This is a song about the platitudes and the reality of American exceptionalism.
The Platitude: "We take care of our own, wherever this flag is flown."
This is the idea that Americans will be looked after by other Americans, that all matter in a democracy, and that Americans always look after their fellow citizens.
The Reality:
"From Chicago to New Orleans
From the muscle to the bone
From the shotgun shack to the Superdome
There ain't no help the cavalry's stayed home
There ain't no-one hearing the bugle blown"
"The shotgun shack to the superdome". - This is two references, the "shotgun shack" is a tiny house, presumably lived in by a poor person. The superdome is a reference to the evacuees of hurricane Katrina, trapped in the Louisina Superdome for weeks, while the federal agencies tripped over each other failing to help. The then FEMA chief, claimed they had plenty of food.
"There ain't no help the cavalry's stayed home" - a reference to the widely considered, poor federal reaction, to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
"There ain't no-one hearing the bugle blown" - No one's paying any attention to the call to arms, or people who need helping - they are too busy thinking about themselves, and their own tax dollars.
The song is about how great America claims to be as a nation - but won't lift a finger or spare a dollar of taxpayers money when the chips are really down.
This was written in 2012, but if it was written today, I'm sure he would have added a line about the current president throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans after the recent violent hurricane and how they aren't real Americans either.
This is a song about the platitudes and the reality of American exceptionalism.
The Platitude: "We take care of our own, wherever this flag is flown."
This is the idea that Americans will be looked after by other Americans, that all matter in a democracy, and that Americans always look after their fellow citizens.
The Reality:
"From Chicago to New Orleans From the muscle to the bone From the shotgun shack to the Superdome There ain't no help the cavalry's stayed home There ain't no-one hearing the bugle blown"
"The shotgun shack to the superdome". - This is two references, the "shotgun shack" is a tiny house, presumably lived in by a poor person. The superdome is a reference to the evacuees of hurricane Katrina, trapped in the Louisina Superdome for weeks, while the federal agencies tripped over each other failing to help. The then FEMA chief, claimed they had plenty of food.
"There ain't no help the cavalry's stayed home" - a reference to the widely considered, poor federal reaction, to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
"There ain't no-one hearing the bugle blown" - No one's paying any attention to the call to arms, or people who need helping - they are too busy thinking about themselves, and their own tax dollars.
The song is about how great America claims to be as a nation - but won't lift a finger or spare a dollar of taxpayers money when the chips are really down.
This was written in 2012, but if it was written today, I'm sure he would have added a line about the current president throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans after the recent violent hurricane and how they aren't real Americans either.