Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Behind These Scars – “This Is Just Dirt”

Ahhh, remember way back before 2016, when people weren’t screaming and foaming at the mouth about all the bad people trying to come across our border? Ha ha, just kidding. The origins of this current wave of xenophobia stretches way back before our 45th president – and even before 2008, when Ryan Reese-Beltrand (the man behind Behind These Scars) wrote “This Is Just Dirt” as a response to the racist backlash to Obama’s election – which backlash, of course, ultimately blossomed into our current situation. In any time or any political climate, this rousing emo/post-punk anthem (whose title neatly states its thesis) would be an important reminder to everyone living anywhere on Earth: We made these lines up. They mean nothing. They’re not worth killing or dying for. I don’t think a song on an obscure compilation series is going to change any hearts and minds, but in this moment in history I’m proud to help put this seemingly obvious message out into the world. Thanks to Ryan for sharing it.