Lyrics
You say, ""I miss the old ways, but not like that
You express nostalgia for the past but reject a manipulative leader using coded language.
Dog whistling fool of a king.""
Criticizing a leader who employs subtle, divisive communication tactics (dog whistling).
Don't cha know that old Dixie land
Highlighting that the Southern heritage is more complex than superficial aspects.
Is more than dirt roads and simple ways?
Questioning stereotypes about the Southern way of life, suggesting it's richer than perceived.
Tear it down
Calling for the dismantling of racial symbols, specifically referencing a cross associated with racism.
Tear it down
-That ragged cross of race
-I don't guess that we deserve all this
Expressing gratitude for the beauty of life but acknowledging the historical oppression tied to the land.
Beauty and the light
-The way the firefly returns in June
-As dusk sings her lullaby
-All the lives that fertilized and the manifested hand
-The human bondage that provides the bounty of this land
-Tear it down
Reiterating the call to dismantle symbols of racism, mentioning monuments born from hate.
Tear it down
-That ragged cross of race
-The stone and the ore
-Beaten into monuments
-That rose out of hate
-I was that lonely kid in old cinemas
Reflecting on personal exposure to problematic cinema traditions, advocating against perpetuating racist tunes.
Watching Gone with the Wind
-Tradition runs the core of me
-And The Song of the South, whistling Dixie again
-Oh, that tune lived and breathed in me, and it wants to live again
-But we must fight with all our might to kill that racist hymn
-Tear it down
Repeating the plea to tear down racist symbols, emphasizing the origin of monuments in hate.
Tear it down
-That ragged cross of race
-The stone and the ore
-Beaten into monuments
-That rose out of hate
-The epitaph I Long to read is ""Here lies slavery.""
Expressing a desire for a future where the only remnants of slavery are found in history books.
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