Originally posted by: Jorge P Date: April 10, 2016 at 07:35 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
This is kind of inspired by the outcry about Bruce Springsteen cancelling his concert in North Carolina. I'm still amazed by people who don't know that The Boss is a dyed in the wool lefty.
As I'm sure many of you know, Springsteen's Born in the USA is a criticism of American foreign and domestic policy during and after the Vietnam War. The song is about a young troublemaker who got shipped off to Vietnam and came back to no jobs and no opportunities. The refrain "Born in the USA" is not nationalistic jingoism. It is a cry of despair.
Yet the song is often used by politicians, most famously by Ronald Reagan, as a patriotic anthem.
What other phrases, songs, or whatever's, are out there that are used to mean something other than what they actually mean?
I know of one particular phrase by one of America's founding fathers that is a pet peeve of Brick's.
Originally posted by: Jesus Fetus Date: April 10, 2016 at 07:40 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: Jorge P Date: April 10, 2016 at 07:59 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: grumble Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:06 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: Gnarcore Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:11 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Was it not about the shitty treatment Vietnam vets got upon returning from war? I wasn't exactly alive but wasn't that from the anti war and lefty crowd?
Originally posted by: Jorge P Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:40 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Gnarcore said:
Was it not about the shitty treatment Vietnam vets got upon returning from war? I wasn't exactly alive but wasn't that from the anti war and lefty crowd?
Click to expand...
Yes - exactly. But many people just saw the cover of the album and the title and assumed otherwise.
Originally posted by: Jesus Fetus Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:42 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Jorge P said:
Right - he's telling the woman, "No woman, don't cry, it will get better."
Click to expand...
Yeah, a lot of people seem to think he's saying he doesn't need a woman, like "I'm not going to cry about there not being a woman in my life."
Originally posted by: rhino78 Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:43 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: rhino78 Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:46 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: Jesus Fetus Date: April 10, 2016 at 08:47 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Also, freedom of speech. People think that gives them the right to say whatever they want, whenever they want, with no reprocussion whatsoever. Like when someone gets fired from their job for making a racist remark, they want to cry, "This is bulls---! You are violating my right to free speech!"
Originally posted by: Thir13en Date: April 10, 2016 at 09:15 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: redstar Date: April 10, 2016 at 09:21 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Gnarcore said:
Was it not about the shitty treatment Vietnam vets got upon returning from war? I wasn't exactly alive but wasn't that from the anti war and lefty crowd?
Click to expand...
That's the narrative. It ain't so.
The Moral force behind the anti-war movement was driven (and in many cases lead) by veterans. Kerry, who had his finest moments by far back then speaking the truth was one of them.
He did spend the next 40 years distancing himself from it though (so there's that).
The psychological trauma endured by the vets was not due to hippy chicks not wanting to f--- them.
It was because they were the sons of WWII vets who believed that this country stood for what was right, and their experience taught them (vividly) the opposite.
Originally posted by: Thir13en Date: April 10, 2016 at 10:24 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: redstar Date: April 10, 2016 at 11:06 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: filipino Date: April 11, 2016 at 12:25 AM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: PejaPolo Date: April 11, 2016 at 10:33 AM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Originally posted by: PejaPolo Date: April 11, 2016 at 10:35 AM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
This isn't really the same and I hope not to derail if this isn't what you're looking for but:
"I could care less" is one that people don't seem to understand they aren't saying correctly....
Originally posted by: newERA Date: April 11, 2016 at 10:16 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
"Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum is often mistaken to be a song about runaways because of the video, but, according to lead singer and lyricist Dave Pirner, it's about dealing with depression.
Originally posted by: cmvideo75 Date: April 11, 2016 at 10:52 PM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
An old metal one... Ozzy's Suicide Solution. He was actually sued for encouraging kids suicides back in the day. So f---ing stupid. The song is about Bonn Scott drinking himself to death.
Originally posted by: filipino Date: April 12, 2016 at 11:37 AM Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/born-in-the-usa-things-that-dont-mean-what-people-think.68836/
Personally, I think if we're going to accede to the (shrillest) voices of the right demonizing the term "liberal," it's about time we stopped calling those voices "conservative" and label them as the reactionaries they truly are.
