8-30-06, 8:51 am
In fact, the trio appeared on the cover of the May 29, 2006 issue of Time Magazine. Maines took back her earlier statement: “I apologized for disrespecting the office of the president. But, I don’t feel that way anymore. I don’t feel he is owed any respect whatsoever.” Their newest CD Taking the Long Way, with their keynote song, “Not Ready to Make Nice” is there response to their detractors. They are still selling out large arenas. Their new CD is a truly great musical experience.
Similarly, Steve Earle, a popular folk/country artist, with a deep popularity in the country and western raucous, roadhouse world, has been challenging his fan base with songs opposing the death penalty, banning landmines and more recently overt anti-war songs. Another country rock star, James McMurtry, son of the mega star writer Larry McMurtry, has also moderately challenged his own fans, but now, with his latest CD, Childish Things he delivered his dramatically powerful “We Can’t Make it Here” to his audiences which now includes, the July 2005 Dallas, Texas gathering of Veterans for Peace. This gathering launched Cindy Sheehan’s attack on the Iraq War. Both Earle’s and McMurtry’s popularity has not diminished. But, their fan bases are not on the same scale as the Dixie Chicks and other major stars like Neil Young, the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen.
Neil Young’s recent award-winning concert film and DVD, Heart of Gold, directed by academy award winner filmmaker Jonathan Demme, featured his new Grammy award winning CD Prairie Wind, which was written in the middle of 2005 just a few months after Young was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. This brush with a serious medical condition seemed to have thrust him into a new level of songwriting and producing. Young had some sharp criticisms of the way religion is being politically used in the country. He also wrote and sang a poignant and scathing song appealing for racial unity, “When God Made Me.” Young is known for his soft-spoken, hard-playing songs. Until recently any political comments were quite oblique and often open to different interpretations. But, now, in his newly released CD, Living With War, Young went back to his historic anti-war song, almost 40 years ago, called “Ohio” which documented the killing of 4 Kent State Students protestors during the Viet Nam War. He seemed to pick up on the rage he expressed in his creation of “Greendale,” a CD, an immediate DVD and film about environmental crises. The 18-year old lead character, Sun Green, is woman activist who takes direction action to save the environment.
In Living with War, Young has come out swinging, there is no mistaking his lyrics. In fact, Young was so impassioned by the lyrics and presentation, that he had them made available on his website over three weeks prior to the release of the CD. You can be sure, that while a large proportion of Young’s fan base are aware of his liberal viewpoints, they are not going to be ready for his rage at the Bush administration. His impassioned opposition to the war in Iraq is coupled with his way out, “Impeach the President.” There is also a strong social justice theme in the CD.
The CD was written, produced and released in a very short period of time. Themes running through the CD are accusing the Bush administration of “lying, lying and lying” about the war to domestic issues: “Let’s impeach the President for lyin’; and misleading our country into war; abusing all the power we gave him; and, shipping all our money out the door.” Connecting to the “Prairie Wind” CD he further accuses the President: “Let’s impeach the President for hijacking; Our religion and using it to get elected; Dividing our country into colors; and, still leaving Black people neglected.” Spliced inside this song are actual sound clips of Bush’s press statement, e.g., “mission accomplished.”
In the “Looking for a Leader” Young urges leaders to step forward, “And, I hope he hears the call; and maybe it’s a woman; or a Black man afterall.” In the song “Shock and Awe,” Young draws attention to the returning military dead: “Thousands of bodies in the ground; brought home in boxes to a trumpet’s sound.” In “Flags of Freedom,” he directly links to the 1963 song by Bob Dylan which helped ignite a period of protest. Young’s lyrics here update those thoughts and respond to the sea of US flags that are in some communities, but he sees a different message from those flags: “Flags that line old Main Street; are blowin’ in the wind; these must be the flags of freedom flyin’.”
Critics could have labeled this CD more journalistic than musical, but that is unjust. Young knows how to write and sing his thoughts so that the highest form of rock music is created. This is hard driving passionate CD. It is a truly important effort.
In interviews, he has made it clear that he isn’t done yet. Though the rocker is Canadian born, he has lived in Northern California for over 40 years. In his film Heart of Gold, Young takes us back to his purchase of that Northern California ranch and the couple who were living there. At that time Young was about 24 years old and the man was far older. That was where he wrote, “Old Man Take a Look at Your Life.” In the DVD, Young talks about and sings that song with a new gusto and personal commitment. He sells out his concerts and those he teams up with his old crew, Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The singer with the world’s biggest rock and roll fan base may be Bruce Springsteen. With his newest CD dedicated to Peter Seeger and entitled We Shall Overcome – the Seeger Sessions, Springsteen sends a clear message where his political allegiances lie. On this CD, while he doesn’t sing any songs written by Seeger, Springsteen combines the themes of Louisiana Dixieland and Cajun harmonies/melodies with traditional folk music, US and international. The Irish anti-war song, “Mrs. McGrath” will be familiar to Irish traditionalists. It sends a message for justice and peace that is unmistakably anti-war and angry: “Then came Ted without any legs; and in their place two wooden legs; she kissed him a dozen times or two; and, said, ‘My God Ted is that you?’” And, a comment on foreign wars which clearly is a reference to the Iraq war:
All foreign wars I do proclaim live on blood and a mother’s pain I’d rather have any son as he used to be than the king of America and his whole Navy!
The folk/blues economic based songs of “Eyes on the Prize” and “Pay Me My Money Down” is especially important in these days of economic crisis. They display his call for economic justice as we fight for a peaceful world. Mocking the excess wealth of Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, the Boss sings:
Well I wish I was Mr. Gates pay me my money down they’d haul my money in, in crates pay me my money down.”
Songs like “Erie Canal” and “John Henry” put Springsteen squarely on the side of working people. Starting the CD with “Old Dan Tucker” was genius. It gets listeners off their seats and dancing. This has always been Pete Seeger’s mantra. It comes as no surprise that he started his tour with this CD at the May 2006, Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans – the place where the Bush administration has showed its true class and race biases. Moving much closer to folk and blues will be a challenge to many Springsteen fans.
Springsteen’s previous CD Devils and Dust presents his searing comments on capitalist globalization. His albums Nebraska and Tom Joad were important populists efforts, but this latest release moves him toward a folk audience that might prove to be very different.
On the other hand, Mick Jagger, lead singer for the Rolling Stones, not known for being anything more than an ageless angry iconoclastic, raucous, sexual angst icon in his rock and roll songs, delivered a sharp blow to the Bush administration in the Stones’ new CD, A Bigger Bang. The CD’s songs were traditional Stones with lots of their usual sexual references and seemingly mindless anger. But, one song will challenge their fan base. It is called: “SWEETNEOCON.” The song is written by Jagger and Keith Richards. They start off the song with,
You call yourself a Christian I think that you’re a hypocrite You say you are a patriot I think that you are a cock of shit
Later in this song, they take direct swings at Bush and Halliburton,
But one thing is certain Life is Good at Halliburton If you’re really so astute You should Invest in Brown and Root.
Just before that phrase, they worry about the attack on civil liberties:
It’s liberty, for all Democracy’s our style Unless you are against us then it’s prison without trial.
This CD was released late in 2005. Invited to sing at the football Super Bowl in Detroit, Michigan, at the end of January 2006, NFL owners reportedly were fearful that the band would sing that song. They didn’t. But, the song remains on the Stones CD. Recently, it was reported that the Stones were booked into the best suite in the best hotel in Vienna, the Imperial Hotel, the place where world leaders also billeted. It was reported that the Bush administration had their eye on that same suite that Jagger had. But, Jagger made it clear that they would not be giving it up to their favorite Neo Con. The Stones have since denied this rumor – a typical Stones’ denial that somehow gets out.
While not every musical crossover yields anti-war, social justice themes, many are nonetheless significant and progressive. Why? Many music listeners are often mired in their own cultural world. They often do not understand or appreciate other genres. “Crossing over” often represents an opening of a new world, a change that benefits both worlds. In some situations, the move represents a progressive turn. A number of major artists have moved into that direction, and, as evident, from country and western tradtions. Whether it represents a blue to red state challenge isn’t stated. Who is to say? Certainly not the artists, (at least not publicly).
Old time rock and sometimes jazz star Van Morrison in is his second crossover [his “You Win Again” with Jerry Lee Lewis’ kin, Linda Gail Lewis, being his first in that direction] to country and western, put out Pay the Devil recently. This artist includes the lyrics of some old time favorites like, “There Stands the Glass.” Morrison often moves between jazz and rock; but the move to country and western is very different.
In another cross over development Grammy award winning jazz singer and pianist Nora Jones, in honoring Willie Nelson, combined with her Austin, Texas friends a CD entitled, The Little Willies. The Jones CD, oddly, does not include a booklet. Jazz star Nora Jones’ crossover represents a bigger shift for her fans than the Morrison move. Jazz enthusiasts are often not understanding of country and western roots. And, country and western enthusiasts of Willy Nelson, by listening to Jones, moves them in a progressive direction. The struggle against racism is particularly enhanced by this crossover. While both represent progressive movement in action; and are certainly worth buying, but, again please don’t look for direct political lyrics. That is not the point here. It is the action of linking these music genres which is objectively progressive.
As can be seen from the above, while we move toward the 2006 congressional elections, there is a growing creative artists’ movement helping to throw out the Republicans and give the people a real chance to challenge for the White House. They seem to understand that we cannot wait for the 2008 presidential elections. These song writers and singers, combined with the “over the top” film makers and actors, as witnessed by this year’s Academy Awards winners are surely just the tip of a swelling iceberg of fight back among artists, writers and performers.
The arts, theatre and music community is reflecting the peace and justice majority in our country. The Bush administration’s rock bottom approval rating must be extended to the ballot box in November 2006 and beyond. The deepening political resolve to put people back in charge of our government, as reflected in the arts and creative community, makes that all the more possible.
