I recorded This American Mountain in the fall of 2022 on the morning that I wrote the song. What I recorded was my first draft. My song did not turn out great so I ended up changing it a lot since the day that I wrote it. It is good to have the freedom to not be perfect right away and to have the freedom to keep learning and improving.
I always record my first drafts and post them. I like posting first drafts – it feels less “scripted” (which makes me feel more “free”. I do my movie reviews and deck dinner chats completely unscripted (which has gotten me into some trouble with YouTube repeatedly). When I get blocked for some unknown reason, it certainly reminds me of the fact that as much as I want to believe that I am “free”, that freedom has conditions. Perhaps it has to, to ensure everyone continues to enjoy this relative freedom that we enjoy in northern America.
This American Mountain was recorded at Cameron Lake in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is a part of an International Peace Park that Canada and the United States share (Waterton joins with Glacier National Park, which is in the United States of America). The mountain that I was showing (and singing about in my song) is located in the United States, I have been told. I have never crossed the border into the United States to enter Glacier National Park. I have always wanted to.
Now Canadians need a passport to cross into the United States. This wasn’t the case in the past. When people take advantage to the freedoms that others offer them, there are consequences. No one likes being taken advantage of.
I don’t want to offend anyone with the things I say on my deck dinner videos that I upload onto YouTube. I can’t imagine how I am doing so but since YouTube thinks that I do, I guess I may have to start scripting myself (or avoid doing the deck dinner video reviews). Perhaps I’ll just sing more songs to birds and flowers instead. These lovely native Americans always receive me well.
When it comes down to it, I’m not going to “fight the power” to have my movie reviews heard by the masses (very few people who might care to watch them). At my age I have little “fight” left in me so it has to be something really worth fighting for to get me “battle-ready”. I’d rather be thankful for all the freedoms I have here in North America.
I am so thankful that I get to go out and see so many beautiful native flowers and birds in Lethbridge and in the nearby Rock Mountains where I hike regularly in the summer. I love being a Canadian every time I am out on a hike. So, whenever I get down about things that I would like to have but do not, I just go out and surround myself with the things that I love most of all that I do have. When I go out hiking, I forget all about life’s shortcomings and remember just how wealthy I really am.
Jim & Tammy Faye
Though Jim and Tammy Faye
“unburdened” common men
of cash so they could pay
for furs and finery,
they didn’t rob men then;
men served them willingly.
They pedaled Christian “junk”
(the people’s opium)
to every eager “punk”
who watched them on TV.
The Bakers weren’t so dumb –
they reached out greedily.
While dealers profit from
the heroin they deal
to make their users numb,
most do it violently.
Street “goods” are not more “real”,
though users are less free.
The Bakers held no arms
or threatened anyone.
One TV preacher charms
for patrons charity;
another loads his gun
to threaten you and me.
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