In recent years, Michael Franti, though still an effective social
activist, has begun writing songs that are mostly upbeat, musically
poppy and less politically dense than on earlier albums. The Stay Human album 'Oh My God'
[video | lyrics] comes from is the last album of angry, sharp-witted lines that
are not only satisfying in their convincing indictments, but also
highlight broader social problems that few other musicians have the balls to
address.
The whole song is just pure anger expressed in the best possible way. The most interesting line to me though has got to be this one from the second verse:
"The CIA runnin' like they're Jones from Indiana
but they still won't talk about that Jones in Guyana"
but they still won't talk about that Jones in Guyana"
He's
clearly saying the CIA is going full steam like Indie running from the stone ball and then he goes on to blame the
Jonestown massacre on them. He is referencing an intriguing theory that is based on the fact that once "The People's Temple"
had been forced out of California and relocated to Guyana, but had begun talks with
Russia about emigrating there. Amongst other evidence, one of the few
survivors from the colony only lived so he could deliver money to the
Soviet Embassy after the incident. Naturally, the CIA would not have
taken kindly to that, so the conspiracy begins there...
Interestingly, the man sent to inspect conditions at the Jamestown
'colony' in Guyana, was Congressman Leo Ryan. He was an outspoken
critic regarding the lack of CIA oversight Congress had, and rolled into
Jamestown with an unarmed posse made up of family members of Jamestown
residents, most of whom were reportedly killed by the residents.
Fun stuff eh?
