For those familiar (all three of you), every year during my birthday week (first week of June--sixty-six years young if anybody cares) I feature one of my favorite albums of all-time. This year it's John Mellencamp and his seminal, career changing LP, Scarecrow. This week's post (technically the post from two weeks ago--but I quibble) will be the fourth time I've featured Mellencamp (first, second, and third), and as these albums posts can get quite long and I've written a bio paragraph before, I'll dispense with any career intro. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles which hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Just a quick note about Scarecrow: it's impossible to overstate its importance to me and how stunned I was to find Mellencamp in such musical sociopolitical company as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty. It turned me into a lifetime Mellencamp fan (I was warming to his music, but not yet a full-fledged fan when this album was released), and while it may seem as if the album came out of left field, if you listen to Mellencamp's prior output, virtually all of it was leading to this album. It really isn't much of a stretch to say that from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties Mellencamp was the premier male vocalist when it came to delineating American values, and all that it did and didn't stand for. It is an incredible portrait of America, a sociopolitical masterpiece, a much needed clapback at the Reagan, devolution, and as catchy of a serious album as you're likely to ever hear.
And away we go...
Rain on the Scarecrow--From the exploding drums to the ominous guitar, Mellencamp announces with authority that this isn't going to be just another pop album. A scathing indictment of Ronald Reagan and the damage his economic policies did to American farms--and every other American, too. One of the best songs Mellencamp has ever written--and with anger and angst, one of his best vocals. One of the best opening songs on any album ever as well. Favorite Line: "He said John it's just my job and I hope you understand/Hey calling it your job ol' hoss sure don't make it right..."
Grandma's Theme--A nice piece of Americana, a traditional song sung by Mellencamp's Grandma. Another proclamation that this isn't just another pop record. The lyrics to the entire song (it's called "The Baggage Coach Ahead") are included at the link, and it tells another sad American tale. Favorite Line: "All the passengers had gone to bed/Except a young man with a baby in his arms/Who sat there with a bowed-down head..."
Small Town--While a few big city folks took exception to this song (listen to the lyrics, folks!), I've always thought it was just a song about home and the creature comforts therein. One of the things Mellencamp has always done well is write a top forty song, and he nailed this one. Catchy, joyous, rollicking--could have been released in any decade of the rock and roll era and been a hit. Favorite Line--"Got nothing against a big town/Still hayseed enough to say/'Look who's in the big town...'
Minutes to Memories--This one is just a stunning song, a piece about advice, aging, and making the most of what life has to offer. Chances are good you're not going to be one of the world's winners, but you can still have a good life just being the best you can be. Thoughtful, and delivered with a steady vocal, and a lovely melody. I'll sound like a broken record, but another of the best he's ever written. Favorite Line: "My family and friends are the best thing I've known/Through the eye of the needle I'll carry them home..."
Lonely Ol' Night--A friend in need is a friend indeed--or so the saying goes. All about being lonely and having someone--anyone--to share that loneliness with. A nice single (it went top ten) that tells us there's a big difference between the romance of loneliness and the romance of love. Almost an antithesis to "Jack and Diane." Favorite Line--"Nobody told us it was gonna work out this way/No, no, no, no, no/I guess they knew we'd work it out in our own way..."
The Face of the Nation--A stripped down and bare song (a mix of jazz and blues) that decries the coldness the nation was adopting in the face of the Me Decade and Reagan's dagger to the heart of middle America. Short and bittersweet--another sign this isn't just another pop record. Favorite Line: "Some got it worse than me/Some got it worse than you/You see the people starvin' underneath the tree/And you wonder what happened to the golden rule..."
Justice and Independence '85--A parable of sorts about what America had become under Reagan's leadership. Yes, indeed, there was plenty to cry about, and Mellencamp lets his symbol flag fly pointing out the damage Reagan had done. But he leaves us with a little hope at the end--just by singing this song.... Favorite Line: "Roll a rock across the Country/Everybody come along/When you're feelin' down yeah yeah/Just sing this song yeah yeah..."
Between a Laugh and a Tear--Just another brilliant effort--musically, lyrically, and vocally. Featuring emaycee fave Rickie Lee Jones on backing vocals, this one is an ode to the travails of youth with a promise that the future is unwritten. Most of us live our lives between a laugh and a tear, and the best advice is to keep on keeping on. Favorite Line: "Just try to live each and every precious moment/Don't be discouraged by the future forget the past/That's old advice but it'll be good to you..."
Rumbleseat--Sometimes when an album has so many great songs, you forget about one of the really good ones--and that would be this song. As I listened while doing my half-assed research, I remembered how good this song was--story of a guy who thinks he's a loser and wakes up one day to say "Fuck that!" and start making his life better. Another excellent pop tune, with a real fifties vibe. (For those wondering, description of a rumbleseat here.) Favorite Line: "Still got some dreams left/Tomorrow is a new day/Gonna make these dreams come true..."
You've Got to Stand for Somethin'--This one's got a real bluesy seventies feel to it and gives a short history and pop culture lesson on its way to telling us that all isn't what it seems. Stand for something or they'll take you for a ride--good advice even forty years later. Favorite Line: "We've got to start respectin' this world/Or it's gonna turn around and bite off our face..."
R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock)--And a balls out rocker to end it--Mellencamp had some trepidation about ending such a serious album with a fun ode to sixties rock, but in the end figured it was a high energy song and went with it. It worked--it was the highest charting single from the album, and for the millionth time in this post, shows what a great pop hit writer Mellencamp is. It shows the love of not just the players but also the fans. Favorite Line: "Some are black and some are white/Ain't too proud to sleep on the floor tonight/With the blind faith of Jesus you know that they just might..."
The Kind of Fella I Am [Bonus Track]--This one was a bonus track on the cassette and CD...and wouldn't you know it, I bought the LP. No matter--I got it as the B-side to "Lonely Ol' Night." Lyrics here.
Forgot how truly great this album was--and is just as relevant in the age of (fucking idiot) Trump as it was in the age of (fucking idiot) Reagan. A stellar effort.
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump
Peace,
emaycee
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