ClearChannel is their audience, too. I think part of the DC fury was she said it live on stage in London fairly soon after the conflict had begun.
No doubt; I was just pointing out that probably just as many people hate him as love him and then there's all those fence-sitters....
It should be pointed out that there are a lot of REAL country/folk/bluegrass bands that are definitly not george bush republicans the country bands you hear on the radio are clear channel country bands
The industry might not have had much of a choice, particularly ratings-based content providers (radio stations, ad-dependent cable music channels) in red states.
What Ever Happened To Peace On Earth There's so many things going on in the world Babies dying Mothers crying How much oil is one human life worth And what ever happened to peace on earth We believe everything that they tell us They're gonna’ kill us So we gotta’ kill them first But I remember a commandment Thou shall not kill How much is that soldier’s life worth And whatever happened to peace on earth (Bridge) And the bewildered herd is still believing Everything we’ve been told from our birth Hell they won’t lie to me Not on my own damn TV But how much is a liars word worth And whatever happened to peace on earth So I guess it’s just Do unto others before they do it to you Let’s just kill em’ all and let God sort em’ out Is this what God wants us to do (Repeat Bridge) And the bewildered herd is still believing Everything we’ve been told from our birth Hell they won’t lie to me Not on my own damn TV But how much is a liars word worth And whatever happened to peace on earth Now you probably won’t hear this on your radio Probably not on your local TV But if there’s a time, and if you’re ever so inclined You can always hear it from me How much is one picker’s word worth And whatever happened to peace on earth But don’t confuse caring for weakness You can’t put that label on me The truth is my weapon of mass protection And I believe truth sets you free (Bridge) And the bewildered herd is still believing Everything we’ve been told from our birth Hell they won’t lie to me Not on my own damn TV But how much is a liars word worth And whatever happened to peace on earth
A bit off topic... Anyone notice the subtle Fox Bush man-lover propaganda last night at the beginning of the World Series intro? <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yPfxDFNlvR4&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yPfxDFNlvR4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Ladies and Gentleman, the greatest country and western songwriter of all time, Merle Haggard... http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines03/0725-02.htm New Merle Haggard Tune Blasts US Media Coverage of Iraq War by John Gerome NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A new Merle Haggard song that's critical of the media's coverage of the war in Iraq is garnering so much attention that it's being rushed to thousands of radio stations around the country, a spokesman for the country singer said Thursday. "We're mailing it out as we speak," Tom Thacker, vice president of Hag Records, said of the song "That's the News." "It's going to a broad range of stations." Thacker said the song has generated interest from media and fans. "It's another one of Merle Haggard's social commentaries," he said. "This time it's kind of opposed to the tone of 'The Fightin' Side of Me.'" That 1970 song was a pro-America anthem at the height of the Vietnam War. The new song chides the media for focusing on celebrity news and the death of Laci Peterson and her unborn child while fighting continues in Iraq. Haggard sings, "Suddenly it's over, the war is finally done/Soldiers in the desert sand still clinging to a gun/No one is the winner and everyone must lose/Suddenly the war's over, that's the news." The song ends with the lines, "Politicians do all the talking, soldiers pay the dues/Suddenly the war is over, that's the news." The single will be included on Haggard's new album, "Haggard Like Never Before," to be released in October. Haggard's song strikes a different tone than two recent country hits that supported war with Iraq: Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten?" and Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)." It also follows a sharp backlash against the Dixie Chicks earlier this year after singer Natalie Maines made a remark about President Bush at a London concert shortly before the Iraq war. "Just so you know," she said, "we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." Maines apologized for the phrasing of her remark, but sales of the Texas trio's discs plummeted and some radio stations banned their singles. In an essay on Haggard's Web site, the singer writes, "I don't even know the Dixie Chicks, but I find it an insult for all men and women who fought and died in past wars when almost the majority of America jumped down their throats for voicing an opinion. It was like a verbal witch-hunt and lynching." On the Net: Merle Haggard: http://www.merlehaggard.com/ Copyright 2003 The Associated Press ### "I don't even know the Dixie chicks, but I find it an insult for all the men and women who fought and died in past wars when almost the majority of America jumped down their throats for voicing an opinion. It was like a verbal witch-hunt and lynching. Whether I agree with their comments or not has no bearing.... As a country we need to look inward for the answers to the energy of the future. We need to bring down our demands for oil, rebuild some bridges and highways and allow the farmers to grow something that replenishes the soil. Those who don't know what that is, should do some research. The problem is not in Iraq and the answers are not in Iran. I hope were not buried alive beneath this pending financial collapse if the pipeline doesn't get through. Surely everything doesn't depend on oil!" -- Merle Haggad, June 2003
If we look at Country musicians who have leaned left or are leaning left vs. those that lean right, I'll take the left leaning musicians anytime. Though they aren't all good. Left/anti-war Dixie Chicks Johnny Cash Willy Nelson Merle Haggard Steve Earle Right/Pro-war Toby Keith Big and Rich(or whatever their name is) Clint Black The Left leaning musicians make much better music than those that lean right.
I'm not sure if you can say Johnny Cash was 'anti-war.' He spoke out about Vietnam specifically but also wrote songs like Remember the Alamo and Ragged Old Flag which would hardly fit in the anti-war genre.
I think you are splitting hairs. Based on everything I know and can read about the man, as the term is defined in the current discussion he would fit under the umbrella label of 'antiwar'. Undoubtedly he has at one time supported various forms of violence against opression so in the most technical terms you are correct. But I think in practical terms; the way the term get used in current everyday life, not so much.
There is some relevance to what he is saying. How many years into the future will people start demanding polygamy? How much of the populace has to be pro polygamy for it to have the same pull as gay marriage? It'll never stop. Marriage is either based on a spiritual belief and union, or simply a legal standing with no God influence at all. That's where the debate lies. It's like having girls demand to be let into the boy scouts, rather than get their own set of beliefs, rules, and organization to enter into (Girlscouts).
True, but by the same standard people who are against Iraq were also supportive of war in Afghanistan, WWII etc. Even if he isn't anti-war he is still left leaning. Man in Black is a song not only against Viet Nam but about the oppressed, convicts, poor etc.
