Red, white and maybe some bluegrass

Ah, the Fourth of July. A time for watching fireworks, holding watermelon-seed spitting contests (if you can find watermelons with seeds in them anymore ...), drinking beer with friends and saluting America.

I don't know about you, but I've always found the standard July 4th musical fare a little boring. Nothing against "God Bless America," "The Star-Spangled Banner" or "America the Beautiful," but I guess I've heard them all so many times that it's hard to be moved anymore.

I think that's the case with a lot of people, which is why people like Toby Keith and Darryl Worley have attempted to give us new classics -- purely out the goodness of their hearts, completely unmotivated by money, I'm sure. Yes, my friends, nothing makes me prouder to be an American than terming putting a boot up someone's ass "the American way." And when Darryl Worley questions my patriotism because I don't support a war in Iraq in retaliation for an act of terrorism by non-Iraqis, I want to drape myself in red, white and blue and go share an ice cream cone with the Statue of Liberty, yessir. How very, very glad I am that such eloquent spokesmen are my countrymen. Sigh.

But, thank heaven, there is plenty of music that gets me all riled up about America in a good way. However, I don't think you'll hear these played on the National Mall today, and I know for a fact they won't be playing these over the PA at Old Navy. But here's what I'll be listening to today as I get the burgers ready for the grill:

** Steve Earle -- Pretty much anything on the "Revolution" album gets me seeing red (and white, and blue). Not because the songs extol the virtues of today's America, but because they lovingly point out its flaws. To me, nothing proves you love your country like critizing it -- it shows you care enough about its core values (freedom of speech, sparing and just use of military force, taking care of ALL Americans regardless of race, religion or income) to want to return to them.

** Rage Against the Machine -- Ditto.

** Johnny Cash/"Ragged Old Flag" -- OK, so it's a little sentimental, and it's more of a poem than a song. But it sure is a good reminder of the history of our young country, and the line "she's in good shape for the shape she's in" gives me hope that no matter how bad things seem at any given time, America has a habit of pulling through eventually.

** Bruce Springsteen -- There are a whole lot of songs by the Boss that say "America" to me, but one of my favorites is "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (also covered by Rage Against the Machine). It's a song about the power of the little guy, of one voice, and how we need to re-learn how to harness that power today. It helps that it centers on my favorite quote from my favorite book ("Grapes of Wrath") by my favorite author (John Steinbeck, which I would go on and on about if only this were a blog about books, not music). The quote:

(from the song) "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I'll be there Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand Or decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."

(from the book) A fella ain't got a soul of his own, just a little piece of a big soul � the one big soul that belongs to ever'body. Then ... then it don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be everywhere �wherever you look. Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. ... I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an' � I'll be in the way kids laugh then they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build -- why, I'll be there ...

Give me a minute -- I have to go unfurl a five-story flag from my balcony.

OK, done. Thanks.

While I'm at it, I'm probably going to be listening also to some Woody Guthrie, some Bob Dylan and a crapload of bluegrass -- all quintessentially American sounds (though influenced to some extent by music from other lands and traditions, of course, of course) that remind me of home and will, with the aid of much homemade sweet tea, help me forget that I'm 7000 miles away from home this July Fourth. Hope you have a good one!