"Wouldn't It Be Nice" on Right-Wing Anthems list

[No. Fourteen]

I ended up catching a bit of "Scarborough Country" last night on MSNBC, and there was a guy on from  (I think) the National Review that gave a list of the top 5 "Right-Wing Anthems" he compiled.  It's funny to put those songs in that context.

The list (and his reasoning):

5. Wouldn't It Be Nice (celibacy before marriage)
4. Sweet Home Alabama (Southern pride)
3. Sympathy for the Devil (condemning satan's work)
2. Taxman (damn democrats always raising taxes!)
1. Won't Get Fooled Again (anti-radical movements)

When discussing WIBN, Scarborough said he found it amusing that the song was the product of someone who was an acid-freak in 66/67.  I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like that.

[shelter]

So Brian Wilson's songs are satanic AND right wing?   

The Universal Coward by Jan & Dean should be in there. That's about as right wing as they get.

[shelter]

Or to be more specific: Wouldn't It Be Nice is a right wing anthem and God Only Knows a satanic one...

Interesting. Never noticed that before.

[Jeff Mason]

That's the first time I ever heard of "Sympathy for the Devil" seen as right-wing anti-Satan.  To most nutcase Christian activists, that is exhibit A in proving that the Stones were Satanists.

[LostArt]

What? No "Okie From Muscogee"?

[rb]

What? No "Okie From Muscogee"?

Or "As shole From El Paso", for that matter.

[Artie]

What? No "Okie From Muscogee"?

Or "As shole From El Paso", for that matter.

Yeah, Kinky Friedman!

[Aegir]

Wouldn't It Be Nice isn't really about celibacy before marriage.. there's absolutely no mention of sex in that song at all. It's saying "wouldn't it be nice if we were older, than we could live together, because I love you and want to spend all the time I can with you", not "wouldn't it be nice if we were older because then I can finally have sex with you because everyone knows you can't have sex before marriage and I'm just lusting after you so much".

And being that it's about his wife's sister doesn't help the matter either.

[Chris Brown]

Yea I don't really see where they got celibacy before marriage out of WIBN either...last I checked you can have sex with someone without living with them!  It's funny too like Aegir said that the whole song originated from Brian's fixation with his wife's sister.  I bet Brian would be amused to hear that someone considers this a right wing anthem.

[the captain]

If there's one thing I've never known fanatics to worry about, it's having good logic or fact-checking behind their stupid rants.

[Ebb and Flow]

Without the context behind the song, put generally, the song is about liberation from authority and being able to do what you want.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could do this, without our parents or those assholes interfering.  Not very conservative to me.  And just because the song doesn't clearly say "let's f*** all night long", doesn't mean it's advertising celibacy before marriage.  In fact, waking up in the morning when the day is new sounds like a pretty good implication of the opposite, especially for Top 40 radio in '66.

[ukulelejesus]

Engaging in a bit of Necromancy on this thread, but the very idea that my favorite song, ever, what I consider the most perfect, succinct, lovely little self contained number, could even be considered an anthem for the people who want to install a sexless tyrannical theocracy, the idea that some fascist pig could try to claim this song as an anthem for their side makes me incredibly furious.

I guess I should send Glenn Beck some poison muffins now or something.

[Bill Ed]

I think the song was about young people constraining their behavior to conform to societal norms. At least it was for me when I was 16 and spent way too much time lusting after the girl next door. She often wore very short shorts and halter tops, and her dad was a career marine who bore a striking resemblance to the Incredible Hulk. Come to think of it, he was probably a bigger influence on my behavior than the cultural mores of the day.

I think the song is a sort of anthem and was intended to convey a sense of innocence. If the song was really about Brian Wilson's infatuation with his sister-in-law, then Tony Asher really missed the mark with his lyrics. Being an in-law would trump age as an issue.

Still, it's pretty silly to mix music and politics in the first place:

"That which is too stupid to be said is sung."

[Pretty Funky]

I guess I will just have to listen to 'Student Demonstration Time' then!

[Fun Is In]

What is it they "wouldn't have to wait so long" for?

I'm sure that pokin' is among the possibilities implied or intended. 

In reference to the right wing, keep in mind that they have specifically rejected "the reality based world" in favor of one that meets their needs for manipulating the opinions of others. The actual content of "Sympathy For the Devil" et al is as unimportant to them as the actual content of Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was to the Reaganauts in the 1980s.

[BillA]

Always thought that "Wonderful" could be considered a more conservative song since it sort of went against the credo that you couldn't trust anybody over 30.

[Smilin Ed H]

People who wrap themselves in the flag don't aren't all there, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Bill Ed]

In reference to the right wing, keep in mind that they have specifically rejected "the reality based world" in favor of one that meets their needs for manipulating the opinions of others. The actual content of "Sympathy For the Devil" et al is as unimportant to them as the actual content of Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was to the Reaganauts in the 1980s.

Doesn't "Sympathy for the Devil" list the murder of the Czar and his family and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ alongside the sins of the Nazis? Not exactly a politically correct stance at the time, and the lyrics surprise me.  

Also, as I recall, Regan himself wanted to use "Born in the USA" as a campaign theme song, but it was hardly an anthem for the "Reganauts" who actually listened to the lyrics. Didn't Springsteen himself suggest to Mr. Regan that the song might not convey the message Regan intended? (Springsteen sometimes waxed political, with the expected bent, at his concerts.  But if you weren't an audience member and instead were there to tote The Boss's equipment, his words may have rung hollow. Here, I'm not surprised.)

[The Heartical Don]

Engaging in a bit of Necromancy on this thread, but the very idea that my favorite song, ever, what I consider the most perfect, succinct, lovely little self contained number, could even be considered an anthem for the people who want to install a sexless tyrannical theocracy, the idea that some fascist pig could try to claim this song as an anthem for their side makes me incredibly furious.

I guess I should send Glenn Beck some poison muffins now or something.

  Agree with everything, only - I don't get furious, I p*ss myself laughing about it all...

[Mike's Beard]

Glenn Beck, what a turd he is. Have watched some of his fascist rants on youtube. The funniest one I've seen is where he bemoans the overcrowed prisons in America. His bright idea is to kill more prisoners starting with the big cheese himself Charles Manson! Tellingly most of the comments posted on the video state that they would rather Beck be killed than Manson!!

[Fun Is In]

Glenn Beck, what a turd he is. Have watched some of his fascist rants on youtube. The funniest one I've seen is where he bemoans the overcrowed prisons in America. His bright idea is to kill more prisoners starting with the big cheese himself Charles Manson! Tellingly most of the comments posted on the video state that they would rather Beck be killed than Manson!!
[/quot

This faex Glenn Beck was included in the top 20 most respected people in America in 2010.
I recommend Charles Pierce's book "Idiot America" for some explanation of how such a thing is possible. Alas, Pierce also included the business above about "Wouldn't It be Nice". I say alas cuz he described Brian as snorting heroin at the time of Pet Sounds.

[Alex]

Glenn Beck, what a turd he is. Have watched some of his fascist rants on youtube. The funniest one I've seen is where he bemoans the overcrowed prisons in America. His bright idea is to kill more prisoners starting with the big cheese himself Charles Manson! Tellingly most of the comments posted on the video state that they would rather Beck be killed than Manson!!

I much prefer Jeff Beck. or Beck Hansen (aka plain old Beck) to Glenn Beck. I'm just glad Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert around to put those idiots in their place.

[adamghost]

Not Charles Pierce of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK fame?!?

[Fun Is In]

Not Charles Pierce of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK fame?!?

Charles P Pierce, aka Charlie Pierce of Boston Globe and "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" fame.

The Fouke Monster author was Charles B Pierce, an advertising salesman from Texarkana.

[Menace Wilson]

Jon Stewart's/Stephen Colbert's brand of sarcastic condescension is just as annoying as Beck's/O'Reilly's outraged blowhardiness, imo.  I laugh every time I think about the Rally To Restore Sanity, and the fact that the guy they got to represent the sane/peaceful side against crazy Ozzy was....Jusuf Islam.