With only one week to go until the November elections, Cass McCombs has released a new song titled “Don’t (Just) Vote”. The song is actually an update on the singer-songwriter’s 2011 song, “Just Vote”, and features contributions from Bob Weir, Angel Olsen, and Noam Chomsky.
Though the title of the 2011 song was written in jest, this new version finds McCombs donning a more straightforward approach as times have become more dire.
“I was compelled to write something for the election and I thought of no better way than to troll myself, laying waste to a much-misunderstood song of mine from over a decade ago, ‘Don’t Vote’,” he said in a statement. “Most people never made it much further than the title, anyway. For this new song, ‘Don’t (Just) Vote,’ the message is clear: Vote, yes, but when you do, imagine the world you would like to see, beyond what appears on your ballot. Harness your imagination and justice becomes inevitable.”
Produced by Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby) and Joe Russo, “Don’t (Just) Vote” carries the same rhythm of its predecessor, but with updated lyrics. The new words touch on the current state of identity politics and the cult of personality that has developed around candidates with lines like, “Don’t just vote for a candidate/A persona because you relate to it/Don’t just vote along party lines/There’s more than two colors in your mind.” Additionally, McCombs references the continued instances of police brutality toward people of color, saying “Vote for Breonna Taylor, vote for George Floyd/Vote for Oscar Grant, render racism void/Vote for Eric Garner, vote for Tamir Rice/Vote for change or pay the price.”
As for the song’s special guests, they add to the chorus of voices that reminds people to go beyond engaging in politics every four (or even two) years. While Olsen and Weir provide backing vocals, writer and activist Noam Chomsky comes in at the end to offer a reflection of his own.
We have to excise a malignant cancer from the body politic. But that’s just the beginning. Real politics is what you do before and after you push the lever. You have to keep your shoulder to the wheel: engagement, activism, organizing – that’s what will make the difference.
Listen to the updated Cass McCombs song “Don’t (Just) Vote”.
Cass McCombs – “Don’t (Just) Vote” (ft. Angel Olsen, Bob Weir, Noam Chomsky)
[Video: ANTI- Records]
[H/T Consequence of Sound]
The post Cass McCombs Recruits Bob Weir, Angel Olsen For “Don’t (Just) Vote” [Listen] appeared first on L4LM.
