With the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, young men and women return to their families everyday without limbs, replaced by countless other physical and emotional scars.
There are a handful of moments on this album where Springsteen has modernized some of the more traditional lyrics, but the most poignant example comes in the rewritten final verse of "Mrs. McGrath," which says:
All foreign wars I do proclaim, / Live on blood and a mother's pain. / I'd rather have my son as he used to be / Than the King of America and his whole navy.
The inclusion of "King of America" invokes images of imperialism abroad and the erosion of democracy at home.
In typical Springsteen fashion, he names no names. The greatest accomplishment of this album is its ability to make its pain and frustration feel so universal, uncorrupted by preaching or dogma. Everyone must take responsibility for the problems, it implies, just as everyone must contribute to their solutions.
That is why the decision to end with "Froggie Went A-Courtin'" is particularly adroit. At first, this might seem a strange, arbitrary decision. After such a strong political message, you might find yourself asking, why would Springsteen choose as his parting statement a funny ditty about interspecies marriage?
Not only does "Froggie" capture the sheer joy that flows from the creation and sharing of music, but it also paints an ecstatic, absurdist picture of the world-one where all animals attend Froggie and Miss Mouse's wedding, regardless of whether they have fur, scales, or feathers, and without a second thought about mingling with natural predators.
Over 170 verses have been documented for this song. More than any other on the album, it embodies the continual evolution of folk music and the individual investment made by every player who keeps the tradition alive.
Springsteen's version ends with the lines, "Little piece of cornbread sittin' on a shelf / If you want any more, you'll have to sing it yourself..."
As a result, his final message punctuates the album's greater call for action, for each individual listener to contribute to the whole. For Springsteen on We Shall Overcome, this is everyone's responsibility, whether one is speaking of a folk song or society in general.
Return to Part 1 ...
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The copyright of the article Springsteen's Protest (Pt. 2) in Folk Music is owned by Brett Hooton. Permission to republish Springsteen's Protest (Pt. 2) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
