"Wasteland of the Free" is a song written and performed by Iris Dement from her 1996 studio album The Way I Should.

Critical reception

The social and political orientation of several songs in The Way I Should, delivered from a left perspective, was widely acknowledged upon its release. Rhino Entertainment notes that Dement shifted her focus from interpersonal concerns to matters dealing with social inequality.Rhino, 2019: “For her third album, DeMent turned her gaze outward, to the world around her, and to the inequities that hold down many of us.” The reviewers at Rhino praised the album for its “daring” and urged readers to revisit the work.Rhino, 2019: “...a sometimes daring album by a woman whose voice we need to hear more these days…”

In an article entitled "Iris DeMent song provokes intense debate," entertainment critic Richard Phillips of the World Socialist Web Site describes the song as "a blunt indictment of the right-wing political and social agenda dominating in the US."Phillips, 1998 (March 12): "'Wasteland' derides those claiming the US to be an "advanced civilization" and describes government and media scapegoating of the poor as a 'Hitler solution'". Phillips adds that "'Wasteland of the Free' still has a tremendous ability to provoke serious reflection and discussion about social and political life, not just in America, but around the world."Phillips, 1998 (March 12)

Raised in a large family by Pentecostal parents, Dement, though no longer a member of the church, was imbued with a belief that "evil" must be identified, exposed and publicly condemned. New York Times music critic Stephen Deusner writes: "That idea is rooted deep in DeMent's experience growing up in church, and it has inspired all of her albums to some extent, but especially the politically agitated album The Way I Should..."Deusner, 2024Phillips, 1998 (April 18): Dement: "I don't describe myself as a Christian or religious…"

Characterizing "Wasteland of the Free" as "a righteous progressive broadside," New York Times critic David Cantwell reports that "DeMent's dissenting voice was nearly solitary in country circles" upon its release in 1996. Over twenty years later, Cantwell observed that since then "many newer country and country-adjacent artists are leaning in DeMent's direction."Cantwell, 2023: "Some fans who first fell for bittersweet ballads… [and] the elegiac "Our Town" were startled, even angered…"Dement: "I think that maybe there is a change taking place. There are more musicians and other people emerging, like there used to be, who are deciding that they can't keep silent about these questions."Phillips, 1998 (April 18)

Religious influence Raised in the Pentecostal faith, Dement left the church while she was in her mid-teens:

Neither "Christian or religious" in her adulthood, her music is nonetheless informed by a principled outlook: "I want my music to somehow show the basic threads of life that bind us all together in some way or another."Phillips, 1998 (April 18): Dement: "I don’t describe myself as a Christian or religious." The political militancy expressed in some of her inspirational "marching songs" in exemplified in "Wasteland of the Free" originated in her religious training: "That's what I like about my Pentecostal upbringing," Dement remarked. It serves to "fortify you in your fight against evil."Deusner, 2024: See here for Deusner remark "marching songs"Cantwell, 2023: "[T]he righteous progressive broadside 'Wasteland of the Free' on 'The Way I Should,' her 1996 album.

Dement's "Wasteland of the Free" is a call to action: "Some things aren't that complicated. There's love and there's hate. There's good and there's evil. Which side are you on? Figure it all out now and go."Deusner, 2024: Dement quoted in Deusner.

Censorship efforts A year following the 1996 release of The Way I Should, conservative radio programmers disparaged the album, in particular the song "Wasteland of the Free". The lyrics forcefully and unequivocally denounce religious and political bigotry. The work also condemns the disparity in wealth internationally.Phllips, 1998 (March 12): "Naturally, conservative radio programmers and DJs would not play the song, and the album was poorly received by most of those critics associated with the recording industry in Nashville."

A year after its release, Republican State Senator John Grant of Florida launched a campaign in the legislature to cut the annual state funding of $103,000 to Tampa, Florida’s WMNF-FM, the community radio station that aired the album.Cantwell, 2023: "When a Republican state senator, John Grant, heard the song on a Tampa community-radio station, WMNF, he led a successful effort to eliminate the station's funding from the state budget. Grant also cited work by songwriters and musicians Robert Earl Keen and Dan Bern that he found offensive, arguing that the radio station was broadcasting adult programming and were therefore ineligible to receive public funds. The 103K at issue amounted to near 17 percent of the stations operating costs.Phillips, 1998 (March 12) Senator Grant inferred that the funding would be restored if WMNF-FM modified its programming.Phillips, 1998 (March 12)Duryea, 1997

In response, the station's management appealed to its listenership. An emergency fund drive raised $120,000 in a single day. Iris Dement performed a benefit concert to raise revenue for the station.Phillips, 1998 (March 12)Cantwell, 2023: "DeMent did a benefit concert for the station; state funding was later restored." Senator Grant suggested that the shortfall could henceforth be raised in annual community fund drives, but local media outlets and public pressure salvaged a portion of the state funding at 75 percent of its previous level.Phillips, 1998 (March 12)Duryea, 1997

References

Sources Cantwell, David. 2023. “Iris DeMent’s New Album Is a Sustained Political Statement.” New York Times, February 23, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/iris-dements-new-album-is-a-sustained-political-statement Accessed 12 September 2024. Deusner, Stephen. 2023. Iris DeMent Is Worried About the World. So She Made Another Album. New York Times, February 21, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/arts/music/iris-dement-workin-on-a-world.html Accessed 10 September 2024. Duryea, Bill. 1997. Listeners flood WMNF with funds after cutoff. Tampa Bay Times, May 2, 1997. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/05/02/listeners-flood-wmnf-with-funds-after-cutoff/ Phllips, Richard. 1998 (March 12). “Iris DeMent song provokes intense debate.” World Socialist Web Site. March 12, 1998. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1999/03/wast-m12.html Accessed 10 September 2024. Phllips, Richard. 1998 (April 18). An interview with Iris DeMent: “The poor are treated like enemies.” World Socialist Web Site. April 18, 1998. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1998/04/irs2-a18.html Accessed 11 September 2024. Rhino Entertainment. 2019. “The One After the Big One: Iris Dement.” Rhino Entertainment. April 11, 2019. https://www.rhino.com/article/the-one-after-the-big-one-iris-dement-the-way-i-should Accessed 10 September 2024.