If you haven’t listened to the new song “Sunday in the South,” or watched the music video, you really should! You can do so on YouTube here.
The song, by Shenandoah, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan, contains a verse about the Confederate flag, and the video features a Confederate statue. Since the horrifying events that took place beginning in late spring of 2020, I never thought a mainstream song would mention anything having to do with the Confederacy in a positive or even neutral light. But that is exactly what the three singers do in this song and video.
“A ragged rebel flag flies high above it all, popping in the wind like an angry cannonball. Now the holes of history are cold and still; they still smell the powder burning and they probably always will.”
What is particularly notable is that in the video, the camera lingers on the dates “1861-1865” on the pedestal of the statue. Making it clear to the viewer that this is, indeed, a Confederate statue, and not just a random, generic statue. Making it clear that the makers of the video know that this is a Confederate statue and chose to feature it in the video with this knowledge.
This is remarkable and admirable. The song and video are beautiful, and I love the statement that they make. Listening to this song, and watching this video, makes me feel seen and included after nearly five years of the exact opposite of this. Salute to Shenandoah, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and everyone involved in making this video, for both their talent and their courage.