The National, "Runaway"
This is just a gorgeous rendition of this song. I have nothing to write about here today, and I said to myself, finally, "I'll do a YouTube search for something from The National, why not?" and here was this live performance clip I hadn't seen. Such a tender performance of such a poignantly bitter song. If you're not a National fan I just have no idea why not.
I'm wondering if I even have it in me to talk about politics anymore. NPR played a clip this morning of Mitt Romney talking about how he's going to unite the country, but we're so entirely past that now, aren't we? If the first post-racial, post-Boomer, post-partisan candidate couldn't make an inch of headway with opponents who openly said their only agenda was making him a one-term President even when he was offering up to him items like the Affordable Care Act they came up with (proposed by their think tanks and submitted in the '90s by their legislators and similar to a program signed into law in one state by one of their governors, the same governor, indeed, who says he's going to unite us now--), then we're past unity and solidarity and togetherness and a big we're-all-Americans-together "Kumbaya" group hug-slash-circle jerk. If Romney gets elected, and he might, he'll be my President by custom and law but we won't be united in a damn thing, and it's just kind of sad that this is where we are. But I guess the culture warriors were right all along and there are some things that just can't be compromised on; I don't think much of the prejudices they call "values".
"But I won't be no runaway, 'cos I won't run. What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood? We've got another thing coming undone and it's taking forever." Hm. I guess it doesn't have to be a love song, exactly. But where do you go when you're just in because you're not the sort who cashes his chips but you don't have anything left in the game anymore, either?
Now I've made myself sad.
I'm wondering if I even have it in me to talk about politics anymore. NPR played a clip this morning of Mitt Romney talking about how he's going to unite the country, but we're so entirely past that now, aren't we? If the first post-racial, post-Boomer, post-partisan candidate couldn't make an inch of headway with opponents who openly said their only agenda was making him a one-term President even when he was offering up to him items like the Affordable Care Act they came up with (proposed by their think tanks and submitted in the '90s by their legislators and similar to a program signed into law in one state by one of their governors, the same governor, indeed, who says he's going to unite us now--), then we're past unity and solidarity and togetherness and a big we're-all-Americans-together "Kumbaya" group hug-slash-circle jerk. If Romney gets elected, and he might, he'll be my President by custom and law but we won't be united in a damn thing, and it's just kind of sad that this is where we are. But I guess the culture warriors were right all along and there are some things that just can't be compromised on; I don't think much of the prejudices they call "values".
"But I won't be no runaway, 'cos I won't run. What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood? We've got another thing coming undone and it's taking forever." Hm. I guess it doesn't have to be a love song, exactly. But where do you go when you're just in because you're not the sort who cashes his chips but you don't have anything left in the game anymore, either?
Now I've made myself sad.
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