This song just simply isn't a slam on southern culture it is a slam on the american dream.
"If you ain't got two kids by 21, you're probably gonna die alone.
At least that's what tradition told you.
And it don't matter if you don't believe, come Sunday morning
You best be there in the front row like you're supposed to."
-This is a slam on the southern small town culture. You are told to have kids before you're twenty-one and you are told to go to church every Sunday even if that means you don't believe. It is pretty literal here. The southern way of life is to marry young and have kids young, if that doesn't happen well then your shit out of luck. And you must go to church or else you make your family and your families traditions look bad. It's all traditions...
"Same hurt in every heart.
Same trailer, different park."
-I love these two lines. Every one is forced to do this and everyone is supposed to be the same. The second line, although it may not make sense, is one of the most powerful lines out of her whole CD. Same house with your parents but you are in a whole different place. You have the traditions passed down to you but you don't want to keep them.
"Mama's hooked on Mary Kay.
Brother's hooked on Mary Jane
Daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down.
Mary, Mary quite contrary.
We get bored, so, we get married
Just like dust, we settle in this town.
On this broken merry go 'round and 'round and 'round we go
Where it stops nobody knows
And it ain't slowin' down
This merry go 'round."
-This where the "American Dream" comes in. Although you go to church, your mother is hooked on makeup and other material items, your brother is hooked on drugs, and your dad is having an affair on the girl down the road. These traditions that are passed down turn into addictions to worldly things. The "American Dream" of having a perfect family that goes to church and doesn't have problems and having a great house with a white picket fence, well that gets called out. The family in the song is the exact opposite of the "American Dream" but on the outside they all seem like a perfect christian family. And they are all stuck in the cycle of "Addiction." Addiction to material things.
"We think the first time's good enough.
So, we hold on to high school love.
Sayin' we won't end up like our parents.
Tiny little boxes in a row, ain't whatcha want, it's whatcha know.
Just happy in the shoes you're wearin'.
Same checks we're always cashin'
To buy a little more distraction."
-Again the pressure to marry young and to marry the first person you have sex with. And although the house with the white picket fence isn't what you really want it's what the "American Dream" is so hey let's go along with it and it doesn't matter what you will cash the checks and get the little more luxurious items even if you don't need them it is the image you want in order to live the "American Dream"
"Jack and Jill went up the hill.
Jack burned out on booze and pills.
And Mary had a little lamb.
Mary just don't give a damn no more."
-You strive to have the perfect family but drugs and other things get the best of it. And all these traditions used to mean a lot but now they don't mean anything anymore.
I'm sorry if this doesn't make complete sense. I'm extremely tired and a lot of my topics probably got mixed. I hope you like it.
This song just simply isn't a slam on southern culture it is a slam on the american dream.
"If you ain't got two kids by 21, you're probably gonna die alone. At least that's what tradition told you. And it don't matter if you don't believe, come Sunday morning You best be there in the front row like you're supposed to." -This is a slam on the southern small town culture. You are told to have kids before you're twenty-one and you are told to go to church every Sunday even if that means you don't believe. It is pretty literal here. The southern way of life is to marry young and have kids young, if that doesn't happen well then your shit out of luck. And you must go to church or else you make your family and your families traditions look bad. It's all traditions...
"Same hurt in every heart. Same trailer, different park." -I love these two lines. Every one is forced to do this and everyone is supposed to be the same. The second line, although it may not make sense, is one of the most powerful lines out of her whole CD. Same house with your parents but you are in a whole different place. You have the traditions passed down to you but you don't want to keep them.
"Mama's hooked on Mary Kay. Brother's hooked on Mary Jane Daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down. Mary, Mary quite contrary. We get bored, so, we get married Just like dust, we settle in this town. On this broken merry go 'round and 'round and 'round we go Where it stops nobody knows And it ain't slowin' down This merry go 'round." -This where the "American Dream" comes in. Although you go to church, your mother is hooked on makeup and other material items, your brother is hooked on drugs, and your dad is having an affair on the girl down the road. These traditions that are passed down turn into addictions to worldly things. The "American Dream" of having a perfect family that goes to church and doesn't have problems and having a great house with a white picket fence, well that gets called out. The family in the song is the exact opposite of the "American Dream" but on the outside they all seem like a perfect christian family. And they are all stuck in the cycle of "Addiction." Addiction to material things.
"We think the first time's good enough. So, we hold on to high school love. Sayin' we won't end up like our parents. Tiny little boxes in a row, ain't whatcha want, it's whatcha know. Just happy in the shoes you're wearin'. Same checks we're always cashin' To buy a little more distraction." -Again the pressure to marry young and to marry the first person you have sex with. And although the house with the white picket fence isn't what you really want it's what the "American Dream" is so hey let's go along with it and it doesn't matter what you will cash the checks and get the little more luxurious items even if you don't need them it is the image you want in order to live the "American Dream"
"Jack and Jill went up the hill. Jack burned out on booze and pills. And Mary had a little lamb. Mary just don't give a damn no more." -You strive to have the perfect family but drugs and other things get the best of it. And all these traditions used to mean a lot but now they don't mean anything anymore.
I'm sorry if this doesn't make complete sense. I'm extremely tired and a lot of my topics probably got mixed. I hope you like it.