United Health

Jesse Welles’ “United Health” emerges as a visceral exploration of the American healthcare system, a folk punk anthem both audacious and deeply unsettling. With a sharp economy of language, Welles weaves lyrical narratives that peel back the sanitized veneer of corporate healthcare to reveal a churning tide of despair and disillusionment. The song paints a stark contrast between the sterile office buildings, where “a person in a chair” holds dominion over our lives, and the raw humanity that is so often forfeited in the pursuit of profit. Welles employs a biting wit that cuts through the cynicism, inviting listeners to reckon with the disquieting reality that commodification has seeped into one of our most intimate of existences: our health.

The chorus, echoing the stark absence of personal connection—“There ain’t no ‘You’ in UnitedHealth”—strikes at the heart of a systemic malaise, reminding us that in the labyrinth of bureaucracy, individuals are mere numbers in a ledger. Welles’ voice quivers with an urgency that suggests a shared grievance, a communal lament as he recounts the unyielding bureaucracy that shapes our experiences with illness and care. The cadence of the verses, layered with a steady rhythmic pulse, captures the unsettling cadence of a system designed to serve the few at the expense of the many, while the refrain lingers in the air like a haunting refrain of collective helplessness.

As the song progresses, the historical references to figures like Richard T. Burke evoke a sense of continuity in these struggles, underscoring that this is not merely a contemporary grievance but a chronic ailment of American society. Welles’ raw, unvarnished lyrics and raucous instrumentation force listeners to confront their complicity in this system, inviting them to engage in a deeper dialogue about what it means to be human in a landscape where humanity is often sidelined. In “United Health,” Welles doesn’t just sing about healthcare; he lays bare the fissures in our social fabric, pleading for recognition, empathy, and ultimately, redemption in a world that desperately needs it.