“Old Faded Flag” from Brooklyn-based band Common Jack is a timely political statement about homophobia, sexual assault, and sexism, but more than anything, the song asks us to pay attention to those around us and show them love, no matter how different they are from us. This classic folky song starts with a beautiful piano tapping simple chords and swells seamlessly to this heart wrenching story of three individuals in New York City facing hardships, but coming together to find a momentary relief. The first character is targeted with a homophobic slur, the second with overt sexual harassment, and the third recognizes all this hate in the world. The three people come together at this concert, and they are able to find a moment of happiness in this awful life because they all see the similarities between them. The music video ends with a shot of singer/songwriter John Gardner staring directly into the camera and reminding us that America doesn’t care about marginalized groups, so we have to.
Written by Skylar Bauer