Citizen Soldier
I was at the movies with my son over the weekend and guess what pops up on the screen. “Citizen Soldier,” Three Doors Down, full song-length music video tribute that doubles as a recruiting pitch for the National Guard.
It was a good thing I was in a dark theater, because it brought tears to my eyes. More sophisticated cynics … hey, I thought I was one of those … might call the images and lines hokey, but I don’t know anyone who has moved forward into fire who doesn’t tear up when they think about selfless sacrifice. It can make you very soft that way and you have to watch that you don’t choke up or sob inappropriately. My kid knows about that and looked. The Lexington and Concord images are enough to do it. That’s local history, about 35 miles away. I took him there on Patriot’s Day, April 2002, when he was just a little guy, only six, to watch the re-enactment and he was very brave and didn’t complain when it rained before dawn, just before the terrible sound of drums and boots as the British column approached. We live in a town that lost eight of America’s original citizen soldiers out of a population of about 400 people in King Philip’s War in 1675. Then there are the 3DD vid’s Iraq, 9/11 and Normandy images. Baltimore Reporter notes that it isn’t the first time 3DD has done unabashed troop support, linking to a 2002 USS George Washington performance. Here’s business wire copy on the production. I remember GIs listening to 3DD’s “Kryptonite” in the invasion, but that was just because they liked the song.
If you want to point out anyone else in the entertainment business who is doing something other than whining about how effed up war is and dishing out the usual Bush lied line, please note in comments. On that side of the ledger, here’s Billy Joel and Cass Dillon’s “Christmas in Fallujah,” a protest music vid that suffers from Joel’s canned anger, Dillon’s nostrils, and of course the inconvenience of a Christmas in Fallujah that looks to be a significant improvement this year.
Here’s one of my favorite citizen soldiers. Acute Politics with Frustration. Here’s another, Badgers Forward, forward again.
Hotair steers us to another tribute at 3DD’s site and admiringly notes that the band probably isn’t doing itself any favors by tracking non-PC.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 7:45 am on Monday, December 17, 2007
9 Responses to “Citizen Soldier”
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December 17th, 2007 at 9:53 am
That rocked. Just. Absolutely. Rocked.
Thank you for flagging this for us, Jules.
December 17th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden comes the latest in the genre of martial rock, proving that the Revolutionary War does indeed lose [...]
December 17th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I don’t know what the youngsters are listening to today, since I listen to nothing past 1993, but I’m glad there is a touch of patriotism to it. I saw the video for Christmas in Fallujah and was stunned at it’s gross inaccuracies. You think Mr. Joel’s PR people would’ve picked up a freakin newspaper and figured out that Fallujah was the biggest turnaround city in Iraq. What was with that business about the holy soldiers? Terrible. As an agnostic I find that ridiculous. The problems in Iraq have nothing to do with religion, but I guess that would have required some critical thought from the media elite. Their mind has been made up about Iraq for years and nothing is going to change it.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
[...] Jules has more. [...]
December 17th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
While it’s not my type of music there was Iced Earth’s album The Glorious Burden.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
You all do know about Stuck Mojo, don’t you?
Don’t miss the video “Open Season”
“colorful language” warnings apply.
http://www.stuckmojo.us/
I’m a hard rock type but I can tolerate a little rap influence when the words are so close to my heart…
December 18th, 2007 at 4:44 am
here’s the Digger’s sweetheart from down Oz way, Beccy Cole.
she caught some grief from fans for visiting the Diggers in OIF and the ’stan, and wrote the song “Poster Girl” in reply http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BZ6aqgvdFI&feature=related
wiki entry is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beccy_Cole
December 18th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Shipmates,
Don’t forget Toby Keith’s “An American Soldier”. Keith himself served at least one tour in the Army before heading to Nashville.
Slightly OT, but the New England Patriots have sent players and cheerleaders over to Iraq almost every year during the off season. Their website has some details, and the Herald Sports section had some articles about Ben Watson’s trip this past summer.
Respects,
December 19th, 2007 at 12:35 am
redc1c4, roger on Beccy Cole. I loved the way she toasted the guy. A class act.