Merle Haggard: "Let's Get Out of Iraq"

[stevedeshazer]

By CHET FLIPPO

The other day, a friend sent me a long e-mail string from a chatroom about back-and-forth arguments over whether or not Merle Haggard is the all-time if greatest country artist. Almost in baseball terms, people were contemplating who is the MVP in country music history as songwriter, musician, performer, recording artist, bandleader, icon, etc. Several people posited Johnny Cash as a likelier candidate. Then the Willie Nelson advocates chimed in.

<snip>

At age 68, he's just about seen it all and done it all and heard it all, but he still has many things on his mind. Over the years, he's commented on the state of affairs in this country, but he's never been politically predictable. Haggard has always been deeply patriotic, but obviously that does not always mean hewing to a particular political stance or political party. He speaks his mind.

<snip>

"That's the News," his 2003 song commenting on Iraq, pretty much chastised the government and the media for swallowing the administration's spin that the war was over and won. Now he moves on to the matter of the U.S. being in Iraq, period. "Rebuild America First" is pretty honest and blunt. In part, he sings:

"Yea, men in position but backing away
Freedom is stuck in reverse
Let's get out of Iraq and get back on the track
And let's rebuild America first."

more: http://www.counterpunch.org/flippo10182005.html

[pauldp]

1. Go Merle! n/t

[MazeRat7]

2. Hats off to Merle, Johnny, Willie, Steve, Neil and so many others

Thats the difference between a true "artist" and a wanna-be "performer". These guys (and gals) have something to say. Sometimes the medium is Country, sometimes Rock, sometimes Blues, sometimes Hip-hop (forgive me rock gods and don't strike me down)...sometimes (fill in your genre here).

Troubadours have ALWAYS been able to capture the underlying current of emotion in a given period of history. Listen to what they are saying and you can get a much more accurate view of the populists sentiment than any pollster could ever provide.

A salute to all the other songwriters out there...

MZr7

[stevedeshazer]

21. Well, there was this one fella

[jody]

3. If you liked the Dixie Chicks, you'll love Haggard.

Now if we can get a few NASCAR drivers to ask Bush why are rednecks dying in Iraq and not Jenna and Barbara, then blue-collar workers that Bush has betrayed might realize that Dubya is the biggest failure as a president this country has ever had.

[Metta]

4. He's come a long way since "Fighting side of me."

I saw him drape himself in the flag when he sang that song.

[jody]

5. Age sometimes but not always brings wisdom. In Haggards case, it worked.

[DefenseLawyer]

6. I have heard him at various times

say in interviews that that song and "Okie from Muskogee" were originally done rather tongue in cheek, but became big hits so he just went with it. On the other hand, I have also heard him play the love it or leave it card in many interviews as well. Show business.

[Metta]

7. I welcome whoever's on the side of truth, justice and the American way.

and I forgive with an open hand. Mostly.

[jody]

8. I'll drink to that and Haggard commands a large blue collar audience.

:toast:

[Metta]

9. Yeah, he's one of the big ones. I heard that Toby Keith came over, too.

I didn't get the full details of that one.

[IndyOp]

15. Oh, wow! Finally "Okie from Muskogee" makes sense! It was a joke -

I know Muskogee and I could not understand who or why that song was ever written, until now. I learn so much hanging out at DU!

[Hissyspit]

23. I've heard him mention them as character studies.

He sang songs about people doing all kinds of stuff and believing all kinds of stuff that people didn't necessarily believe.

Even when I was little kid, I knew the hypocrisy inherent in the lyrics of "Okie from Muskogee" condemning marijuana use and celebrating moonshine consumption. I don't think it went over his head. He was singing about the state of the country at the time, communicating the social and cultural context.

[Hissyspit]

22. Character study. I don't think he took it too literally. nt

[prescole]

10. Hannity tried to destroy the Dixie Chicks' career

for saying something similar.

I dare the little fart to try that with Merle Haggard...

[Joey Liberal]

11. Let's see Clear Channel try to ban Merle

I'd like to see Merle slap Charlie Daniels.

[patrioticliberal]

14. they dont play him anyway. so?

[stevedeshazer]

18. Well, as a country music fan myself,

THEY FUCKIN' SHOULD! :)

[DefenseLawyer]

20. Of course back in the day

Charlie Daniels had one of the great anti-redneck songs of all time called "Uneasy Rider". I don't put much stock in any of them as anything more than a guy trying to make a buck.

[Peace Patriot]

12. Great lyric! Really on-target rhyme! In the '60s, it was the young...

...musicians who wrote the songs of that era's revolutionary spirit, in a sudden explosion of new language and musical invention. I've been wondering where the music is today--the music to inspire the free and rebellious spirit of our land, the greatest progressive project ever begun on earth. Perhaps it will be the old who call forth the spirits this time.

Admittedly, I'm not up on today's music. Anything doing?

[Dancing_Dave]

16. More happening in the UK, actually.

Check out "Help: A Day in the Life" , a benefit for the Warchild charity. Yes, rockers trying to fix some of the terrible damage that the U.S. and U.K. have done to children in Iraq and elsewhere. Stirling contributions from a lot of great UK recording artists who aren't all well-known in the States yet...but you'll be hearing more about them!

http://www.warchildmusic.com/featurepage.asp

[Quixote1818]

13. I remember Haggard sticking up for the Dixie Chicks

He was pissed! He seems like a man of his word and a true gentleman.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

17. This part is less encouraging.

He describes a country almost paralyzed by uncertainty, a nation where the Ten Commandments can't be displayed,
<snip>
Are we a nation under God anymore

And here we see our boy Merle propagating the oh-so-popular myth that liberals want to burn all the bibles, tear down the churches, and kill anyone who tries to pray. Because those horrible commies just can't deal with the fact that this is Gawds' Country - our Gawd, not theirs. :sarcasm:

[Ksec]

19. Whats Hank Jr. saying about the war?

Anyone know?

Its a really good sign when country artists turn. They have loads of influence on a huge part of this country.

[Kenroy]

24. Did any of you READ the article?

His complaint is that America isn't right-wing ENOUGH.

"Are we a nation under God anymore/How long do we cower down/Is this really still our ground/Our country is like a prisoner of war/Where's all the freedom that we're fightin' for."

And he complains that the 10 Commandments can't be displayed. He wants us to focus on building our OWN theocratic republic before we build one in Iraq.

I swear, if Charles Manson said something bad about Bush, we'd have a thread on how misunderstood he was.

[DefenseLawyer]

26. Charlie was framed!

Just kidding.

[Kenroy]

27. oooh...

why I oughtta....

[oxbow]

25. So Where's all the Freedom?

Isn't that one of his songs. I think its about the Patriot Act

[Joe Chi Minh]

28. I can't believe anyone's interpretation of Green, Green Grass of

Home could match Merle Haggard's.

The way he delivers the words he speaks are absolutely perfect, and as moving as the lines he sings. Talk about getting into the mood! He'd have made a fabulous actor, but the world would have probably have lost a great singer.

Instead of singing the words he sings, I find myself repeating the words he speaks - which is pretty good news, as my singing would disgrace a neocon! And ye cain't get worsereran 'at!

[tahoedenver]

29. Where the Bush Administration screwed up

They missed out on their white rural base. They've completely ignored them for the past 4 years and focused only on their Middle East policies. This has led to massive outsourcing and thus huge loss of jobs in rural America. Thus people like Willie Nelson and Haggard, who stand for America's farmers, are backing away from the party they normally would probably support.

These men are populists. They want to see *their people* succeed first. They want to worry about America first and others later.

The Bush Administration has been acting very odd since this so called War on Terrorism has begun. They have acted as if they were elected to represent Iraqis - giving Iraqis American money, setting them up a government, fighting their war for them. Haggard and other former Republican supporters are asking where the attention is - because it's not on the American people. This administration is so out of focus that it has even lost much of it's "country" base.