After completing rehab in 2020, Anthony Green began writing a song titled “I Don’t Want to Die,” encapsulating the raw, heartbreaking, yet hopeful essence of his new solo album, Boom. Done. This song became a pivotal moment in his songwriting journey. With the support of longtime friends and collaborators Tim Arnold and Keith Goodwin of Good Old War, Anthony crafted one of the most deliberate and powerful projects of his extensive career.
This introduction of Green intrigued me, particularly because the longing – almost desperation for life in that striking title, just resonated with me and from the overwhelmingly positive response to “Last Summer In America”’s Youtube video – Green’s music really resonates with others deeply as well. Being a music writer has really introduced me to different genres that I usually don’t venture into and some of those are Country, Folk or Americana which usually encompass messages about common – for a lack of better words- feelings that Americans feel about their lives and experiences. This was especially true when I saw this title. Although I may not relate to Americans and their lives in any way, there is a poignant aspect about the last summer of anything. Summer usually represents endless joy and warmth and the end of it, means the end of that joy. Politically, this can be applied anywhere as injustice, economic struggle and inequality are universal so I understood that part. With lyrics such as:
Streets once all laid out in dirt now covered with concrete
So enjoy the last summer in America
You can’t afford to sleep
I was immediately enamoured with this criticism of capitalism and greed – the whole song criticises American society and capitalism but it bares Green’s soul in a way that is familiar to listeners. This is what he does, and he does it well.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
