateverhisnameis, and all of the other shitmeisters currently practicing their "craft"

[Deleted User]

@JeffChasteen said:
The saddest thing is that "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" absolutely smoke the latest product ...

Agreed. Songs such as those were crafted, and genuinely joyous, as opposed to banal, meaningless crap made by following a rigid formula.

And yet, the Monkees began as a work of fiction, actors trying to seem a bit like the Beatles...but fuelled by the work of great songwriters such as Neil Diamond.

ALB

@Zen210507 said:

@MonzoPro said:
Maybe the context there is that I can relate to a shouty, drunk old man who hates everything.

Maybe. The Fall were/are one of those Peel bands who I just didn't get at the time. Perhaps I should have another listen, one day when the time is right.

Wow - I was a huge Fan of the Fall around the era of "Grotesque" as well as "Slags, Slates, etc." I guess that was like 80 or 81 (I'm old). I would often imagine "Totally Wired" as a no. 1 in some alternate universe. As this is the Audiobus forum, I am struck by how strangely close I can get to those sounds using Egoist. Not exact, but the feeling is there..

BigDawgsByte

@JeffChasteen said:

@BigDawgsByte said:

@JeffChasteen said:

@pichi said:
It seems to me the 21st Century is not a great time for the creative arts in general. Whether it be art, movies or music it's primarily a recycing of formulas well established in the previous century. We are so mired in entertainment it seems there is a kind of cultural exhaution. At the same time our 'great societies' seem to be regressing, devides between rich and poor growing. The internet was supposed to be the great equalizer, instead it has just become the great passifier.

A friend of mine has dubbed ours the Mannerist Era in light of our undeniable recycling of well established formulas. He actually arrived at their term/description 25 years ago, but it is still valid. Nothing has changed, just been rearranged.

Bingo. The problem with most POP music is the same now as it was in the 60s, too many Monkees on stage . Once a legacy studio finds a formula they repeat it until they go out of business SMH. If you are a teenager whatever you search out and find is new to you. If you are 60+ and have listened to music all your life then much of POP music sounds repetitive and boring as the studios rehash the same techniques over and over. Its not better or worse, you are just tired of the SOS.

Hell I stopped watching prime time TV after February 28, 1983 for the same reason. All the shows keep using the same situations, jokes etc. and are just plan boring IMHO.

As others have said and posted examples , there is still a ton great stuff coming out today, and the internet makes it easier to make and find than ever before. My personal opinion is that the music world is stronger and more creative than it has ever been before because of the internet. How ever it is really hard for someone without a lot of online experience to sort through all the BS tossed around.

Thanks.
The saddest thing is that "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" absolutely smoke the latest product cranked out by Dr Luke, Linda Perry, Max Whateverhisnameis, and all of the other shitmeisters currently practicing their "craft"

No surprise there, best producer, top writers, top studio people and first call studio musicians playing all the parts. Back then the legacy labels controlled 100% of the money.

u0421793

Last Train to Clarksville is, allegedly, a political protest song.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2840
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/last-train-to-clarksville-vietnam.281265/
http://www.newseum.org/2015/07/06/vietnam-music-monday-last-train-to-clarksville/

BigDawgsByte

@u0421793 said:
Last Train to Clarksville is, allegedly, a political protest song.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2840
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/last-train-to-clarksville-vietnam.281265/
http://www.newseum.org/2015/07/06/vietnam-music-monday-last-train-to-clarksville/

I certainly remember it that way, the last line is the kicker "and I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

kobamoto

I think this one qualifies as a protest song but the groove is pretty catchy!

u0421793

Similarly to the aforementioned lynyrd situation… apparently, a lot of those americans think that loose windscreen's "born in the USA" is a happy celebratory song, and not the caustic angry protest song that it is.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_in_the_U.S.A._(song)