Way to go, Iowa!

Earlier this month, the Iowa Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold a lower court decision to allow same-sex couples to marry. In less than two weeks, the state will begin to officially recognize unions between homosexual partners. It brings me great pride to see my home state make such a momentous (and surprising) decision. There will undoubtedly be the usual flurry of angry, religious fundamentalists and other party poopers, but one can only hope that those in power will stick to their guns.

No matter what happens, the situation in Iowa is still a victory for supporters of basic human rights. That’s why I’ve put together a short play list of songs that apply to the gay-marriage debate, civil rights, and the wide range of emotions that accompany these issues.

Arcade Fire – “My Body is a Cage”

Feelings of repression are inescapable while listening to the closing track of 2007’s Funeral. Front man Win Butler may or may not have written the song to deal with issues of gay rights, but the sentiments expressed in “My Body is a Cage” have undeniably strong parallels to the topic.

Canada’s Arcade Fire made a shockingly accurate prediction about a post-Prop 8 America and foresaw the despair of those “living in an age that calls darkness light.” Win’s crushing confession of “My body is a cage/ That keeps me from dancing with the one I love” is especially poignant. The statement is a perfect metaphor for the outrage of those who have ever been told who they can and can’t be with.

Stevie Wonder – “Living for the City”

A beloved former teacher once addressed my history class, saying, “Some day we’ll look back on the way the United States is handling same-sex marriage and feel as ashamed as we do about segregation.” This was a bold statement for a Catholic high school teacher in suburban Green Bay, and the lecture has stuck with me more so than almost any other from the course of my education.

It’s hard to think of any wide scale injustices of the past, present or future without the synthy narrative of “Living for the City” coming to mind. Stevie Wonder tells a story of crushed innocence and lost hope through vivid imagery and a disturbing, surreal spoken-word interlude. While Wonder’s portrait of a broken and prejudiced society may seem like a distant memory, the overall theme is still (unfortunately) applicable to today’s human rights struggles.

Big Star – “The Ballad of El Goodo”

It’s all too easy to feel utterly hopeless when thinking about the ignorance and ass-backwards policies surrounding same-sex marriage legislation. Indignation can be a powerful tool in the fight to change the world around us, but it’s also necessary to hold on to at least a few shreds of optimism as well.

Few songs capture the feeling of hope in the face of adversity better than Big Star’s “The Ballad of El Goodo.” The track teeters dangerously close to being defined as complete kitsch – a trapping co-writer Alex Chilton couldn’t avoid with his solo work. Somehow, Big Star manages to pull it all off, creating a harmonious, soft-pop package that has been covered by everyone from the bottom-feeding Counting Crows to the mighty Ted Leo.

The Iowa Supreme Court’s ruling might not stick, but it is at least a sign that the U.S. is moving closer to a turning point. Those who can apply Chilton and Chris Bell’s chorus of “Ain’t no one gonna turn me around” to even the most fleeting victories will be rewarded when the inevitable payoff arrives.

The Smiths – “Sheila Take a Bow”

Forget for a second that Steven Patrick Morrissey is one of alternative rock’s most notable homosexual icons. The importance of “Sheila Take a Bow” to this playlist runs much deeper than superficial debates of whether the Mozzer falls into the category of hetero-, homo-, bi- or pan-sexual. The Smiths had a knack for creating songs that highlight the utter shit we face on a daily basis, with topics ranging from child abuse to dance music.

“Sheila Take a Bow” validates the disgust felt by many during their lives while simultaneously calling the disenfranchised to take action, “boot the grime of this world in the crotch,” and ultimately “find the one that you love who will love you.”

The Dirtbombs – “Underdog”

For those of us born after the most heated years of the civil rights movement, Sly and the Family Stone’s R&B classic “Underdog” serves as the perfect summation of the frustration felt by many during the period. Its tense horn intro and blunt lyrics remind us that there was a time when (even more so than today) prejudice and segregation made it impossible for some to “expect to get a fair shake.”

The Dirtbombs’ brilliant reinterpretation of “Underdog” gives the track a shot in the arm. It’s transformed from smooth-yet-anxious soul hit to a choppy, garage punk rager that feels like it could fly off the rails at any moment.

Is Mick Collins & company’s version of the song more relevant in today’s social climate than the Family Stone’s original cut? Absolutely not. But it does expose a new audience to the song’s message and remind older fans that we’ve seen great injustices before, and are bound to go through it all again. The shape and presentation of prejudice change drastically over time, but its basic patterns will always remain consistent.