Titus Andronicus hails from Glen Rock, NJ (note the Springteen shout-out early in the below clip). This is the lead track from their second album, The Monitor, a bit of a Civil War concept album. But, don’t let that dissuade you from the straight-up rock and roll on this record.
In the lead in from this song on the album (accessable on the band’s MySpace page link above), is someone reading from one of my favorite Lincoln speeches, the Address Before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1838
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?– Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!–All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
Which, I suppose could be used as a rallying cry by both political parties at this juncture. OR could be seen as an caution against the kind of divisive and rancorous politics being practiced today. It’s also a pretty pithy rationale for a thorough going review of the defense budget. Which, if one is genuinely interested in deficit reduction (as opposed to just posturing about it) is the number one, non-entitlement program you are going to want to look at.
