Tuesday, September 10, 2024: TWOfer Tuesday - The "Ghosts Of 9/11" Edition

It's the anniversary of 9/11 tomorrow. And, as usual, I have mixed feelings.

So, I have a mix of songs to illustrate.

"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" is a song by country music artist Toby Keith. Rleased in May 2002, it became one of Keith’s most famous songs, largely due to America's response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the subsequent War on Terror.

The song was written following the attacks on 9/11. Keith's father, who was a U.S. Army veteran, had passed away just six months before the attacks, and the song was inspired by both his father's patriotism and the national response to the tragedy. Keith has described it as a reaction to the emotions he felt during that time, expressing anger and pride in America.

And I get it.  I think time has dulled what that day, and that time felt like.  There was chaos and confusion, and there was anger and grief, panic and pain and a thirst for justice.  And vengeance.

And, yeah, the world got ugly.  For the next decade.  Or more.

If I'm honest, I like this song precisely because it is so defiant and unapologetic, an anthem of American patriotism.  Thousands died, and we were going to make those responsible pay, by God.  And pay dearly.  It's the most primal of responses, but that shouldn't mean that it should be dismissed.

The road to the hell that became the War On Terror was paved with all the good intentions of bringing justice back home.  

And, boy, did we fuck all that up.

Mary Chapin Carpenter takes a different approach to recording her thoughts about the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Quoting from her interview with NPR, "Carpenter was inspired to write the song "Grand Central Station" after hearing an interview with an iron worker on the first anniversary of the attacks. The man, one of the first at the scene after the towers fell, worked at Ground Zero for days afterward. The iron worker said that at the end of each shift, he felt impelled to go to the train station so the souls of the victims could follow him.

"He'd find himself just going to Grand Central Station and standing on the platform and thinking whoever wanted to go home could catch the train home," says Carpenter."

Source: Mary Chapin Carpenter's 'Grand Central' Song

Friday, April 29, 2011: Toby Keith - I Love This Bar

Really cool bars are hard to find these days. Trust me, I've searched.

So many taverns, at least in the US, are these bland, bloated, corporate owned nightmares that are too garish, too loud, too boring.

So, what makes a good bar?

1) Atmosphere: This includes things like decor, lighting and space. A good bar has interesting, authentic items around the room, not glossed up corporate junk that a thousand other identical bars around the country have. The lighting would tend to be on the dark & intimate side. In short, a good bar has character. Soul.

2) A Good Jukebox: This is a must. I've been in OK joints that have rocked out with great music, and I've been in great joints that just got all the life sucked out of them by a horrid, lifeless playlist.

3) Games: A pool table is a must. Two or three are better. A couple of old-school stand up video games is a good thing, an actual pinball table is miles better. Real darts is great too, with a chalk board on either side of the board to keep score on. If you see the wimpy, nanny-state special that is those horrible electronic darts games, then try to find another place.

4) Clientele: If you can smell a poser a mile away, you know this is critical. If they crowd is a bunch of hipsters, or fashionistias, or 50 year old stockbrokers who dress like bikers every Saturday and half of Sunday, then definitely find another place.

5) Drinks: Cold and cheap - I like my drinks the exact opposite of how I like my women.

6) Bartenders: They don't have to greet you with a smile and a wave as soon as you walk in the door, but if you have to stand around like a mental patient while the person behind the bar tries to chat up a hot chick, or just straight up ignores you, then that place doesn't deserve your money. On the flip side, if the service is quick and friendly, always - ALWAYS - tip well.

7) You: The most important ingredient. If you are a jerk, or an obnoxious drunk, or try to hit on anything that has two legs, then maybe you don't deserve a cool bar.

But, that said, if you do find a local, independently owned tavern that has most, if not all, of the above, then please support it. Local bars need our help. Invite your friends.

Let's keep on keeping it real, for us. And for future generations.

Seriously.