"Sixteen Military Wives" by the Decemberists (2004)

The song, "Sixteen Military Wives," discusses the unfairness of American life by contrasting the deaths of soldiers to the "dramatic" lives of celebrities. Underneath the lyrics, the band is trying to communicate that Americans do not value the "real" heroes of the world while instead valuing celebrities who rarely contribute anything positive to society. The author's message is revealed through the quote,"Fifteen celebrity minds...will they find a solution in time," because he/she argues directly that we, as Americans, look to celebrities to find the solutions for our problems as a result of our hunger for them and their complicated lives. He also reinforces that the American people decide who the heroes are when he says, "If  America says it's so, It's so!" even if the choices do not deserve the honor. Comparison of the public to cannibals also reveals his point that Americans thirst for gossip or drama when in reality they should be supporting those who need it like the military wives who just lost their husbands who were the true heroes.