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Pondering the Dearth of Conservative Rockers
I’ll admit to being a bit old-fashioned. For one thing, I continue to buy my music on vinyl and shiny silver discs. But since Crawdaddy! has been an online publication for a couple of years now, it’s probably time I started embracing the world wide web a bit more fully, which means a more interactive type of commentary here in the Smoke-Filled Room. You know, Web 2.0 and all that. So, for this week’s column, I headed straight for the user comments section of last month’s installment. As it turns out, relatively few of what I’m sure is my large and loyal fanbase decided to leave an online comment. Still, one reader did take the time to share their perspective. I got called some names (“spineless guppie” was a particularly good example and, incidentally, would also make a decent band name) and you, the readers, also took some shots (you, friends, are apparently “whiny, elitist, knee-jerk, bleeding-heart, uber-liberal members of the Democrat Party”). But, more importantly, last month’s commenter raises a decent point. Namely, do we in the rock ‘n’ roll media treat conservatives unfairly?
Part of the trouble with tackling such a question, of course, is the seeming dearth of conservative rock ‘n’ rollers, at least among the ranks of outspoken musicians. As I mentioned last month, there are a few notables, including Ted Nugent, a recent interview subject in the Smoke-Filled Room. But, for the most part, rock ‘n’ roll does seem to be populated mostly by liberals. I got to wondering about the root causes of this phenomena and sent a quick email (see, there I go embracing technology again) to some Smoke-Filled Room friends and alums asking for their take on the seeming absence of outspoken musicians hailing from the right wing. (Consistent with this month’s user comment theme, this also seems like a good time to encourage you all to chime in below.)
Tommy Womack, an old and loyal friend of the Smoke-Filled Room and an unabashedly liberal rock ‘n’ roller, chimed in succinctly, observing, “Ted Nugent is more than enough for the whole genre”—a comment that, while quite possibly true, doesn’t really get us any closer to answering our question. But quips about the Nuge aside, are a handful of conservatives—including some who, frankly, have become caricatures—really enough? Perhaps. After all, the aims of rock are many but they can’t be said to include a politically balanced artistic discourse. So, our question seems to have morphed a bit: It’s not really why we don’t have many right-wing rockers around but, rather, should we even care? Enter Will Kimbrough.
Kimbrough, a Nashville songwriter and all-around good guy, was equally amusing and only slightly more revelatory in his answer to our original query. “I’m thinking there are some outspoken conservatives in rock music, but other than the Nuge and Johnny Ramone, I can’t think of any. So I guess they are few and far between—or busy blowing the balls off a charging great white buffalo at 50 paces.” Well, I count myself fortunate not to know enough about great white buffalo or their, er, “equipment” to engage Kimbrough more thoroughly. Interestingly, though, Kimbrough, likely unwittingly, has helped us untangle our latest curiosity. Translated roughly, his comment could be said to read something like, “There may be some. I know a couple. Who cares?” Precisely. This is rock ‘n’ roll, folks, not an academic debating competition or even Fox News (always “fair and balanced”). Right? Not so fast.
Let’s first hear from our final correspondent, who offered the most significant food for thought. The brilliant and enigmatic writer Lucas Hanft, also a good friend of the Smoke-Filled Room, opined: “I think in your question is the answer—‘outspoken.’ At this particular point in history, it is more embarrassing in the art world to be a conservative than it is to be a Christian. Not always so. In the ’80s, Dylan got more heat for going Christian than Neil did for supporting Reagan.”
Hanft makes a good point. And here is where our “who cares?” articulated above begins to turn into something that we might actually care a whole lot about. After all, if it’s not just the conservatives but also the pious who have avoided, or been excluded from, the world of rock, we begin to have a problem. And it doesn’t end there. African-Americans have been historically unrepresented in the genre, as have certain other racial and ethnic minorities. Sure, Dylan ended up fine, but why has this genre become so exclusionary?
Beyond that discussion, though, Hanft’s response still leaves open the question of precisely why one might find it embarrassing to be a conservative rock musician in today’s world. Perhaps the answer lies in the genre’s origins. Even a quick glance backwards suggests that, even in its infancy, rock ‘n’ roll had a tendency to upset social norms. Recall, for instance, Elvis’ hip and groin thrusts and the ensuing uproar. In fact, the very music itself, borrowing heavily from the African-American musical tradition, was often seen in the early days as an unacceptable endorsement of African-American culture.
And, of course, the rebellious spirit certainly didn’t stop with the King. Indeed, rock’s counterculture leanings only grew throughout the ’60s—leanings that were often associated with the Democratic Party (or somewhere even further left of the donkey) and that were amply documented in these very pages. Is it possible that liberals, loosely defined for our present purposes as folks willing to push societal boundaries, are destined to inhabit a genre that’s defined by its rebelliousness? It’s plausible and Hanft concurs, adding, “Maybe on some instinctual level musicians are drawn to the political and social connotations of the genres they explore. Like Brandon Flowers (probably a closet conservative—Mormon upbringing, religiosity, etc.) makes Reaganomic music.” And, just to further complicate matters, does the same reasoning apply to racial and ethnic minorities or, say, the devout? It’s an open question with many exceptions to the rule. Still, it’s a question that turns out to be worth a great deal of consideration and contemplation.
And while we may never quite know for sure why the ranks of conservative rockers are so thin, we’ve certainly uncovered some food for thought, and I think it’s safe to say that the answer has little to do with great white buffalo balls (cheers, Kimbrough). Plus, hopefully, this month’s installment of the Smoke-Filled Room will start those user comments coming, even from those committed to calling me names. And, of course, we’ll continue to seek out interesting conversations with musicians from every end of the political spectrum, putting the present queries to them directly.
Oh, and Mom, if you’re reading this, I’ll thank you not to call me a spineless guppie on the internet again. Not cool.
Tags:Ted Nugent, Democratic Party, politics
Read more articles from the Smoke-Filled Room:
With Friends Like These, Who Needs an RIAA?
9 Comments
maybe conservative rockers are, like, more adult contemporary or something? like, stuff for moms and well-adjusted kids? certainly a lot of that floatin’ around the airwaves…
What a load of crap and a waste of bandwidth. Yawn. “Conservative Rockers” = oxymorons
Communities tend to reinforce their own stereotypes. Remember the outrage when the Dixie Chicks dared to challenge George Bush? Or what about the challenges to the rise of white folks in Rap and Hip-hop?
Rock and roll grew out of a protest of the status quo. The status quo, even during Democrat-lead administrations, has been mostly conservative for the 40 years that has seen the rise of rock and roll. As rockers came together they helped defined the playing field, the notion of “this is what rock is” for the people that came on after them. Nothing too mysterious there, really.
Lets just be thankful that music, unlike American politics, is not a two party system
On a personal level, ted Nugent is anything but conservative. His POLITICS are somewhere between conservative and libertarian
Let’s start with defining our terms: “Conservative: 1. Favoring preservation of the existing order. 2. Moderate; prudent; cautious. 3. Traditional in manner or style. 4. Tending to conserve; preservative.” “Conservatism: Disposition to maintain the existing order.” (American Heritage Dictionary). Looking at the definition of the actual words, the answer to the question “why aren’t conservatives in rock” becomes much more clear. Rock n’ Roll historically was not about being prudent or cautious. The prudent and cautious went to college or kept their day jobs. It is not a coincidence that most “artists”, regardless of their art, are not conservative. Conservatism in general is not the fountain from which new, different, or challenging ideas spring forth. The expression of “art” on the other hand is very often new, different and challenging. Understanding or at least acknowledging this basic premise is fundamental to the question at hand. Artists are creative people. Creative people very often walk to the beat of their own drummer, totally unconcerned with what normal social custom may dictate. In other words, they are not conservative by definition. Do all artists fit this profile? Surely not, but most that I have studied in school, read about, or personally know, do fit this profile. To put it another way, it is very unlikely that a kid who is conservative by nature or who at least exhibits conservative traits and customs (and I don’t mean politically) will be the kid that starts a rock band in high school.
Looking at my own childhood, none of the people I considered to by my close friends were conservative. We, as a group, tended to push the boundaries at school, we asked questions, we weren’t afraid to try new things, and in general, we swam against the popular currents of the day. It was not a coincidence that theses people were my friends. Now, at the time this behavior had nothing whatsoever to do with politics – that would come later. Today, are these people all liberals, politically speaking? No, they are not, but most are and the few that pursued the arts well into adulthood, without exception, are liberally minded (at least in my opinion). Does this mean conservatives do not like art or lack the ability to somehow understand or appreciate art? No, but let’s be honest about one thing, the people who wanted to “ban the Beatles” in the sixties, or burn books (pick your time in history), or censor art exhibits (i.e. Robert Mapplethorps’s photo exhibits in the nineties come to mind) were not people one would normally call liberal.
Art by its very nature embraces change or evolution. In order to evolve boundaries have to be pushed or altered in some fashion. Evolution in this sense is disharmonious to the tenants of conservatism which strives to “maintain the existing order”. Rock n Roll clearly pushed and continues to push boundaries and in that sense it is not a conservative art form. With this said then, is it so strange that conservatives are not common place in the rock landscape? Not at all, in fact one would expect this to be the case. This is true despite the fact that there is a conservative element to rock n roll. Not all rock seeks to knock down walls. Hell, even during the punk explosion of the late seventies, if you didn’t dress a certain way or you dared to listen to say Pink Floyd, you were not “punk”. These rules that forced conformity were actually very conservative by the very people who thought they were being so wild, crazy and cool. This “punk” aesthetic got so harsh it became very confining for many “punk” bands that wanted to do something a little different than just rehash “Never Mind the Bollocks” over and over again (i.e. The Clash come to mind). So, there are conservative elements at play in rock (and don’t get me started on the business side of the game…..). However, these elements usually do not involve the artists themselves.
So let me end this little story the same way I started it, with a definition. “Liberal: 1. Favoring ind
Comment continued….So let me end this little story the same way I started it, with a definition. “Liberal: 1. Favoring individual freedom and non-revolutionary reform. 2. Broad-minded or tolerant. 3. Generous. 4. Bountiful. 5. Not literal. 6. Of or relating to the cultivation of general knowledge and the humanities.” This definition kind of answers the initial question as to why conservatives are rare in the Rock no Roll game doesn’t it. What more really need be said…. except long live rock!
You wisely pose the question – “where are the conservative rockers?” – in a fashion that could also be asked of Hollywood, the circle of revered literary figures or among the gallery elite in Manhattan. Indeed, most of these folks are somewhat removed from the world and have little time to examine issues or stances and what they may or may not mean. Their world is inwardly focused by nature, and the simplest political expression in these places is akin to the sentiment, “I’ll have what he’s having.”
Entertainers are mostly appeasers, and they require an audience on the lowest common denominator level. Springsteen inking an op-ed in the New York Times supporting John Kerry for President, as he did in 2004, it took no moxie at all. After all, here is a guy who is delivering music to the masses, many of them young and impressionable and at a stage in life where they need to be like their pals. Their pals heard from a college professor that Republicans are evil. Bingo. Bruce is down with the program.
As Johnny Ramone said, “It really doesn’t take much courage to do what Bono or these other guys do, politically. I mean, who isn’t against hunger and who wouldn’t want to forgive Africa’s debt? What’s harder to do is to stand up against the majority and fully describe a well thought out opinion and, hopefully, get people to reconsider things that they have always been told are correct.”
Yea, you know, like questioning the prevailing wisdom. Now that’s revolutionary.
For your pleasure:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/mar/11/20040311-085521-1823r/
http://www.conservativepunk.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/opinion/05bruce.html
speaking of Neil Young supporting Reagan, I guess side two of Hawks and Doves are the best right wing folk songs until Bob Roberts came along
Rock is an emotional art form, the lyrics tend to express emotions. When Rock becomes political the political lyrics become emotional in nature.
A liberal philosophy is heartfelt but a conservative or libertarian philosophy is more thoughtful. Don’t believe me just try to write some lyrics from the viewpoint of a Republican, and see if they don’t sound horrible in the context of Rock. The same problem plagues ‘Christian Rock.’