John Prine's "Flag Decal" is apt for this year's Fourth of July

It's the Fourth of July, and in the wake of the House passing the ugly stupid bill yesterday, I'm inclined to 'celebrate' America in the only way that makes sense to me right now — by listening to John Prine on repeat, and particularly Prine's classic protest song, "Flag Decal," which he wrote in 1969 and which he included on his 1971 debut album, John Prine.

The song was written, in Prine's signature fashion, to draw attention and critique the Vietnam War. American Songwriter states that as a veteran, Prine, used "his trademarked humor to comment on the significant loss of life during that conflict." Clayton Ambrose, writing for Medium, explains that Prine had a knack of depicting moments and issues "so nakedly and charmingly" that they resonate "for years beyond its conception." This is definitely the case in Prine's depiction of the absurdity of mindless patriotism in "Flag Decal." Ambrose writes:

In a career of great examples of this, I think his satirical track "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" stands out as one of his most poignant as well as one of his funniest.

He goes on to describe John Prine's genius as being able to "capture the sadness and darkness rumbling below the surface of ordinary life without discarding the value and the charm of that top layer." Further, Prine focuses on depictions that ooze with a "homely brand of humor and honesty," and in "Flag Decal," this plays out through the use of a particular kind of patriotic caricature. He continues:

In the song, Prine switches perspectives between this caricature, a man patriotically obsessed with American flag decals, and himself commentating on this character in the chorus. Our protagonist is a man who, beaming with pride, compulsively collects stickers of the American flag to place on his car. Eventually, in the final verse, his flag covered windshield causes him to not only die in a car crash, but also be denied at the gates of heaven. Prine, in place of Saint Peter, repeats the chorus: "Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore/We're already overcrowded from your dirty little wars."

While the song was written for the Vietnam War era, it remains, sadly, more relevant than ever, as Ambrose suggests:

its message against the perils of toxic and consumer-based nationalism only becomes more and more poignant as the years go on. The same rotten strain of Christianity founded on patriotism and capitalism still exists today, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were some folks out there who still think their car ornaments and lawn signs can buy them favor with God. I don't think this is a case of Prine predicting anything or seeing the writing on the walls, but rather just seeing something for what it truly was. Prine's image, as exaggerated and comedic as it might be, is so true to the inner reality of the matter that it can't be tied to a single narrative or time period.

There are lots of wonderful versions of "Flag Decal" out there on the internet, including some awesome live versions, and I've watched and listened to many of them today. But I keep coming back to this one, which features the song illustrated with the wonderful sketchings of Rich Naim, also known as "The Artful Doodler." The drawings are simple and poignant and absolutely worthy of being paired with Prine. I think John Prine would have enjoyed seeing his song depicted this way. Check it out!

And I'll leave you with this perfect commentary on Prine's genius, and the brilliance of "Flag Decal," from American Songwriter:

Prine had a knack for making the listener revel in something they likely didn't want to hear. He had an airiness to his lyricism that made even the harshest of sentiments go down easy. This song is no exception.

Maybe someone should find a way to play this song on repeat for the 50 Senators and 218 Congresspeople who voted yes on that awful bill yesterday.

Now, go listen to some Prine!