I don't think JJ is a hero of the US left, except in a very vague way,
the kind of romanticism attached to outlaws and outsiders in general.
Maybe it's because US leftists tend to be outsiders...
On 5/14/06, paul phillips <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I was just listening to Bruce Stringsteen's most recent album - which is
absolutely wonderful by the way - and in particular at his version of
Jesse James. Now, I have nothing against The 'Boss's' version, in fact
I love all of the album which mixes the "Seeger" songs with rock and,
most importantly, with great New Orleans jazz. The music is fabulous.
But it occurred to me that Jesse James was a veteran of the Slavocracy
war against the Union who turned his war toned skills into bank and
train robbing, in the process killing working-class tellers and railway
clerks. (I admit, I am basing my facts on the movie "The Long Riders" --
great music by the way--) Then he became a hero of the American left
via Woody Guthrie, Seeger and, now, Springsteen. True, he robbed from
the 'rich' ( if you equate rich with bank payrolls) which he distributed
to his 'family' (sounds like the Mafia to me).
So why has he become a left-wing hero? and why should we sing his
song. (This is not to justify "the dirty little coward who shot Mr.
Howard and laid poor Jesse in his grave" who was even more dispicable,
killing James for blood money.)
By the way, I love the song and have been singing it since the
1960s. But really, is Jesse James defensible from a left viewpoint?
Paul P
--
Jim Devine / "the world still seems stuck in greed-lock, ruled by
fossilized fools fueled by fossil fuels." -- Swami Beyondananda
