But if you go talking about Chairman Mao....
Hmm.
No, on reading the list, I have to say the man is clearly nuts.
7. The Byrds, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
This is an odd conservative classic, having been written by old time lefty Pete Seeger and performed by a group that later glorified drugs in “Eight Miles High.” Nevertheless, it makes my list because the lyrics are drawn straight from the Book of Ecclesiastes. I figure that any song based on the Bible deserved inclusion. I also like it. “Turn! Turn! Turn!” was a massive hit in November 1965, hitting number 1 and staying there for 3 weeks.
18. George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord”
Harrison was, of course, a member of The Beatles. After that group’s breakup, he went on to record a number of solo hits, of which this was the biggest. It hit number 1 in December 1970, and stayed in that position for 4 weeks. The inclusion of this song may be controversial because of its non-Christian lyrics. However, I take the view that being deeply religious makes the song per se conservative, even if the religion is Hinduism or Buddhism. The fact that Harrison also wrote “Taxman” contributed to my decision to add “My Sweet Lord” to the list.
27. The Kinks, “Sunny Afternoon”
British taxes must have been really high in 1966. That year, The Beatles recorded “Taxman” and fellow Brits The Kinks also recorded this anti-tax anthem. As they sing, “The tax man’s taken all my dough…He’s taken everything I’ve got.” They took this song to number 14 in August.
It is also worth noting another important song by this group that was not released as a single, “20th Century Man.” Written by Ray Davies, leader of The Kinks for almost 40 years, it reflects a profoundly conservative worldview, as shown in the following lyrics:
You keep all your smart modern writers
Give me William Shakespeare
You keep all your smart modern painters
I'll take Rembrandt, Titian, Da Vinci and Gainsborough
I was born in a welfare state
Ruled by bureaucracy
Controlled by civil servants
And people dressed in gray
Got no privacy, got no liberty
Cos the twentieth century people
Took it all away from me
He doesn't quite... get it.
Dude, "I Fought the Law" is not really a pro-police anthem. |
