An Open Letter to John Mellencamp

Dear Mr. Mellencamp (Mr. Cougar?),

I wanted to commend you for your political activism these days. It's good to see artists throwing themselves behind a good cause every now and then - particularly when it's a cause I can personally agree with. I know you had supported John Edwards - a good man, to be sure - for the Democratic nomination before he dropped out of the race. I also know that you recently chastised the McCain camp for using your songs during campaign events. It's good to see that you have clearly given thought to your platform, and have decided to take action when necessary. At the same time, I'm somewhat puzzled by your opposition to the war in Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree with your opposition - I'll leave that to Mr. McCain - I'm just disappointed that your actions don't match up to your good intentions in regards to the subject.

Are you aware that the 2008 Chevy Silverado 1500 gets 14 miles per gallon? You must be, given the rigorous research you've done into every other issue behind which you've thrown yourself. Nonetheless, I still hear your "Our Country" song adorning Silverado commercials. Look - I work in music/advertising. I know how much money there is in licensing songs for use in commercials, especially when they air nationally. You probably made more money on Super Bowl Sunday than I have in my life. I can't criticize your desire to make money - hell, I could use a similar windfall myself. I can, however, criticize your willingness to throw your implicit support behind one of the gas-guzzling vehicles that contributes to our foreign oil dependency. If you believe - as I do - that the war in Iraq was about securing petroleum to slake our country's seemingly unending thirst, surely you must have some scruples about contributing to this problem. "This is our country," all right - big trucks with poor fuel efficiency for all! Do you not cringe every time you see your song on these ads? I certainly do.

Huzzah for big trucks!

While I'm riled up (and since this is, after all, an mp3 blog), I'd like to discuss your music as well. What's with the laziness? I understand the need to churn out mindless pop songs to sustain your lifestyle - again, I don't fault you for chasing the dollars with this whole "Our Country" thing - but did you really need to rewrite "Pink Houses" ["Ain't That America"]? I'll confess, I've never been a fan of "Pink Houses," but I'd also be the first to admit that there's some amount of depth to it. I don't particularly relate to (or enjoy, for that matter) your imagery of blue collar America, but it's there, and it's competent. Through this imagery, you managed to express the wildly differing versions of the American dream in a fairly graceful manner. You also managed to get some digs in there about the unjust class dynamics that are inherent in our American capitalist freedom - a point that I certainly appreciate, particularly in such an iconic pop song.

Back to this "Our Country" thing, though. Did you actually intend to record a dumbed-down version of "Pink Houses"? If so, you've certainly succeeded. You've taken everything that made your old hit unique and done away with it. That four-note guitar hook is gone. You got rid of that seething subtextual anger. You've replaced the earnest imagery with generic descriptions that seem lifted from a George Bush speech:

Well I can stand beside ideals I think are right
And I can stand beside the idea to stand and fight
I do believe there's a dream for everyone
This is our country

That sense of a common American dream is still there, only now it's explicitly stated. The independent-mindedness that made "Pink Houses" interesting (or in my case, tolerable) and quintessentially American is gone. You've traded it all in for an inoffensive "let's all be friends and rally around the flag" track.

There was a time when you held the title of "Springsteen of the Heartland" or "Poor Man's Bruce," but that has since faded. There was a time when you thumbed your nose at Ronald Reagan when he tried to use "Pink Houses" in a campaign ad. There was a time when you had something to say, even if I don't necessarily agree with how you said it. That was a long time ago - long before I learned to read, write, or listen to music with a critical ear.

You've had your fun, Mr. Mellencamp, but I think it may be time to hang up the old Fender Telecaster for good.

Sincerely,

Kid Gloves