These Ideas Are Not New.

Hello! Thank you for the warm response to the first article, I appreciate it. Part of my plan for Ego is semi-regular Media Analysis. I believe having cultural literacy, especially in the digital age, substantially changes the way in which we digest the propaganda we are shown. Without understanding the way in which generations before us dealt with the same issues, we cannot improve on their efforts or understand the gravity of our own situation. Today, I want to analyze the lyrics of “Song of Choice,” written by Seamus Egan, and recorded by Peggy Seeger.

This song is already a very respected commentary on fascism and has been used as sort of a socialist/revolutionary anthem since it‘s release in 1974.

As I go through my interpretation of the song, I will point out specific motifs and analogies used throughout, and what they correlate to in our modern day.

First Verse:

Early every year the seeds are growing
Unseen, unheard they lie beneath the ground
Would you know before their leaves are showing
That with weeds all your garden will abound?

Interpretation #1:

In this analogy, ‘seeds’ represent ideologies or groups. More specifically, it denotes their age and size. As I mentioned in my first article, it is the ‘harmless’ jokes and side comments that lay the foundation for more violent actions. Seeds eventually become plants, but before that, they’re hidden. They’re new. They are considerably more vulnerable to physical disruption. The caveat being that during this stage they are also significantly harder to see. You would have to be intentionally digging through the dirt. Gardeners might have a better idea of what to look for- at least compared to the average person. In a similar vein, political analysts might be able to catch the beginning whispers of ideological trends.

The ideas exist, however small or plenty they seem. If you don’t look, you might not see them.

Second Verse:

If you close your eyes, stop your ears
Shut your mouth then how can you know ?
For seeds you cannot hear may not be there
Seeds you cannot see may never grow

Interpretation#2:

This is the chorus and also the main repeating motif through out the song. It reveals a slightly more taunting warning. It is a privilege to put yourself in such a position of vulnerability without seeming to care- or not wanting to. To feel safe enough to close your eyes, stop your ears, and shut your mouth… is something of envy to the narrator. The main character of the song gets to feel comfortable in ignorance, free to ignore the danger that haunts their close neighbors.

To pretend as if you don’t know of what’s going on around- to ignore it, to be apathetic, to be focused on yourself and only yourself is a privilege. What you don’t see IS still there, what you don’t hear DOES still make noise, and what you don’t speak out about IS hurting the people around you.

Third Verse:

In January you've still got the choice
You can cut the weeds before they start to bud
If you leave them to grow high they'll silence your voice
And in December you may pay with your blood

Interpretation #3:

There are a few different important parts of this verse. The timeline, the foreshadowing, and the new information we know about our main character.

When dealing with weeds, the growing period may vary but ultimately there are going to be warmer days and wetter seasons. You’ve got the upper hand in the early and cold part of the year. You have the choice to do something. You can see them now. They’re small, and not growing very fast- but you can see them. The foreshadowing comes in the form of another warning, with our narrator explaining the dangers of letting the weeds come to fruition and the risk that comes with letting prejudice exist around you. At some point, there will be no more resources for the weeds to consume. At some point, there will be no more people to take until they take you.

Society has gotten to the point where ignoring these ideas completely has become incredibly negligent. To lack the historical context, to lack the effort to find it, can and does lead to violence whether you care to admit it or not. Some people would much rather tune out of politics than listen, despite that being exactly what prejudice ideas and hate groups need to flourish. When they don’t have anyone else to turn on, they will turn on you.

Fourth Verse:

So close your eyes, stop your ears,
Shut your mouth and take it slow
Let others take the lead and you bring up the rear
And later you can say you didn't know

Interpretation #4

The bolded line is one of my favorites. It addresses people who are ADAMANT that politics can’t/wont impact their day to day life. They might vote for a third party, or the wild card candidate, believing that their vote could never sway their state’s outcome. They don’t research the politicians they vote for, and by not learning their policies, they receive plausible deniability for never knowing at all. They scoff at people with the courage to have an opinion, parading themselves as masters of ethics for ”seeing both sides.” Every critique they have about an administration is always after the fact. Every thought is hindsight.

It is not impressive to not have an opinion. It is not peaceful to avoid confrontation. You are privileged to be feeling this way. You are not a harder worker. You are not more fair. You are either uneducated or unwilling, and the blood is on your hands.

Fifth Verse:

Every day another vulture takes flight
There's another danger born every morning
In the darkness of your blindness the beast will learn to bite
How can you fight if you can't recognize a warning?

Interpretation #5*:

Some straightforward but aggressive metaphors happen in this verse. “Vultures” could refer to predatory hate groups. Nazis, MAGA, KKK, who all target insecure white men. Men who are isolated, feel small, or feel weak, will use the group as a source of pride and motivation. If he is not better than anyone else, at least he is above whoever they consider “Untouchables.”

“Another danger is born every morning.“ This is both literal and metaphorical. Dangerous ideas are actively being produced and spread from parent to child. Hate quickly becomes hereditary, and habits become permanent. This, coupled with the mold-like spread of fascism, means they are multiplying. And they’re doing it quickly. I will continue to use the mold analogy to explain this idea.

Mold might not grow in every warm, wet, dark place. You’re “edgy” friends aren’t THAT edgy. It might not get bad enough to make you sick. It’s covert. That being said, you turn your exhaust on. You disinfect the sink after old dishes are stuck lying there for too long. You take precaution.

Unless obviously, you don’t want to do all that. Instead, you turn on the fan every once in a while. You don’t acknowledge their behavior. Dishes sit with warm, dirty water, but you don‘t re-wash them with anything more than a rinse. Theres no way those could lead to anything more, people are just sensitive and dramatic. You haven’t gotten sick yet, so you have no reason to believe that these tiny actions are even risks at all. They‘ve never been mean to you.

You might not notice the water on the wall behind the sink. The media they consume. The talking points they use. Maybe you don’t mind humidity. You agree with them every so often. You wouldn’t see the bacteria multiplying, and soaking into the paint, and rotting the wood inside. You don’t know whats going on behind closed doors, or in their head. It might be just one wall at first. The problem seems localized. It feels contained. You start feeling ill. You take medicine. You feel guilt. You protest, you donate. You feel better. You feel better about yourself. You stop taking the medicine early. You stop paying attention. You keep those people in your life.You get frustrated with how sensitive people are. You get sick again, this time it’s worse. They turn on you. The walls are still standing, you don’t have a clue. They invalidate you. You are the sensitive one now. You take the same medicine. You vote. It doesn’t work. Your “good” candidate loses. You blame the medicine. You stop voting. You stop trying again. You decide the world is doomed.

It’s not the medicine. It’s you.

Sixth Verse:

Today you may earn a living wage
Tomorrow you maybe on the dole
Though there's millions going hungry you needn't disengage
For it's them, not you, that's fallen in the hole

Interpretation #6:

Inflation rises. Wages don’t keep up. Some people use government assistance to stay a float but most people don’t qualify despite living one emergency away from an overdraft charge.

But- you still have groceries . You still have electricity. Your parents financially support you. You’re a full time student. Life isn’t fair, you can’t feed a million people, It’s not your responsibility.

While enjoying this independence, I encourage every reader to remember the millions of people it takes to make your life run the cyclical way it does. People who grow or harvest the food. People who raise the animals. People who fly planes, drive trains, and fix cars. Chefs who cook, seamstresses who create. Every luxury you enjoy all the way down to every daily commodity- is likely the result of somebody else. Strengthen your community, or toss away your only life line.

Seventh Verse:

It's alright for you if you run with the pack
It's alright if you agree with all they do
If fascism is slowly climbing back
It's not here yet so what's it got to do with you?

Interpretation #7.

See above. *

Eight Verse:

The weeds are all around us and they're growing
It'll soon be too late for the knife
If you leave them on the wind that around the world is blowing
You may pay for your silence with your life

Interpretation #8:

I switched from referring to the person our narrator is talking to as a character, to instead refer to them as you. While accidental at first, I decided not to change it. You are the one responsible for your own actions, or in this case, inactions. Every shitty joke somebody says, every election you ignore, every news story you tune out, lets extremists seep into our media and community. Fascism inspires fascism. The world stage becomes reactionary. Home soil no longer means safe place. Crimes against humanity will be met with a response.

We are not the hero of the story.

Last Verse:

So close your eyes, stop your ears,
Shut your mouth and never dare
And if it happens here they'll never come for you
Because they'll know you really didn't care

Last Interpretation:

Some people might believe they could survive a dictatorship if they comply. They might survive famine if they prepare. They might survive a bomb if there is a shelter. Ultimately, they don’t feel like there will be THAT much change. Even if there is, you’re not who they’re after. They won’t kill a civilian who doesn’t get in their way. Right?

Right?

A note!

Thank you again for reading, and I hope you came out of it with some new things to think about. I apologize for how long this took to publish, I wrote a lot more than I anticipated. I work full time, but my goal is to have frequent publications. If you like my writing and want to support me, sharing the link is incredibly helpful.

BUT- If you want to help a brother out with rent☝…

Just kidding- kinda, but on a real note, mutual/community aid will be my next topic of discussion. We don’t have to wait for businesses to buy land and “invest” in our communities. We can invest in one another. Stay tuned :)