John Michael Hersey steps back into the spotlight with โDemocracy,โ a standout track from his twenty-first album, the rock musical Democracy. The albumโs concept is classic Hersey, picturing a dive bar somewhere in America on election night, a handful of ordinary people, a singer/songwriter past his prime, an actress between roles, an artist fighting addiction, a factory worker pushed out of his job, and a man adjusting to life after prison coming together to watch the results roll in. Their personal stories fold into the national one, creating a narrative that mirrors the bruised, divided, complicated soul of the country itself.
Hersey has always thrived at the crossroads of genres, fusing rock, folk, blues, country, and pop into something warm and lived-in. With critics comparing his piano finesse to Elton John and his guitar work to Mark Knopfler, heโs built a reputation for storytelling that hits with emotional clarity as much as musical richness. โDemocracyโ doubles down on that strength.
From the first beat, the song hits with heavy, grinding guitars that chew through the mix, landing somewhere between gritty bar-band rock and a rallying cry. Cymbals splash and sparkle around the edges, giving it a restless momentum. Then Herseyโs husky voice rolls in, steady, weathered, and inviting, like the sound of a man whoโs seen enough chaos to know what unity actually costs.
The message sharpens into a call for inclusion, as he sings, โMake room for one, make room for two, make room for all and democracy.โ He folds LGBTQ acceptance, coexistence, and basic compassion into a simple plea to show thereโs enough room at the table if we stop acting like there isnโt.
By the time the final chord fades, โDemocracyโ shows that the heart of a country is built from people trying, failing, hoping, and learning to live with each other anyway.
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Review by: Naomi Joan