John Mellencamp - Easy Target Lyrics

I like his old stuff better..i feel like i'm listening to Louie Armstrong here.

Wow this sucks

Really beautiful, I think this song is his best work.💖

There is so much crap on the comments concerning this song John voiced his ideas and I like what he said ...Tom waits so what John always sounded a bit like Waits ..the man wanted to send a message and he succeeded... long live the king.

Thank you for playing this tonight in Spokane. I appreciated it.

This dude sounds like a shoe that had a dream too big to be stepped on!

Yep he always thinking are you?

I read a few comments and replies of people who seem to think this song is some anti Trump thing. About the sad state of affairs with blacks being shot with him as president. This album was recorded from December 2015 to February 2016. It is about the aforementioned topic. But it’s about that topic while the president was Obama not Trump. The truth is important people, pay attention!

Good points.

a beautiful song, with 'seemingly' annoying and patronizing lyrics. I know who the easy targets are for todays big city media, and i dont get the sense that john is referencing ANY of them...

I've driven by Mellencamp's private gated property on Lake Monroe countless times. When do you think he's going to sell it and move to S.Chicago or Baltimore? This dude is so rich he hasn't had to have neighbors for his entire adult life.

i don't understand the imagery in the vid

Awesome song!

Funny how he wrote this song before Trump was president. This must be about the lack of interest in the African - American people from the Obama administration.

He is really trying to stay in the spot light with this shit song. He knows the only way he can make a comeback is to favor all the libtards. lol

Glad he has a positive attitude in his old age

Black Lives don't matter to me at all.

u WANT TOI NOW THE BRILLANCE LSITEN TO KEYBOADS AS OF GUNSHOTS AND THE VIOLIN OF THE BLOOD THAT SPI;;S !

u WONT TO GO TO SEE OR HEAR A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY OR SPIRIT OR RECO=RDING

Humbly suggest that if Mellencamp went undercover, and moved into a black neighborhood, he would think differently. But when you live in a castle, behind walls and a moat, you lose your common sense.

What a fucking queer this guy turned out to be.
Fucking pathetic wigger.

Easy Targets. Hmm. Must mean innocent school kids in a classroom. Doesn't get much easier than that.

Still brilliant.

The mirroring of Gem's treasure box from To Kill a Mockingbird, only now with a gun, is very poignant. Nicely done. The 'Tom Waits' voice is a bit of a surprise, but he pulls it off. I appreciate the evolution to a mature sound, rather than him reaching for his 25 year old voice. Now it would be nice if society could evolve, so these shameful lyrics would not be true. Beautiful song, John.

A masterpiece of a soul wrenching truth, just heard it on Stephen Colbert and the song touched my heart. In today's political climate it is such a good message!

This is great John!

I'm down and out in paradise looks like the milk honey done run out on me

Love you John! I have loved you since I was 3. 33 years later and I still feel the same! Keep fighting the good fight!

BEAUTIFUL SONG

❤️❤️❤️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Great fuckin' song

Amazing

Wow wow wow... this is scorching! Well done.

Love how the alt-right pieces of shit pop up here crying because they don't want to remember how real and consistent this man has always been in his writing and how it is precisely him to call out what's happening in this country that got us from two American kids growing up the best they can to fucking Charleston, Virginia. Good riddens asswipes he's better off without ya and without ever needing to know you left. The irony of this when Charleston was all about you claiming you're the system's easy targets now.

Kascha K sings about growing up and working on a farm. He never did either. Very real

Does your head explode when musicians sing songs representative of an ideal? How do you pick up the pieces? No actually if he's still singing about the same ideals he doesn't in fact have to have lived them himself. Or else someone ought to have talked to someone about stuff like Major Tom and Yellow Submarine. Don't you think?

snowflakes. ice...all are different unlike the wanna be ego freaks who ruined America ...the worst has come to us who have eyes..keep it up john..stay alive...its time for us to rise..

Right John..its the proper thing you have done..i respect you for it..some people want what they want for themselves..i like your new stuff better than the first you made..keep on with it brother..and piss on the dumbed out masses.

Wow he sounds different. Intentional? If not, I'm not sure I want to hear this voice singing his old hits.

always loved this brothers music . great artist . true artist

Tell everybody why you would never move into a black neighborhood, assuming you are not black.

@FlatTire WTF are you rambling about dude?

his voice here sounds like Louis Armstrong been a fan since I was 12 years old, saw him live many times, have great photos of backstage in 1988, gentleman in every sense of the word, saw him on PBS last night with Tavis Smiley still a gentleman and so handsome

Opening scene ...the box remember the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird "

Disappointed. pandering to the SJW crowd to increase relevance. thought this dude was an American. still love his old stuff.

Tom Waits, with a little talent. Still a short/angry man . RIP

Im so surprised, another liberal, poor black souls song from mellencamp. This jerk is pathetic, not to mention his tom waits/ leonard cohen mix blows..

Im so surprised, another liberal, poor black souls song from mellencamp. This jerk is pathetic, not to mention his tom waits/ leonard cohen mix blows..

Great song!

was this vid inspired by to kill a mockingbird?

Successfully channeled Mr. Cohen ......well done John!

can u imagine a smoking gun like this one? There are no words
for this sucker's compassion as he speaks out loud for the underdog...

Smoking has killed his voice.

I've met one of his physicians. She told me he keeps a pack of cigarettes ready in every room of his house.

If you listen to the next release "Grandview", it sounds like classic Mellencamp with his voice back and sounding like it used to. It's phenomenal. It's not bad on this one...better than on Plain Spoken, which was filled with great songs and a horrible voice. I hope Christie Brinkley has him tossing away those cigarettes.

john cougar mellencamp is a cinematic genius putting music into a visual moving painting. beautiful! like steven seagals music girl its alright by me

Beautifully song and played.

why so dark John?

Good song sure is different than his old stuff but we all get older and we change.We are the same age only one week difference in date and I have changed but I still love to listen to him sing.

Great Song, Great Video!

Does anybody else miss Mellencamp's pop and rock songs? I sure do. He abandoned his fans for this weathered-sounding bullshit.

If you miss those songs, then why you dont just listen to them? Stupid.

Actually he evolved like all good artists do. Believe it or not but many artists do not like making the same sounding song over and over and over. If you enjoy that, fine...go listen to the older stuff. I love his older stuff and his new stuff as well

"You cant take a picture of this. Its allready gone"

you're just trying to justify, keeping your mullet...

His actual fans look pretty well packed in at his shows. Too bad you missed them all.

Another Rock Star talking shit. Poor John and Bruce should get a room together. Keep smoking John, and take some more zoloft Bruce. You guys sure got it rough.

What shit do you mean?

Sounds like he's been listening to Tom Waits. Pretty damn good.

This song is depressing, kinda like a suggestion for suicide?

Bob Dylan karaoke.

Love this song!

he's using BLM as a reference to the entire history and culture of their race...YOU people need to LISTEN

In all honesty, I can't get past his voice to even listen to the lyrics. The singing is just bad.

@Sea of Rain sometimes singing consists of more emotion and less shine...how do you think blues came up? You're too used to the pretty sound of pop. Expose yourself to more life.

Absolutely beautiful song. The lyrics are right with the times which is what good artists do. I love it. Reminds me a lot of Tom Waits. by the way I voted for Trump. shocking huh?

A great song !

This song sort of says it all.

I have followed Mellencamp his entire career & have always been more than impressed with much of his work. But I don't think this piece lives up to all the hype. I found it weak & the lyrics disconnected. If this is an anti-Trump protest song (as it was billed), the protest eludes me.

Giacomino Nicolazzo If I may sir. This song isn't billed as anything. The man is just doing what he's always done. He made a damn album. That's it. There will be ten others, get ready. Don't be a dick, ok? I know it's hard but just don't do it,

To the contrary Corey, just because you obviously had your head up your ass & were not paying attention does not mean that those of us with brains don't know what we are talking about or are not able to form our own opinions. The hype that preceded this release...with its postponement because of the Trump victory (Mellencamp's words, not mine!), played a large part in my disillusionment once I actually heard the song. As I said, I have always been a fan of his music & creativity & indeed look forward to the next album.

Don't be a cunt, OK? Mind your own business! I know it will be difficult, seeing as you are prone to flying off the handle, but try...OK?

i dont think you wake up humanity by telling them how bad they are! The human condition is flawed but they need to hear POSITIVES and what life could be!

Was just looking at True Detective for the first time last night. Eerie similarities here.

American civilization is doomed. Trump promises to unify a severely divided country, yet all of the rude, hateful, divisive comments here are obviously Trump supporters. I'm so proud to be Canadian.

And by the way, I find this song overly simple and preachy. Wow, a negative comment without being a dick. Go figure.

Hopefully more of this kind of music will become mainstream again.

Unless you really want to kill someone, then why would you even need to own a gun anyway? If I had one, I'd never use it. The way I used to own them and never use them when I was younger. About one unnecessary item in a world filled with better things.

its like an insurance policy, you have it to protect you but you never want to have to use it

I do own and carry firearms. I pray to god I never have to kill anyone. But the fact is someone may try to do me or my family harm. If that day comes I don’t want to sit helpless and watch it go down.

Why does the guitar riff remind me of a rip off of the MASH theme song?? Lol

Yes and just in time for the next four years  PEACE Mel

Powerful Statement....We still have a long hard road too Travel in this Country and Society. .......Money & Power = GREED

Thank you so much for this. I may be crying, but I know someone has a song for what I'm crying about.

This is a very important message for our nation!

Maybe he can donate the proceeds from this song to Amy Shumer, Rosie O and others for their relocation plan. Yall gone yet?

Happens to be the most intelligent artist of the last 30 years.. That would never sit well with mainstream Americans that voted and still defend war criminal W Bush and now Trump who leads the Republican party. The President of the USA who can "just grab women by the pussy" when he wants. you all heard it live. The GOP should be shut down by Justice Department. Justice in America is just a word. Listen to john's 1980s hit "Justice and Independence."

I like Justice and Independence, but if you believe the liberal left is always telling the truth, and the conservative right is always lying, I have this bridge... and the Tooth Fairy...well, don't get me started on Santa Claus.

I'm so sick of each side trashing on each other. They both suck in their own ways. I never saw a Tea Party member throw bricks through a Starbucks window or Bank of America. All the violence from protests was not from the Right.

All the lies are Not from the Left, either. Both sides, I say again, suck.

...yes, I know, it's a song, If justice would just come home, we'll have this family again.... its tears fall down like missiles from the sky....

No the war crime in Iraq was not from the left either. They were the pussies that threw a brick into Starbucks. W Bush and his right wing murdered a more than a million innocents for oil and money in a foreign country.. Eyeraq. Oh don't forget your dear 911, hardly remembered in 2017 now that the truth is out.
Celebrate JM, the last poet of America.

The last marginal "hit" that Mellencamp had was 1994's "Dance Naked."  So for 20 odd years he attempted to remain relevant.  He's failed -- as has this song.  The only people who find this even remotely insightful are the people who voted for Hillary Clinton.  Let them wallow in self pity.  It's fun to watch.

LOL!  Apparently reading comprehension isn't your forte.  Or you're on the lower end of the IQ scale.  Just keep swinging the bat there kiddo, you're bound to get a hit.

Except for the fact that since 1994 he has had 5 albums in the top 10, one Platinum, two Gold albums. Also he is out there making music, selling out shows. His Farm Aid shows are still huge successes each year. He does this while you troll his YouTube page. It's sad to watch and I pity folks like you going around looking for attention

So you waste your time answering a troll.   Pure genius, putz.   BTW, I don't recall "Easy Target" getting much airplay subsequent to its release.  Simple reason why:  It sucks.

Sad Clowns And Hillbillies is a really really good record man. Great ness!

It's awesome when people on the bottom ruminate like the view is the same at the top having never seen it. The only people who would find your post even remotely insightful are the chuckleheads on the other side of the Candyland majik aisle from Clinton voters. The rest of us read The Sneetches a long time ago and turn up the music because it's proof against partisan brain drain.

easy target its open season, white cop dont need on reason...thats plain spoken you must agree its time we all wake up and see.

Excellent Song! Unique voice! I always admire when non-Afoamerican champion the cause of African-American. Something that even some African-American don't even do.
I must hasten to add that I really admired the honesty in Mellencamp's interview with the yahoo reporter.
Dale
The Caribbean Observer

Thought the song was going to be much better but it more of you talking than singing...not crazy for this one

Sounds like somebody needs a hug, and maybe a companion dog. Or, you could go to Canada. Or if you're really true to your leftist libtard ideology, there's always North Korea. Save up. Move. I hear the summers are great there.

I didn't think you knew. I accept you're apology.

Anyone who uses the word libtard should not be allowed near a voting booth because they prove with that one word how immature they are and cannot be an adult and need to resort to name calling. I assume under Obama you 100% supported him?

"On the closing track, “Easy Target,” Mellencamp turns to the big picture, adopting a Tom Waits-like growl as he sings about racial and economic inequality. But he resists the notion that the song is depressing.

“There’s a difference between down and observational,” he says. “A down record was ‘Berlin’ by Lou Reed.”

You obviously wouldn't understand because you seem to want black people shot dead in the streets! People like that make OUR country a laughing stock because we just can't learn from our mistakes no matter how bad the results are! You, quite unfortunately, sound like one of those people. As Trump would say: SAD!

Perhaps you and he can share a plane and it can make that last stop for you in the middle of West Bank where you can show those "Mozlems" what a "reel Americant" is prepared to do. No? Then shut the fuck up and hum the chorus.

God! this sounds like a hybrid of his past three albums...absolutely brilliant John! the voice..crystal clear.. the music? heartbreakingly amazing....

Go suck an egg Melon head, washed up glory seeker in search of a cause. You cheapened your own brand so now your trying to channel Tom Waits. Give it a break.

Listen to some Tom Waits, then talk to me.

TheOwlybird I have A lot Of Cds by Tom Waits. This isn't about him man. You don't know this artist enough to say comments like that. Listen to more Mellencamp dude. Peace out.

FUNNY...YOU ARE KINDA RIGHT

John is a heavy smoker and has mentioned many times that his change in voice is due to smoking. I guess Bob Dylan is ripping off Tom Waits now too?

This is from 2014

"The Indiana resident's quieter music shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's followed the last half of his career. What may take listeners aback is his voice, more weathered now and limited in its range.

"Two million cigarettes later and I finally sound like a black guy," he said. "Thank God. The cigarettes finally paid off. They're going to give me cancer and they're going to kill me, but for a short amount of time, they're going to make my voice sound like it should sound.""

Corey what a pleasant surprise to see you here under thjs video! Small world! I just so happened to be looking at some of the comments and clicked the replies to this horribly mean one and ...there you are! This is one of the greatest mellencamp songs EVER written in my opinion. When I saw him do it live I was deeply, deeply moved. I am very happy for mellencamps move into this voice, it is absolutrly not "tom waits" voice or "Dylan" or anyone. It is the voice of an old man whose traveled many roads ! /the end! This is a masterpiece song . When I saw it live I was almost in tears ! Again can't believe I saw u here , was like Fate!

Brilliant. Absolute genius.

Donald and his cult followers suffer from the Dunning–Kruger effect, and now all of America has to suffer through their ignorance. And I just really enjoy how Trump supporters/voters think they will be immune to whatever destructive stupidity agent orange unleashes on the USA.

That is the thing about deceived people, if they knew they were deceived they wouldn't be deceived. Only Time will tell who knows the truth and how obvious it really is.

Yup and so far the best economic numbers in decades.  Decades. Perhaps AKJonny1965 needs to get a job and learn how great it is to be productive in life. The opportunities are without boundry.

AkJonny1965 it might be important for you to know that John recorded this album from December 2015 to February 2016. In other words he’s singing about the state of things under your precious Obama.

AkJonny1965 your a cock sucker

Room 237 mellancamp is way liberal dude.

I enjoyed the song, but it had me thinking. Some (probably many lol) won't like this.
I've watched as this country has gone down the rabbit's hole into a land of make believe.
Neither side is completely to blame or is innocent. It's like a pendulum swinging back and forth.
Prejudice, accusations and lies are our demons.

For many, calling others prejudice was their weapon of choice. Especially racism. Very much like those who labeled folks "witches" during the Salem Trails. There was no proof, just the accusation that did the damage.
I always wondered when "the boy who cried wolf - prejudice edition" would finally reveal itself. It happened in the last year. You just can't blame everything on race, call everyone racist who doesn't agree with Obama, or use race as a weapon and not expect people to push back.

And push back they did.
The pendulum swung wide in the other direction. Now acts of extreme prejudice are happening right under our own noses and folks are dismissing them because the boy who cried prejudice was found to be lying. Those who truly are prejudice are no longer hiding. They believe they've been validated because so many still supported Trump even when he obviously was stating pure prejudicial views.

IMHO...we are all at fault. We made this mess, all of us.
Personally I think if there is a greater power he is punishing all of us. Those who cried wolf and those who let the wolves run free. We will watch this country be fed to a narcissistic megalomaniac out of hatred and our own egos.
Let's hope we learn our collective lessons...someday.

Isaac Asimov wrote decades ago about that cultural pendulum. Interesting how he noticed then what's been going on for a long time in probably every empire that existed before.

wow >>> Neither side is completely to blame or is innocent.

Otis L Griffin outside that sentence I liked the comment. ....I Love John Mellancamp

Great song John, a voice for the voiceless,, keep writing 👍🎸

Well, this is his truth anyway.

Raw, Truth. This speaks volumes,
much respect John, thank You!

Wow,..just wow....

you stink. dance with the girl that brought you. get the 1980s band back. with well needed influence of Larry crane who carried you to success
DR D

so you're saying stay stuck in a time over 30 years ago... never change never evolve? never grow and never get better? The 80's sucked ass the first time around... no one wants to go back to then, except Golden Shower boy donnie

Bugsy Cline I loved it then and love it now. Come on now! The 80's were a different time, but great. You are right that John changed with the times is why he's still great! We have to evolve.

GREAT JOB. Johnny Cash said he was one of the best song Wrighters he knew. it is a sad but true song.

John you peckerwood , you lost us as a fans a while back when you started knawing on obamas ring and using eric holders quotes as references "a nation of cowards" in your songs , this song is glorified, refried Waitsian rehash with a "negro message" you lost the plot along time ago .....you and springsteen can suck it, cowards

sad racist

diddleydee Wow smh . God bless you

diddleydee seems like a lot of conservatives lack empathy. But when something directly impacts them, then that's when they open their eyes. I bet if your best friend was black and shot by the police completely erroneously, you would find this song meaningful

diddleydee John's lyrics have had a socialy progressive content dating back to at least the early eighties if not before. But now that he sings for blacks you don't like it. So all along you've been a racist hillbilly piece of shit that never understood his music to begin with.

Are these old rockers really so out of touch...i loved this guy's music in the 80s, bought all his LPs... Money & fame sure screws up the brains & perspectives of these people. They forget where they came from. There is no pitty party on my street. Just your average working middle class American here. Him and born in the USA Bruce should have a sleepover together and talk about how great their worlds are now and how pathetic everyone else's seems to be now that they've raised themselves up on such a high pedestals.

Mark Olson Not often do I respond to ANYTHING of a political nature, but you defended our artists in the music community so I must say "well said". I admit I got frustrated at Bruce when he cancelled his NC concert due to the restroom debacle bc so many fans had bought tickets who weren't the governor. But he has freedom of choice. I would have chosen a different line of retribution, but I'm not him. No I didn't buy tickets bc I'm disabled just a life long fan and fellow democrat who felt that was punishing the wrong people so I'm sure they got refunds which hit his targets. America has great talent, but I'm 55 now and wondering wth has happened. I.e. where are our respected Hollywood stars as I respected as a girl, who truly acted and were paid well for it? I despise reality tv where people compete to "be someone" for a season for peanuts. YouTube is my music now bc there are no music stores in my town where I can purchase a CD. Yes I am poor bc I am a disabled blue collar worker with little education who did my best to support my one and only child after becoming a teen mom, and made sure he never ate a free lunch although I worked two jobs a long time. But a woman working automotive in the south does twice the work for half the pay still, well did during my climb from cashier to Commercial Parts Specialist, right after Store Manager for a M-F. (Once I responded, too long lol) Yes I'm small and injured my spine hustling batteries, engines, etc. with my hard head and weak back. The men who said I didn't belong there in 1989 were right in saying I should just take the money and look pretty. But that wouldn't buy my house and raise my son. So I bucked the system to survive in the changing world bc under the grease I've remained a lady. So I've paid money for our survival although I was pretty. No time for relationships either and now a grandmother enjoying life alone. Yes, these people live in a different world than people like I do so their opinions are heard. Always loved the voice of John and still do and I still smoke too, my only addiction since age 12. He ALWAYS had a husky voice as part of his talent, like Leonard Cohen. You spoke as I feel, but as you see, I'm a loner, not a good speaker, don't see well, had a rough life and get side tracked if I do try to speak out now. So best for all I go back to being a silent nobody from nowhere lol. Thank you for your eloquent words.

It's in times like these music, and the arts in general, become more important. When we need to be reminded what it's all about. Check out Peter Frampton's new single "I Saved A Bird Today", just released yesterday, also on YouTube. I'm a musician who has worked as a sideman for years, but the state of the world has given many of us impetus to step up to the plate as songwriters. I smoked for many years, which made my voice gruff and un-musical, but I've recently quit. I do enjoy Leonard Cohen, and Tom Waits too, but sounding that way wasn't good for my health and never having sang well before I started it was too hard to learn with no breath and poor control. I started writing poems a while back, and am now writing songs to play and sing. The political right has for some time now championed resentment rhetoric, which is both effective at uniting their base with a common perceived enemy and misdirecting blame for society's ills to groups who lack the resources to fight back against rampant misinformation and sensationalized anecdotal reporting. Yet their agenda has little to offer their actual political base and much for the party donors. In a two party system, although I am not a partisan, it does make the Democratic party the only viable choice for anyone who is not extremely wealthy or easily manipulated by hate, which is not the Democratic Republic America was meant to be. I hope that America can collectively come to it's senses, and, perhaps in no small part through the arts, remember what this life is all about, that kindness requires more strength than spite, and that, like it or not, we are one nation on one planet Earth with one chance to promote humanity. The going has become tough, now the tough get going. Good luck!

Mark Olson Completely agree again. I'm no extremist at anything except trying to stay alive now and was careful how I worded that. Have been a registered democrat from youth although most of my family were republican and have been less active since 1989, yet remained a democrat voter as working class with a son. He is now a 40 year old who has been a working man since his senior year of high school, his wife works every day as well and they have only one son as time marches on. Thanks for the suggestion because I love the Frampton song. Congratulations on quitting smoking. Marlboro is my husband whom I kiss good morning each morning and good night each night, but still the least expensive and most dependable mate I've known. Played rough on my singing voice as well, but I still put pen to paper at times although not often. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

John didn't forget where he came from. You just never understood his music. John is a lifelong Democrat, always been very Liberal. Not his fault you didn't understand that. His views haven't changed in any way since his career began. Considering you own all his albums from the 80s...go listen to a song like Country Gentleman off 1989's Big Daddy. "He ain't a-gonna help no children/He aint a-gonna help no women/He just gonna help his rich friends." that line and song is anti-Ronald Reagan. Mellencamp spoke out against both Bush presidents. To Washington, a song he wrong in 2000, was against Bush.

Also I guess he forgot where he came from because he is not one of the easily misled thinking a billionaire is going to come in and solve all of your problems? What does Donald Trump have in common with the average working middle class American? ZERO. He is not the one out of touch, you are and many of the working middle class Americans relying on the filthy rich elitists who live in mansions, fly in their private jets, golf at their country clubs.

If you think he's out of touch because he's still singing about shit that matters and relates to the times then you haven't heard any of his stuff and should prolly go away. Because if you had half a brain you'd realize this song is him writing with sadness about exactly that America you remember him writing about before. That America looks nothing like this one today and this song is about how the hell we let it get that way.

Wrote a song about Reagan (Country Gentleman)and one about W Bush (To Washington). Mysteriously left out Obama and Clinton. Unless he was just having trouble with the lyrics and it got delayed...😂

scottyrocks9 Actually W didn't win the popular vote, Al Gore did. But the electoral college put him in only after he held things up waiting for supposed absent ballots from soldiers ;) He made a threat to all terrorists as president while Bill Clinton was still in office, which Clinton had to go on tv and remind everyone that he was still the president and our president had NOT threatened anyone. This was before the election. But W still ended up in the White House. No I didn't vote for him or Trump btw. I still hope and pray Trump is a better president than he was. I always pray for our president regardless who it is. They need all of the guidance from God they are willing to accept.

scottyrocks9 I DO remember when it was great, compared to now. We had bag boys to bag and carry out groceries, ( jobs) people to pump our gas, clean the windshield & check the oil, (jobs) waitresses and even curb service at cheap places to eat out, (jobs) door to door milk men, Avon ladies, ( jobs,) and guess who does all of this now while paying more for the privilege. We are. It's a time suck too. Remember when the customer was always right? Customer service with a smile? I don't know your age, but I worked with the public and it was an honor. Retired now. Everywhere I go is understaffed to keep more for the proprietress as we the tired wait in line. May just be where I live but the economy problem here is obvious. Less greed would make America great again, and more respect for others. It's overpopulated here so to lose a customer is a blessing. Please pardon typos as I don't see well. Yes makes all of these extra "jobs" rough may be why I notice. Food for thought. I buy less to carry less now.

Mellencamp is a lifelong Democrat. He voted for both presidents you mentioned

Mellencamp is definitely a progressive. So much so, that while he voted for Clinton and Obama, he also often criticized them. He told Obama to his face once that “he wasn’t liberal enough.”

It’s been very clear in interviews since the beginning that John is a liberal-and very much in the tradition of Roosevelt.

I’m pretty purple myself. Mellencamp is absolutely entitled to his opinion, and I would fight to defend and support his right to say whatever he wants, regardless of whether I agree.

He didn’t leave out Obama. Pay attention my friend. This album was recorded from December 2015 to February 2016. In other words he wrote this while Obama was president. Democrats like to try and pretend things aren’t as they are. The song comes out and they all scream our good buddy John Mellencamp wrote a song about how horrible it is with Trump in office. But no, it’s about the sad state of our nation under Obama.

This is good. It reminds me a lot of Plain Spoken, and I kinda wished he'd do something different than Plain Spoken. Not that I dislike any of it... it's incredible nonetheless, but I think a drum set would be nice in his songs once in awhile! LOL (As in, I think he needs a couple good upbeat songs like in his past.)
Besides the music, the lyrics are the work of a genius, as expected. John Mellencamp never fails to disappoint with his lyrics. Honestly. He's always written such deep and meaningful songs.

His style has changed in keeping with his life changes. He is more poet than rock n roller now, similar to Dylan in the 60s.

Yep, as a lifelong smoker, and being 65, we can't really expect him to sound like his youth. I sure miss jams like Rain On The Scarecrow and Pink Houses, but, to be realistic here, he's adapting to a more mellow music type, which as he calls it, more "appropriate" for his age. As I said before, it's not bad or anything, but I'm a bit nostalgic for the old Mellencamp. I wish he didn't smoke.

Is he still smoking ? I saw an interview years ago where the doctor had told him he had serious heart issues and he was going to have to clean up his act .

Yep, he eventually has said that he will never quit smoking. He has cut back a LOT since his youth, but I doubt Mr. Mellencamp will ever stop completely. He feels it's too late to stop.

EVERYBODY, quits smoking, eventually- even David Koresh...

Mellencamp Rules! Rock on!!