Song Review: Darryl Worley – “Keep The Change”

After a string of seven singles that failed to break the Top 10, Darryl Worley goes back to the well of “common sense” populism he’s best-known for. With songs like “I Just Came Back From a War,” “If Something Should Happen” and “Have You Forgotten” among his most memorable touchstones, the subject matter of “Keep The Change” should come as no surprise–Worley’s not afraid to write about issues that are in the news, and he certainly doesn’t shy away from espousing his political views. A logical addition to that series of politically charged narratives, “Keep The Change” uses then-candidate Obama’s campaign slogan from the 2008 presidential election (“Change”) to hammer home its message: America was founded on certain principles that should never be toyed with. To that end, the song hits on all the right talking points in order to be an anthem for the Tea Party crowd; there are mentions of freedom, God, “those who died” and the pledge of allegiance, a subtle nod to the founding fathers and a subtle knock against progressivism (Worley slyly disavows the nation’s supposed “progress”). The trouble is that “Keep The Change” relies on much of the same dubious logic that has underscored similar songs from country music’s recent history. Like Worley’s “Have You Forgotten” (which linked Iraq to 9-11) and John Rich’s “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” (which criticized the government for “shutting Detroit down” while implying that the government shouldn’t have bailed out the banking industry), “Keep The Change” builds the case against its political and ideological adversaries on purported actions and accusations that aren’t supported by fact