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download Just Like John Wayne at download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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download the album Country Side at download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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Country Side is produced by and with lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas, and with music licensed for use exclusively to Paul Robert Thomas
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“Just Like John Wayne” offers a rich, poetic critique of American cultural mythology, hero worship, and the contradictions within celebrity, religion, and history. It blends biting social commentary with lyrical storytelling, invoking iconic figures like Bob Dylan, John Wayne, Jesus, and others to question authenticity, legacy, and power.
“Just Like John Wayne” is a reflective, critical country ballad that deconstructs American myths and icons, exploring themes of identity, heroism, exploitation, and disillusionment. Through a mix of satire and reverence, the lyrics question the authenticity of figures like Bob Dylan and John Wayne—symbols of American culture who built their legacies by adopting personas.
The song juxtaposes the commodification of black musical traditions by white artists against the unacknowledged pain of black slaves, reminding us of the roots of the blues and the erasure of those who birthed it. It draws symbolic parallels between religious and cultural martyrs—Jesus and Superman, fame and crucifixion—suggesting that even icons are sacrificed to maintain narratives of power.
John Wayne becomes the central metaphor for American bravado, masculinity, and moral certainty. But the lyrics strip away the legend, exposing the frailty, delusion, and violence behind the myth. References to Hollywood, political conspiracy (JFK’s assassination), and religious imagery all converge to form a portrait of a fading archetype: the cowboy as cultural ghost.
The refrain asks whether John Wayne—a stand-in for the American spirit—is capable of transformation, or if he’s doomed to remain trapped in the rigid roles he’s always played. The closing verses take on a darker tone, suggesting a reckoning is near, with symbols of death, decay, and divine judgment looming.
Themes & Motifs:
Identity & Performance: “Dylan isn’t Dylan and Wayne isn’t Wayne” opens the theme of constructed personas.
Cultural Appropriation: The white blues singer embodies a tension between homage and theft.
Hero Deconstruction: Wayne as a metaphor for outdated strength and American denial.
Religious Allegory: Biblical references reframe public figures as modern messiahs or martyrs.
Violence & Masculinity: The gun, the walk, the “soldier’s stance”—all symbols of brittle power.
Mortality & Legacy: The song questions what remains after legends fade.
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Just Like John Wayne lyrics
Dylan isn’t Dylan and Wayne isn’t Wayne
They got where they are by changing their names
Jesus was the first Superman we know that of course
One got cross, got nailed – the other fell off his horse
A white boy’s on stage singing black boys Blues
He’s the bridge on the page making black music cool
Songs of the black slaves, hollering in the fields
Laid down in unmarked graves, never got million dollar deals
John Wayne, John Wayne defender of the west
All the way from Jeddah to Key West
You’re still giving your ‘Man of peace’ talk
While walking that legendary John Wayne walk
You’re too long in the saddle
You’re too long in the tooth
Been through too many battles
Listening to those Hollywood truths
A conspiracy in J.R.’s home town
Brought the hopes of the western world down
You could have asked him not to paint the town red
Coz you had to get rid of all those bugs in his and hers bed
Dylan denying he’s made a profit/prophet
Everyone’s telling him to ‘stop it’
If you buy souls then that’s the price
Your veins must be flowing with pure ice
John Wayne, John Wayne why don’t you dance
And break free of that soldiers stance
You look so square you look so stiff
Just turn your head and face the rift
I emailed the Lord but it got leaked
On a rocking boat up on Cripple Creek
There’s a burning bush over there
Out in the woods running bear
John Wayne, John Wayne count the notches on your gun
How many of them were your sons
You show your strength and your power
As you tread on the trembling flowers
John Wayne, John Wayne no twin you stand alone
All that grey meat’s shaking on your bones
Buddy is gone can’t spare you a dime
His plane went down before its time
John Wayne, John Wayne better cover your head
The Marlboro Man’s shooting sticks of lead
He ain’t no Mason he ain’t no bride
John Wayne, do you have God on your side?
Paul Robert Thomas
PRS Tunecode 712463DU
ISWC T-331.531.285-3
from COUNTRY SIDE, released March 31, 2025
Produced by and with lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas, and with music
licensed for use exclusively to Paul Robert Thomas
all rights reserved
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