Guitar Chords for Jesus and John Wayne

John Wayne's iconic resonance transcends his context in war and politics. It's puzzling to see intellectuals hide behind political disdain to explain away their discomfort with the legendary actor. Garry Wills' book, 'John Wayne's America,' is a prime example of this phenomenon. Instead of delving into the dark, sexual depths of Wayne's image, Wills focuses on placing him in a specific political context and correcting historical misapprehensions.

As an author, I've spent three years crafting a novel that features a thinly disguised John Wayne as the villainous central figure in a 13-year-old girl's coming-of-age story. 'John Wayne: A Novel' by Dan Barden will be published by Doubleday in July. Both Newt Gingrich and generations of rap musicians have imitated his swaggering walk.

John Wayne haunts the American public imagination, with his movies screening constantly and inspiring military conscripts and young film directors alike. His persona echoes through lesser figures like Clint Eastwood and Ronald Reagan. This gives us an opportunity to avert our gaze, giggle, or scoff at him. Thankfully, he's associated with the western genre, which is easily dismissible.

However, John Wayne represents reflections of America's national disasters, including racism, sexual repression, violence, and authority. He thrusts the question of what it means to be a man in America into our faces, daring us to meet his gaze. His politics are also laughable, with him being a warmongering hypocrite who never served in the armed forces.

Thinking about John Wayne's politics is a way out of really looking at him. This song is dedicated to the legendary actor. As I begin strumming chords through the giggles of the crowd, I mumble: 'Nobody takes me seriously.' John Wayne is truly one of the greatest men ever to step in front of a camera. In a live recording of a 1968 performance, radical folk singer Phil Ochs introduces a song by saying: 'I was always a John Wayne fan when I was younger.'

The audience laughs, thinking he's joking, but Ochs persists: 'One of the dilemmas we have is that many of America's greatest artists are very right wing and reactionary, and not very intelligent.' This song is a tribute to the complex and multifaceted individual that is John Wayne.

Guitar chords for jesus and john wayne