Cass Dillon: With his hipster clothing, long hair, and lack of comprehension of Iraq, he makes an excellent spokesman for the troops!
Recently, Billy Joel teamed up with hipster Cass Dillon to release a song "Christmas in Fallujah". The Boston Hearld wrote a blurb about it, and you can see the Youtube video here. While I think their heart is in the right place since the proceeds from the song are going to "Homes for our Troops", I can't help but criticize the ridiculous lyrics of the song.
It’s Evening In the Desert, I’m Tired and I’m cold, But I’m just a solder, I do what I am told
We Came with the Crusaders, to save the holy land, It’s Christmas In Fallujah, and no one gives a damn
And I just got your letter, And this is what I read you said, I’m fading from your memory, so I’m just as good as dead
We are the armies of the empire, We are the legionnaires of Rome, It’s Christmas In Fallujah, and we ain’t never coming home
We came to bring these people freedom, we came to fight the infidel, there is no justice in the desert, Because there is no god in hell
They say osama’s in the mountains, deep in a cave near Pakistan, But there’s a sea of blood in Baghdad, A sea of oil in the sand
Between the Tigris and Euphrates, another day comes to an end, it’s Christmas In Fallujah, Peace on earth goodwill to men
it’s Christmas In Fallujah, hallelujah hallelujah(hoorah) (The self-righteous yodeling goes on for some time after this...)
Okay, where to begin. First off, if the song was supposed to be about somewhere violent and grief-stricken, I would recommend finding a city in Iraq that has not seen a decline in violence for a consecutive 11 months. Don't take my word for it, read Michael Totten's first-hand account of the city. Second off, I'm not sure where this "crusaders" and "legionnaires of Rome" business is coming from. The US military personnel in Anbar province wear uniforms that clearly state they are members of the United States Armed Forces. I have yet to see someone with the big Knights of Templar cross emblazoned on their IBA. Third, the Youtube synopsis commends the song with "Hats off to these two for being brave enough to use their talent in a positive way!" Ahem, don't you think you should be giving credit to the brave men and women who are actually in Fallujah? As much respect as I have for the piano man Billy Joel, I would not categorize him as "brave" amongst the context of people who got shot at on a daily basis from 2004-2006. Fourth, why does this song have to be so politically biased? Can't celebrities with all their "good will" just do something nice for people without promoting their ill-informed agenda. Fifth, the song is really god-awful, I'll take "Captain Jack" any day of the week, but not this drivel.
11 December 2007
Why "Christmas in Fallujah" is Miserably Inaccurate
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11 comments:
Donating money to the Homes for the Troops is an nice touch. But do they really think that they are "supporting the troops" with their political bias music?
You said in another post that you do not understand people in Baghdad wanting security lifted for their businesses. Well, I think some of the people in the USA are just pretty odd too - like Billy Joel and Cass Dillon - fruitloops everywhere.
Ms. Bag Blog,
As always, your comments are insightful. I agree there are fruitloops everywhere, however I must admit that I have been known to sing "The Piano Man" after 8-10 beers at karoke night.
I'd kind of like to hear your version of "The Piano Man" - could be interesting:)
Funny how they picked Fallujah, where the improvement and progress toward peace and prosperity has been most striking.
They, like many anti-war libs, aren't getting up to date information on the situation. They hold certain "beliefs" about how things are going, and refuse to budge from those "feelings" regardless of the facts.
The lyrics are insulting and offensive. The donation to the Homes for Troops was a sop to cover up the slap in the face of the soldiers this song was intended to be. I am not fooled.
Jordan,
Glad you're not fooled, I wasn't buying it either. Thanks for the post!
" I have yet to see someone with the big Knights of Templar cross emblazoned on their IBA."
I'll have to search my blog and brain, but I promise a link
As Promised
myspace.com/freddywelborn
Follow link at your own risk
Madtom,
That myspace page pretty much freaked me out. Thanks!
I forgot yesterday to post the story about the Welborne's "Crusade"
With stories like these it's not to hard to see why someone might pen a song like Christmas in Fallujah.
This administration is it's own worst enemy.
Stay safe.
I don't understand your negative commentary of this song.
The Legionnaires of Rome and Crusaders are obviously just metaphors.
And please explain to me how this is critizing the troops? The only thing I interpret from those lyrics is support for the troops. The shot he's taking, if any, is at the current government which gives all the orders. And that, yes, is anti-war, but not denigrating to the troops.
Haven't you ever listened to Goodnight Saigon? That song gave support for US troops of the Vietnam War. Pretty much the same thing this is doing for the current war.
These guys who come back without arms and legs are fucked for life. And nobody really gives a shit...
Mr. Bryan,
The song is denigrating because it is a misrepresentation of what is going on in Iraq. It also exploits the political momentum of the anti-war commentary to sell albums. I certainly agree with you that people should give a shit about injured vets, but I fear most celebrities would only give a shit if the photo-op helped promote their corporate label or themselves. I haven't listened to Goodnight Saigon, who sings it? Thanks for the post!
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