Thursday, September 07, 2006

Lyrics of the Day

When I wrote, "Let's put two and two together here," in my last entry, it reminded me of a great Bob Seger anti-war song from his first album in 1968, back when he made controversial counter-culture music. "2 + 2 = ?" is one of the best Vietnam protest songs you've never heard:

Yes it's true I am a young man but I'm old enough to kill
I don't wanna kill nobody but I must if you so will
And if I raise my hand in question you just say that I'm a fool
Cause I got the gall to ask you, can you maybe change the rules
Can you stand and call me upstart, ask what answer can I find,
I ain't sayin' I'm a genius, 2 + 2 is on my mind

The Bob Seger System's first album Ramblin' Gamblin' Man is best known for its title track, but it's full of weird, psychedelic material typical of the era. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find on CD. Apparently Seger feels that it doesn't represent his best work; it certainly doesn't conform to his popular image from the late 1970s through the present. In other words, this isn't your parents' Bob Seger, unless your parents are Michigan hippies.

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