August 4, 2008

Midnight Music 2--"You, Me And The Bourgeoisie"

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Advance warning--the first few seconds of this cut are an ad for some fucking cell phone service that sends you concert announcements via instant messaging or some such. There are at least two other versions of this tune by The Submarines on YouTube, with no commercials, but the words are easiest to understand on this one.



And in case you still had a bit of trouble, this sample from the lyric should show you why it's worth another listen.
Plastic bottles, imported water
Cars we drive wherever we want to,
Clothes we buy, it's sweatshop labor,
Drugs from corporate enablers.
We're not living the good life
Unless we're fighting the good fight,
You and me just trying to get it right.
Of course to take the cheap irony of the opening plug for the cell service in this particular video into whole rich realms of cultural self-negation, consider that if "You, Me And The Bourgeoisie" struck you as slightly familiar, there's a reason. It has recently been used in a commercial for Apple, Inc.'s hot new rollout, the iPhone 3G. Oy...

I still like it, and have always been a sucker for musicians trying to do this kind of linking of the personal and political. So whaddaya think? Have I played myself here, going for the okey-doke from a buncha sellouts? Or is this a song that belongs to the forces of sweetness and light, but is so catchy and persuasive that it can be loved even by those without a clue (think Timbuk 3's "Future's So Bright...")?

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