Wasteland of the Free
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| "Wasteland of the Free" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Iris Dement | |
| from the album The Way I Should | |
| Released | October 1996 |
"Wasteland of the Free" is a song written and performed by Iris Dement from her 1996 studio album The Way I Should.
“The more I hear and learn about the world and all the injustice that goes on—the poverty, the terrible things that happen-it makes me realize that maybe I should begin writing more and more about these subjects. This has got to be done so that more people understand what we are really facing.” — Iris Dement, interview with critic Richard Phillips, April 18, 1998.[1]
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.[2] The reviewers at Rhino praised the album for its “daring” and urged readers to revisit the work.[3]
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."[4] 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."[5]
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..."[6][7]
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."[8][9][10]