Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Any More

Of course this song was about Vietnam, but its probably more relevant today than it was then. Conservatives have convinced themselves that god is on their side when it comes to war. So anyone opposed to the war is also opposed to god. But as Prine points out "Jesus don't like killin'no matter what the reason's for". Being patriotic doesn't automatically get you into heaven.

This song could have been written last week, because it's just so pertinent now. Excessive patriotism can just blind you.

If this song was written last week, John probably would of gotten booed off the stage ... his new album he talks about Bush sending kids off to war and was not taken to well in the US. Like he says, "Some People ain't human"

his anti-bush lyrics may not have been swallowed good in america but they were a hit when i saw him lve here in england. perhaps that is the point he is trying to make in htis song - americans are too patriotic so will support anything thier leaders decide. in the UK we are not like that and make different judgements about others actions and have our own opinioins.

This song is about his old mail route and reader's digest. When he was still delivering mail readers digest randomly one day decided to give all the subscribers an american flag sticker. He said he remembers coming out the next day and those stickers were stuck everywhere possible and found it humerous. I remember here after 911 mcdonalds gave out those american flag stickers and i still see them stuck everywhere. Same idea.

Actually, that declaration is incorrect to begin with. According to Christian theology, one must accept a relationship with Christ before entering into Heaven. So, the flag-waving BS after 9/11 never saved anybody, just certain businesses that hock patriotism everytime they can.

Um... considering this song was released in 1971, I don't think Prine intended for it to be an "Anti-Bush" song, at all. Understandable that one would apply it to current worldly events, but illogical to think he wrote it about Iraq and 9/11.

He probably got booed in America for anti-Bush lyrics because most country fans are conservative. If his music was more rock-ish, he probably would not have gotten the same reaction. And since this song was written in 1971, it was probably about Vietnam, not Iraq.

I don't think John has ever been booed for this song. To imply that he would be booed by "country" audiences shows a lack of knowledge about Prine's fan base.

Great song, that was already true long before it was written, since Christianity first gained popularity up to this very moment, and probably will be for a long time still...

About the association of country music with conservativism, I think it's more of a myth. Real country music has never been conservative, way back since Jimmie Rodgers' days straight up to this day there's been a constant flow of country musicians who were anything but conservative and that shaped all the main delevopments and subgenres. Of course there's always been conservative country musicians and their equally minded audience, but those are the corny ones that never contributed much (accordingly to the very principle of conservatism) and were forgotten by most people almost instantly after their heyday. And the very same can be said about pop music, rock, etc you name it.