How Relevant Is Context?

[redbrunja]

This is probably not a surprise to most of my flist, but I'm a big believer in the Death of the Author, that a text should be taken on its own, without the creator stepping in to explain or justify his/her creative choices. (That said, I deliberately try not to know details about authors/actors/etc, because if I learn things I don't like it will forever taint the text for me).

Last night, I was listening to Not Ready To Make Nice:

(please give this song a listen, especially if you are not familiar with the Dixie Chicks or the specific background of this song).

What I was wondering was, does this song make any sense without the context of the Iraq War? If you don't know that the Dixie Chicks spoke out against Bush and had a lot of hate-mail because of it, what do you think this song is about? Even if you do know, does the song's overt political bias make it easier/harder to relate to?

Inquiring minds want to know. Speaking personally, while I greatly enjoy this song, I think it's cementation in one particular time period of American history is actually a weakness. I think Unsteady Ground:

has a much more nuanced touch with the politics of the Iraq War and For What It's Worth is a much more universal protest song.

Although, granted, neither one of those has the anger or righteousness of Not Ready To Make Nice, which I certainly don't want to devalue.

Comments

[ivanolix.livejournal.com]

I am fairly clueless when it comes to politics, being someone who avoids them because they're frustrating, and for my first few times listening through NRTMN I didn't even realize that it was about a political statement. So it was slightly confusing at points, but the generic theme behind the song was enough that I could still enjoy it.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Good to know. Thanks for answering this!