What does free even mean

If we ain't all protected equally under the law?

FAUX JEAN is a singing cowboy from Duluth Minnesota who now calls California home. Every Tuesday he releases a new song on his evolving album series on Bandcamp and writes about it here. Subscribe for free and hear a new song every week. Old Faux may be the only Singing Cowboy on Substack at this point. Yee Haw!

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Today’s song addition to the “Mixed Up Files” is called “It’s a Free Country.”

I recorded this idea as an improvisation on June 2, 2019, just trying to capture the idea before it got away.

The lyrics ramble a bit, but the meat is thus:

It's a free country, that's what they say
It's a free country, that's what they say
Though they say a lot of things
that sound good on paper.
But what does free even mean
if we ain't all protected equally under the law?

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That is to say, 5 years before the SCOTUS made their dumb decision regarding Presidential immunity, and a year before the George Floyd tragedy, I had equal protection under the law on the brain.

Still do.

I have since recorded this at my home studio with my trusty Blue Yeti Microphone and hope to blow some minds when I release the LP which contains this fully produced hi-fi track, but for now, this little voice memo will have to suffice as evidence of this impulse, this reaction to the force to create.

I hope you like it.

I am trying to finish this new LP of “hi-fi,” fully produced songs as we speak.

My kids are away at Summer camp,¹ and I have dusted off the hard drive where the “new songs” live.

Wish me luck.

I remain your humble servant,

OX&C,

Faux Jean

Screen shot of Faux Jean and the Wisconsin sky from a video call.

Bless this mess.

Also, here is the video I animated in the singing cowboy style for the song “Pissed Off City Revisited” from 5 years ago.

1. Thanks to the wild generosity of my in-laws!!!