Monday, May 10, 2010

"Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" by U2



I have a theory that every time this song is played a conservative cries, which could account for why I play it so often. I know that Bono actually wrote Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own - from U2's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - for his father, but the sign of a good pop song is that the listener can bring a different meaning to it should they so choose - in this case, that the 'ownership society' trumpeted by neoconservatives is actually so much bullshit, and really only means that if any hardship should befall you, you're on your own*. I have been fortunate throughout my life at times of crisis to have had help - emotional, intellectual, even financial - to make it through, and will gladly devote my life to repaying and paying forward that generosity.

And so, to all of those who've dedicated their lives to shredding the social safety net, reversing decades of progressive reform, or generally trampling on the dreams and aspirations of those less fortunate, I dedicate this compassionate little ditty to you, in the hopes that some tiny particle of its message penetrates your greedy, empty hearts. Either that, or you die of compassion poisoning, which would technically be an act of mercy for all concerned...

Oh, and have a nice day. ; )

*Unless, of course, you're a huge multi-national company - in which case it's okay to go whining like a little bitch to the government for a bail out. Just as long as you're not a single mother trying to feed her kids. But I digress...
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