With less than a month away from the 2024 US Presidential Election, tensions between political parties have slowly but surely been reaching a fever pitch. Public spaces and public media alike have become somehow more hostile than they were already, ensuring in advance that everyone’s Thanksgiving this year will be as uncomfortable as humanly possible.
Amidst all of this political turmoil, folk group Old Crow Medicine Show have decided to give their two cents on the state of the country in their newest single “Donkey & Elephant.” The band’s history of “rich storytelling” continues on full display in this track with a re-imagining of the Noah’s Ark tale where Noah acts as a moderator in an argument between, naturally, a donkey and an elephant that nearly results in the boat sinking. Noah repeatedly tells the two animals that they “better get along” and an old Revolutionary War anthem instrumental plays at one point, not-so-subtly revealing the moral of the song. Even the single’s cover art has an entirely red, white and blue color scheme, so the most casual of listeners could still probably pick up on what the song is putting down.
Throughout the song, the band never chooses to take sides or showcase any biases. While this may be frustrating to some, others will likely find this refreshing in such an opinionated society. Clearly, the band sees more value in keeping level heads during their tour’s hiatus and not letting election-season stress get to them.
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