Only a Fool Would Say That

Only a Fool Would Say That was Steely Dan's song in reaction to John Lennon's Marxist anthem Imagine.

I'm glad some other musicians reacted.  Imagine is a horrible song, espousing an ideology that, while he claimed it would result in "nothing to kill or die for", killed more in the 20th Century than any other ideology going.

Lawrence Reed has an article on Lennon himself in The American Spectator.  It catalogs Lennon's real character, including his physical abuse of his first wife and his multiple extramarital affairs.  He's not a guy to be admired for any reason, but for some reason, perhaps his late physical appearance, and a decades long Libby Custer like effort to boost his image has created a false one for him.

I don't really get why people idolize performers anyway, except for their work.  I love the music of Jimi Hendrix, but he wasn't example a model of clean and effective living.

And interestingly, people will recite music and sing it without really pondering what the lyrics actually mean.  In our "Me Too" era, this is astounding.  Imagine is a Communist anthem.  Sweet Home Alabama excuses ongoing racial segregation in the South.  Brand New Key really does have sort of a creepy set of double meanings quality to it.  

And in spite of my self, I like those last two songs.

But at the same time, I guess, I don't idolize the Leonard Skynard or Melanie Safka