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Remember Buffalo Springfield’s song, “For What It’s Worth?” Written by Stephen Stills and recorded in 1966 (the year I was born), it was essentially a protest song and embraced as such. Stills did not write it in response to the Vietnam War, but its lyrics resonated with this anti-war stance nonetheless. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, it is a listenable, foot-tapping, song that sticks with you and raises more questions, rather than conclusions.
Then there’s another late 60s/early 70s song that not only evokes memory but breeds deep discussion. Don McClean’s “American Pie,” is a masterpiece of songwriting, and continues to speak powerfully to successive generations.
McClean’s website speaks to the song and why he wrote it:
For McLean, the transition from the light innocence of childhood to the dark realities of adulthood began with the deaths of his father and Buddy Holly and culminated with the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, which was the start of a more difficult time for America. During this four year period, Don moved from an idyllic childhood, through the shock and harsh realities of his father’s death in 1961, to his decision, in 1964, to leave Villanova University to pursue his dream of becoming a professional singer.
[…]
“To many of my generation, brought up on Norman Rockwell and Christmas and Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger, America must always occupy the high moral ground. We are heroes. As Roosevelt would say, ‘We face the future with confidence. We are Americans.’”
The image of America evolving from a savior of the free world during World War II, to a bullying military giant in Vietnam, meant to McLean, and to many of his generation, that his country was most definitely lost.
Fast forward some 50 years later, and we have one of the darlings of popular music, country superstar Brad Paisley, who had to be encouraged by his music label to make music that matters and that is not disposable.
Hmmm…
When Brad Paisley started playing potential songs from his forthcoming album Son of the Mountains for Universal Music Group Nashville president Cindy Mabe, she told him, “Make music that matters, that’s not disposable.”
Gentle ballad “Same Here” was in the first batch that he played her, and Paisley certainly took that message to heart. The song, which came out Friday (Feb. 24), celebrates our similarities no matter where we’re from or the language we speak and ends with the audio of a conversation between the country superstar and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The release date is not coincidental: Today marks a year since Russia invaded its neighbor.
Gag me with a guitar string. This ranks up there with “Feelings.” Uninspired, and barely listenable. I’ve reviewed the song twice, and beyond, “Same Here,” I still cannot remember another line of the lyric. Even Paisley himself probably knows the song is totally disposable but pretends that it is some great art.
How far have we fallen? My colleague Brittany Sheehan said it well:
The label [was] so great about it, realizing this isn’t going to be the feel-good hit of the year and this isn’t even going to be something that’s going to work long term at a radio station, it’s not going to research [well]. There’s a speech at the end of it, but this needs to exist in whatever form we can have it to present it,” Paisley says, adding there will not be a radio edit without Zelenskyy.
It’s not even a feel-bad hit. It’s just bad. No Hit Wonder here it comes.
The tune is any recycled Garth Brooks guitar foundation with nothing heartfelt or inspirational in its execution. It feels like Paisley rolled out of bed and was just warming up his guitar. The lyrics are even more sophomoric, lacking any real depth or destination.
Here’s the part that Paisley says will not be cut for radio. So happy I don’t listen to Top 40 Country.
What’s “Same here” in Ukrainian?
Так само. We speak different languages in our life. Yes, but I think we appreciate the same things – children, freedom, our flag, our soldiers, our people. The biggest treasure we have. And friends. And we’re proud of our army who defends our freedom and will defend our lives.[Outro: Brad Paisley, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy]
However you talk, whatever you think
From the songs that you sing to the drink that you drink
We’re fighting for our children, our parents to defend our houses and families
And love each other like crazy
And want someone to share your hopes and fears
Так само. There is no distance between our countries in such values. That is very important to see that they are, ah, really in many, in many things really the same.
This song is pure pablum. Unlike “For What It’s Worth” or “American Pie,” no one will be singing or talking about it in decades to come. If anything, it will be the inflection point of the death of the power of music to speak and reflect a generation. I would have more respect for Paisley and maybe bought into this message if he had also included some commentary from our own American fighting men. Instead, this comes off for what it is: A Zelenskyy/Ukraine War propaganda piece pretending to be a song about global unity.