I finally got into some good stuff in the last box of country albums. Some George Jones, Jimmy Rodgers, and The Harper Valley P.T.A album by Jeannie C. Riley.
I actually sat down and listened to the title song.
The lady gets in trouble for trolling. Wearing dresses a little short, hanging out in singles bars, and so she is deemed unacceptable to work with children.
Well she comes back with a list of the PTA board's hypocritical actions in sort of a modern interpretation of "let he who is without sin throw the first stone."
However, it comes off in popular culture as 1. You don't judge me... 2. If you are a hypocrite then I can be (fill in the blank with favorite sin) 3. Everyone has a secret sin.
Basically the lesson learned was that other people's sin justifies my own, rather than "we all need God's love and forgiveness," which means we should be kind and supportive and uphold our traditional cultural values of morality and honesty so our kids won't degenerate into little animals screwing and flinging poop at the walls. Oh, wait... that's a description of the 21st century!
I am perhaps a little sensitive as I got into an argument with someone who told me that when she had unfairly labeled a few years ago she became that label.
I asked why? Why would you become what you had been so offended by being falsely accused of? I really didn't get a response.
Sometimes there is no real answer other than, "I was stupid."
Perhaps it would be a good idea to go have a "slut walk," and show solidarity with the poor lady the PTA victimized! I do love a good slut walk-from the sidelines of course....which kind of puts the joke on the slut walkers, hey... angry or not, we love the half-nekked ladies! Like we listen to them anyway... pretty funny!
One day it is going to result in one of those lectures that my daughter will look at me with amazement and exclaim, "Where did that come from?"
I remember this song from when it was new. Does that make me old? I don't want to know. Well this is just a litle Peyton Place and your're all Harper Valley hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, but who remembers the cultural significance of Peyton Place? Have you ever seen Peyton Place? I remember it very vaguely. Of course I was brought up in a house with no TV.
DeleteBudde, as you might guess, I've seen the movie, watched the series on tv and think at some point I read the book. Might even have it here somewhere in my disorganized life. It was fun but oh how the world has changed since those days.
DeleteNot a bad bunch of insights. It isn't fair. You can see this and plow a strait furrow. That comes close to being a Renaissance Man.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace.
I don't really plow a straight furrow. Kind of wanders all over the place. Sort of like this blog...
DeleteI must admit I always liked that song a little better after I found out that Tom T. Hall wrote it. But you are spot-on in your analysis. Maybe it was about 40 years ahead of its time.
ReplyDeleteHow is the rest of the album? I don't recall ever hearing any of those songs. Looks like some of them might be spin-off's of "Harper Valley"?
The album Freaky and dark, but funny. Several are like the Harper Valley song. The song writers need to see a therapist I think...
DeleteBut, I love those country and bluegrass tunes that are so depressing and disturbing that they make me laugh.
Even though I agree with your analysis,I must confess that I enjoyed the song when it came out, maybe because I know so many folks like the ones in the story. What can I say; I've always been a bit of a hypocrite myself!
ReplyDeleteWe all do. The song brings up good points but we often fail to change our behavior, we just use others failures as an excuse for us to behave badly.
Deleteto put a sports analogy on the song, it depicted the underdog coming out the winner which we all root for at times.
ReplyDeleteYes and I'm reading too much into it.
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