by Markus Wolf
Music Review: Ain’t I Right by Marty Robbins
4:41 pm in Music Review by Markus Wolf
Produced in (I think) 1966, this song is a classic of the Red Menace that stalks America. A decade after the excesses of McCarthy-ism, this song was sung by Marty Robbins warning about Reds in our midst and how they will corrupt, how our feeble-brained and opportunistic politicians will let us down and that God, and only God will save the good ‘ol USA.
I have to be honest and say I never understood why the country singers and the South always think they are being infiltrated by the Reds or they are the moral guardians of the USA. Just because you have think having guns and your version of God doesn’t make you right.
You came down to this southern town last summer
To show the folks a brand new way of life
But all you’ve shown the folks around here is trouble
And you’ve only added misery to their strife
Your concern is not to help the people
And I’ll say again, though it’s been often said
Your concern is just to bring discomfort, my friend
And your policy is just a little red
Now, ain’t I right – ain’t he right ain’t he right
It matters not to you how people suffer
And should they, you’d consider that a gain
You bring a lot of trouble to the town and then you leave
That’s part of your Communistic game
I detect a little Communism
I can see it in the things ya do
Communism, Socialism call it what you like
There’s very little difference in the two
Now, ain’t I right – ain’t he right ain’t he right
Your followers sometimes have been a bearded, bath-less bunch
There’s even been a minister or two
A priest, a nun, a rabbi and an educated man
Have listened and been taken in by you
Aww, the country’s full of two-faced politicians
Who encourage you with words that go like this
Burn your draft card if you like, it’s good to disagree
That’s a get acquainted Communistic kiss
Now, ain’t I right – ain’t he right ain’t he right
One politician said it would be nice to send some blood
And help the enemy in Vietnam
That’s what he says, here’s what I say, let’s just keep the blood
Instead let’s send that politician man
Let’s rid the country of the politicians,
Who coddle tramps that march out in our streets
Protesting those who wanna fight for freedom, my friend
This kind of leader makes our country weak
Now, ain’t I right – ain’t he right ain’t he right
Let’s look and find the strong and able leaders
It’s time we found just how our neighbours stand
If we’re to win this war with Communism
Let’s fight it here as well as Vietnam
Let’s rise as one and meet our obligations
So Communistic boots will never trod
Across the fields of freedom that were given to us
With the blessing of our great almighty God
Across the fields of freedom that were given to us
With the blessing of our great almighty God
It gets a five for the sheer paranoia that still lingers on about the evils of Communism and socialism.
I have to admit that I am a fan of McCarthy, not because he polarised the country or that he destroyed careers or that he almost stopped the right of free speech and association, but because of his utter lunacy and yet he managed somehow to grip the worlds leading nation in madness. Chaos is always so much more interesting.
Replace communism for children and imagine Joe McCarthy playing the lead character in this clip.
