I wanted to post something for MLK Day and as I was considering writing a blog the song Fuel by Ani DiFranco came on.
So that’s all kismet and stuff because the song itself is kind of political and today is a political holiday but also AdF is playing at Lupo’s tomorrow night! So I thought I’d try to find a video to post with the lyrics because a) I love this song; b) i love Ani di Franco (though admittedly, not as much as I used to) and c) Ani ties reference to my friend Heidi who gave me the album with this song on it ten years ago and d) these last ten years pack significant historical currency that make me who I am today.
Not familiar with Ani di Franco? You misogynist! Go! Go to Ani!
And what MLK Holiday would be complete without some Black Power? Certainly not mine!
I recently had another post of Gil Scott Heron’s “Black History” but I posted that because some other post I wrote reminded me of a different GSH song/poem about America and its painfully obvious Hero Complex.
This movement expanded on the ideas of Jazz Spit, or Beat Poetry. Today’s Slam Poetry movement is also rooted in the idea of mixing music and spoken word, with or without instruments.
But all of this is beautiful benefit to the tragedy of the assassination of Dr. King. And while I feel it’s important to have subversive ideas in popular culture (to prevent apathy in our youth) it’s also important to have public figures like Dr. King who preached heavily on the ideas of Love and Forgiveness.
These are things we shouldn’t forget.