Music of the Day, 27 March 2024

why should i care?

I woke up way too early this morning and was unable to get back to sleep. As I lay in bed watching the bright moon slowly illuminate my bedroom as it moved westward, a song that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about over the years came to mind. It was unlike most of the other hits of the day, with its mostly dispassionate lyrics that allow multiple interpretations; that initially grabbed my attention. Later, I noticed how the music elegantly supports the matter-of-fact message, and I gained a deeper measure of respect for all the musicians involved in creating this song.

“We Just Disagree” is Dave Mason’s biggest hit to date; it’s from his 1977 solo album, Let It Flow. It reached number 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100, which is impressive to me given the talent around back then.¹ But then, Mason himself is plenty talented: he was a founding member of Traffic and has performed with many other legendary musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, David Crosby, and Fleetwood Mac.

I could start anywhere with things I adore about “We Just Disagree”: the spare acoustic electric guitar opening, with the jangly high notes² adding subtle tension; the melancholy keyboard lines; the stream-of-consciousness lyrics; and the entry of the full band (especially that bass line!) after the first chorus all draw me in. Just one more verse, and then the chorus repeats twice to wrap up this three-minute musical masterpiece.

If I had to guess, my initial hearing of the song led me to think of a previous boyfriend. Through most of our junior-high years, we cycled through going steady and breaking up; at some point, both became habits possibly reinforced by our parents’ marriages.³ It wasn’t healthy for either of us, but being so young, we had no tools nor examples for doing better.

The lyrics now grab my feels in several areas, including other relationships that have ended, and of course, politics. Back in 1977, I wondered if I could ever gain enough emotional maturity to rise above good guy/bad guy thinking.⁴ Today, I almost wish I could leave it at a simple disagreement with those whose political views are opposite mine. It’s extremely difficult to do that, though, when some of those views are actively causing harm to people I love.

1. Leo Sayer; Steve Miller Band; Boston; Donna Summer; the Eagles; Fleetwood Mac; Debby Boone; England Dan and John Ford Coley; Little River Band; Foreigner; etc.

2. I can’t tell if they’re from the guitar or percussion (triangle, maybe?)

3. I obviously can’t speak for him/his family, but “we just disagree” could have been my parents’ most optimistic mantra

4. Yeah, I can