Counter-Counterculture: "Okie from Muskogee" and the Protest of Protests
For many, the 1960s represent a time of change, liberation, and resistance to the norm; or at least society and media would want it to appear that way. But many more people, especially in Middle America, viewed this time as a time of increased disobedience, a loss of morals, and the demonization of the youth. Media across the generations portrays this shared notion, that the youth is viewed as worse off than the previous generations as society tends to progress and develop more. While not specific to the 1960s, because of the increased change in society, this idea was possibly more relevant than ever. A great example of this is in the 1969 song “Okie from Muskogee”, written by Roy Edward Burris and co-written/performed by Merle Haggard; the song expresses the sentiments of many Americans of its day, showing its disdain for the hippy movement/counterculture by expressing high nationalistic views, support of authority, and the value of living a simple, pure life and sticking to the status quo.
One of the most obvious, popular themes of “Okie from Muskogee” is the old American value of pride in who you are and where you were raised, which is simply referred to as nationalism. Though the pride that is portrayed in the song is not always one for the United States as a whole, it can still be referred to as nationalism due to the pride that is seen in a specific aspect of the speaker’s country—Muskogee, Oklahoma. The entire chorus serves as an anthem for the speaker’s nationalistic views as it begins saying, “I’m proud to be an Okie from Muskogee” and the rest of the stanza explains a few of the elements of which they are most proud, compared to “the hippies out in San Francisco”. This song is not a song of support for America and everything it does internally, it is mostly a dig at those people primarily on the coasts that compromise what it means to be an “American”, all the way down to its core. Another element of nationalism that appears in this song is in line three of the chorus, where the speaker says, “We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse”. In this line, “Old Glory” is a nickname for the American flag that is traditionally flown on government buildings and experienced controversy in the 1960s, with notorious flag burning cases and the Federal Flag Desecration Law. So, by mentioning the pride and respect that is associated with waving the flag, the speaker is using the rhetorical appeal of ethos to get to the character of the intended audience, which is Middle Americans, in the case of this song. Based on this argument made by the speaker, it can be understood that they are critical of the seemingly anti-American sentiments held by many against the Vietnam War, so early and often in this song it is established that the purpose is to serve as a protest of the protesters.
Another key theme of “Okie from Muskogee”, which establishes it as a protest of protests, is the ideal of respecting authority and the maxim that is related—“stick to the status quo”. In the song, the speaker calls attention to the lack of rule following that seemed to be occurring in the Vietnam War era, mainly from those out on the coast who were protesting the war efforts, thus protesting President Lyndon B. Johnson, the ultimate American authority. Lines three and four exemplify the authority-respecting practice of the speaker and the audience, as it states, “We don’t burn no draft cards down on Main Street / We like livin’ right and bein’ free”. The statement about burning draft cards is a direct reference to the anti-war protests that were happening in a manner and magnitude that had never been seen before. By burning the draft cards, the people were taking power back from the authorities saying that they were not concerned about the punishment that they incur, they’re going to do what they believe is best for themselves. This is what the speaker is calling attention to and arguing against by saying that doing the right thing is what actually makes them free; following authority and doing what should happen is what ensures a more free, American life. Because of the increased outcry over racial, political, and social issues of the time, the nation became more polarized over certain issues that sparked controversy along the lines of demographics—Middle America (for whom the song was intended) and the coasts of America (of whom the song was written). The view of the Middle American that the speaker is rooted from addresses the need for authority, following the rules, and not shaking the status quo too drastically. This point, another example of the ethos rhetorical appeal, is again a direct argument against “the hippies out in San Francisco”, specifically the Haight-Ashbury area that became popular for the counterculture movement.
The third theme, which is perhaps the most overlooked but fundamental to the central argument made by the speaker, is the principle of living simply and purely. This theme is often an undertone and interweaved within other elements of the song, but effectively, it drives every statement and argument that the speaker makes. In lines two and four of the chorus, which state, “A place where squares can have a ball…And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all”, the speaker is using language to indicate that simplicity should be valued in a good life. The term “square” in this case is used to describe someone who is old-fashioned or living a conventional life, the exact opposite of the counterculture movement, hence this song being at the root of a counter-counterculture philosophy. The third stanza is another example of this living simply and purely ideal. “We like holdin’ hands and pitchin’ woo”, stated in line two of stanza three, is an element of purity and convention that is not present in the counterculture movement, where free love and premarital sex ran rampant. The speaker is criticizing these actions of the hippies that is viewed as against the goodness of simplicity, as “holdin’ hands and pitchin’ woo” is very easy and low frills in relationships, with flirting and having good, clean fun being valued more than the hippies’ “party out of lovin’”, as stated in line one of stanza three. The element of this song that is present within the rest of the song uses a rhetorical appeal that is consistent with the rest of the songs argumentation methods as well. Ethos and pathos are effective because the speaker is not trying to switch any person to their view point, but rather they are attempting to speak to their intended audience and draw out their mutual feelings to relate to them. By appealing to their character as Middle Americans, the speaker incites emotional responses that make the song resonate greater with the listeners.
Through the rhetorical appeals of ethos and pathos and the themes of nationalism, respecting authority, and simplicity, the speaker of “Okie from Muskogee” effectively relays their arguments to their intended audience to provide a form of release for the opponents of the counterculture movement. Representation for this subculture in the 1960s was not nearly as prevalent as the representation from media of the hippy subculture, but because of the work of Merle Haggard and Roy Edward Burris and giving a voice to the conventional norm, there became an opportunity for those that were firmly supportive of the status quo to have a voice. The old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” was, in a sense, the story of the 1960s, until 1969 when “Okie from Muskogee” was released, creating a second squeaky wheel in American culture for which oil can be applied. The song has controversy, as some view at as strictly negative and not providing a solution, and as it supports nationalism in a time when the Vietnam War was occurring, and hindsight showing that the war was inherently a negative. But despite the controversy, the effects of the song could be felt by many “average Americans”, as they felt validation through the simple arguments made from the perspective of a simple “Okie”.