Song Of The Week: We're Not In Kansas

"We're Not In Kansas"
Big Country
from the album "The Buffalo Skinners" (Fox, 1993)

Although relegated to "one-hit wonder" status in the United States, Big Country enjoyed well over a decade of success in their native UK, racking up over a dozen Top-40 singles. This particular song was never released as a single, and was recorded during the waning years of their career, but was included on both their fifth (released only in the UK) and sixth (only in the US) albums.

Songs with socio-political subject matter are seldom my thing, but every once in a while I'll come across one I like. This one is completely rock -- nothing "pop" about it -- full of wailing vocals, ringing guitars, and crashing drums. Clocking in at over six minutes, it's nearly an epic, with its sprawling chorus being almost as long as each verse, but it doesn't feel overly drawn-out at all.

The lyrics might lean a bit more toward the literal side as far as these topical songs go, but that's the way I like them anyway (I'm not much for elaborate symbolism). Plus, the song's message is one that will (unfortunately) probably never go out of style -- and I can't help but like the "Wizard of Oz" references sprinkled throughout.

Hey ... it's a song from the early '90s and it's not an "Audio Train Wreck"! I told you I'd start finding them soon!