Marraden (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Any broad characterization is dangerous, but I think that this song is very good because it reminds me of the way we used to be, and how some of us still are. I worked a few summer camps and most of the kids could stand being dirty, and God forbid, cooking! When we are incapable of taking care of ourselves in a very wide variety of situations, I would say that's when we've stopped being American. The American Dream might be advancement, but the American Way of Life is the Can Do, Will Do spirit.

ArmondoOrtiz76Lincol (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Thankyou

evajyna (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with living in the Country. Country folks are very important to our country because of the fact that they do farm, but they are not BETTER than city folks because of that fact. People run away with this stuff and start making accusations about what "real" Americans are and are not. I think that is dangerous.

Marraden (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I dunno, I sorta assumed that this was talking more about the general state of affairs, not that it was the city slickers' faults for causing the situation. But let's face it, the government pays farmers to let produce rot because they want to insure that we always will have actively farmed lands in case something bad does happen (war, trade ties cut, whatever).I'm Jewish, and let's just say that living in the South was... entertaining. Nevertheless, I'm proud of who I became because of it.

evajyna (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

The whole song is full of contempt for "city livin", particularly when his "friend gets killed" in the city for a few bucks. He blames all the economic problems on the city dwellers, people only get mugged when they go downtown? Come on. Like nothing bad happens in the country? It happens a lot, I know I grew up there and I had the privilege of being white. I could only imagine the hell a minority has to put up with in the "utopian" country.

kuchars1 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Its a brand of chewing tobacco

ArmondoOrtiz76Lincol (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Whats beachnut ?

misterph3r (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

"Can survive" yes. "Coexist peacefully with non-white American's" no.

Marraden (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

But the song is about celebrating a certain way of life. I don't see that he is necessarily saying that other ways of life aren't valid, but he is proud and happy with his. I live in a very large city now, but I know that because of how I was raised, there is almost nothing better for me to relax than to throw a bunch of stuff into a backpack and disappear into the woods for about a week.Most traditional forms of country emphasize the independence factor more than the dislike of the city.

evajyna (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I get that. I get the whole, "Urbanites think people in the country are stupid, so lets show them that we know how to do lots of stuff they don't." I get it. However, the sentiment often gets exaggerated to the point where people say that living in the country is the ONLY way to live and people who don't are stupid. In essence, you become what you hated in the first place.I grew up in the country, and guess what? I moved to the city. I like both places for different reasons. Let it go.