I Feel Like I 'M Fixin' To Die Rag

We are told that there is nothing new under the sun. That everything old is new again. Postmodernism takes this concept and twists it to form something unexpected and interesting. Post modern themes and characteristics are seen in novels, poems, and music we see everyday. “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” by Joe McDonald, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen are strong examples of postmodernism music, each demonstrating pastiche, dark humour, and irony in their music and lyrics.

A piece of music is considered pastiche when it imitates another era, genre, artist, or work. Many postmodern works share the characteristic of pastiche. In the song “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” by McDonald, pastiche is show through the music itself. It is a mashup of three different styles: folk music, ragtime, and marching music. As Joe begins to sing “Well come on all of you big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again” (McDonald, verse 1 line 1) the association with folk and ragtime music is very apparent as it contrasts with the heavy lyrics. As the verse begins and Joe chant “and it’s 1,2,3, what are we fighting for?” (McDonald, Chorus Line 1) there is clear homage paid to marching music. In Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” we see the

“I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” is an entirely ironic song. In verse 2, Joe McDonald sings “ And you know that peace can only be won when we’ve blown them all to kingdom come” (McDonald, verse 2). Being an anti war song, this is obviously the exact opposite of what Joe McDonald believes. By phrasing it so bluntly, he brings attention to the ridiculousness of that world belief. The intro of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is where we begin to see postmodern irony. The lyric “any way the wing blows doesn’t really matter to me” (Queen, Intro) is ironic considering throughout the rest of the song, the singer cares greatly about every little thing, regardless of trying to shrug it