Liar, liar the world’s on fire
Whatcha gonna do when it all burns down?
Fire, fire burning higher
Still got time to turn it all around
Don’t get me started on politics
Now how are we to live in a world like this
Greedy politicians, present and past
They wouldn’t know the truth if it bit ’em in the ass
Now tell me what is truth?
Have we all lost sight
Of common decency?
Of the wrong and right?
How do we heal this great divide?
Do we care enough to try?
Oh, can we rise above?
Can’t we show some love?
Do we just give up
Or make a change?
We know all too well
We’ve all been through hell
Time to break the spell
In Heaven’s name
Show some love
Let’s rise above
Let’s make a stand
Let’s lend a hand
Let’s heal the hurt
Let kindness work
Let’s be a friend
Let hatred end
-selected verses from Dolly Parton’s song, World on Fire
I was at a recent action against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Appalachia. Another person taking part had brought a mobile sound system and was playing a good mix of songs, a number of them country and bluegrass. One was by Dolly Parton. Hearing it, I was reminded of the song she wrote and released last spring, World on Fire, which was soon played.
I noticed that some of the police watching us as we continued to demonstrate seemed to enjoy at least some of the songs, the latest example, for me, of the potential power of music.
I’ve looked into why Parton wrote this song. Here’s what she said in interviews last year:
“All of (the politicians). Any of ‘em,” she said in an interview with TODAY’s Jacob Soboroff that aired May 15. “I don’t think any of ’em are trying hard enough. None of them are working from the heart.”
“‘World on Fire’ makes a statement because people often say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you’re political’, she said. “And I’ll respond, ‘Look, I’m not being political here. I’m a person in a position to have a voice and this world is going up in flames. Nobody seems to care enough to get out and do something about it.” NME.com, December 4, 2023
On one level, it’s true that this isn’t a very political song. She doesn’t name names, of people or parties. And her solutions for addressing the world-on-fire are not specific. She doesn’t say we need to stop burning fossil fuels, for example. Or shift from a wartime economy to a peace-advocacy economy. Or tax the rich, etc., etc., etc. Instead, she calls for something like a revolution in values: show some love, lend a hand, heal the hurt, let kindness work, be a friend, let hatred end.
Truly, a society which functioned on the basis of those values would be an absolutely revolutionary, and wonderful, development.
In that sense, Parton is being political.
So why should people on the political Left care about this?
Dolly Parton is loved by tens of millions of people, not just rural and country people but across many demographics. She has 15 million followers on Spotify, for example. For her to come out publicly expressing her disgust with the political system while articulating a set of values that absolutely should undergird any organized efforts for positive social change is a welcome contribution.
Indeed, things like this happening, famous people speaking or singing or acting out in ways that undercut the oppressive system and motivate people to take positive action, can be one part, a helpful, unexpected part, of the process of movement-building. We should welcome them and build upon them.
More immediately, given that I am sure there are millions of people who have voted for Trump who are Dolly Parton fans, her willingness to be so vocal about clearly non-Trump values should have a positive political impact, strengthen our efforts to accomplish the number one electoral objective for 2024: Trump’s solid defeat on November 5th.
Thank you Dolly Parton!
Ted Glick has been a progressive activist, organizer and writer since 1968. He is the author of the recently published books, Burglar for Peace and 21st Century Revolution. More info can be found at https://tedglick.com.
