Some of You Haven’t Learned from Lynyrd Skynyrd
Or, Stop Acting Like Stubborn Trump Supporters are a Revelation
Every time I see a new article on Trump supporters loving Trump despite legislative defeats, despite Nazi sympathy, despite constant grifting, despite every failure at even appearing to be a fit President, I think about a certain verse from Lynyrd Skyner’s 1974 mega-hit “Sweet Home Alabama.”
You have to know this verse. If you live in America and have listened to the radio, you have to know this verse. I am 43 years old. Because I think I’ve turned on the radio at some point every day of my life — or went into a store, or was in someone’s car with the radio on — I have quite possibly heard “Sweet Home Alabama” every single day of my life because that is how often rock radio plays “Sweet Home Alabama”.
So my point is: you know “Sweet Home Alabama” even if you don’t want to know. And so cannot cry ignorance when you should have learned a valuable lesson from these lines:
In Birmingham they love the Gov’nor, boo-hoo-hoo
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you, tell the truth
I’m not going to focus on Gov. George Wallace, that Birmingham Gov’nor. I’m not going to spend time on his infamous “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” though that’s as relevant as anything else I’m writing right now. I’m not going to deconstruct what all “we all did” and what we “could do” or “did do.” This is not a post mad at Lynyrd Skynyrd or even mad at Alabama. I want you to learn from their words if you already haven’t. Read the last two lines of the verse:
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you, tell the truth
These are Trump voters, folks! Not all of them, because that’s the thing — some are peal-able. Some are deeply disappointed. Especially women. Some truly believed his con. Or at least were in desperate enough straits to put their money on him — the same way many a gambler knows the House is the winner, but maybe today will be their lucky day.
There will always be people who stick by decisions no matter the facts presented. And if these voters were motivated by a desire to curse out Washington, they’re getting their jollies right now. In a sad way, they won already. And does your conscious bother you, tell the truth?
So news media, political commentators, stop acting like stubborn Trump voters are a revelation, or somehow different from stubborn political supporters of time past. For in Birmingham, they loved the Gov’nor. For Lynyrd Skynyrd warned us and American radio repeats their wisdom every…single…day.
Instead, why not try focusing on the vast majority of Americans who did not vote for Donald J. Trump, and have spent much if not all of 2017 angry and sick, some pushed to do all they can to rise up and fight for what’s truly great about this nation? Would be great to hear our songs played on the radio, too.
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Fun fact: did you know Merry Clayton sang backup vocals on “Sweet Home Alabama”? If you haven’t seen 20 Feet from Stardom — DO IT!
