Posted on 11/20/2007 6:33:56 AM PST by Zakeet
Democrats angered at the image of country and western as Right-wing “redneck music” are planning a tour of Middle America during the 2008 election campaign by Nashville artists opposed to the Iraq war.
An alliance called the Music Row Democrats is poised to re-launch itself early next year in an attempt to seize back country music from the Republican camp and spread their message that President George W. Bush’s party does not care about ordinary people.
Slowly but surely, more country singers are performing songs critical of the Bush administration. Merle Haggard, who once sang the anti-hippie anthem “Okie from Muskogee” for President Richard Nixon at the White House has even penned a tribute to Hillary Clinton.
In his “Hillary", dedicated to the Democratic front runner, Haggard sings: “This country needs to be honest/ Changes need to be large/ Something like a big switch of gender/ Let's put a woman in charge."
Pro-war songs like Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" and “American Solider”, and Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten (About Bin Laden)?" still dominate country music stations.
But some country stars such as Tim McGraw – who has said he may run for Tennessee governor – have “come out” as Democrats.
“Republican Blues”, by the bluegrass artist Tim O’Brien, dealt with issues ranging from domestic spying by the US government to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Music Row Democrats was first formed in 2004, after the Dixie Chicks were boycotted and banned from country radio stations when their lead singer Natalie Maines said just before the Iraq invasion that she was ashamed Mr Bush was from her native Texas.
It now boasts more than 1,300 members in Nashville, the home of country music.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Here’s the ones I’ve heard of:
1. Nanci Griffith - - she did a nice duet with the Counting Crows dude on ‘Going Back to Georgia’. She’s pretty good, but she’s no Iris DeMent.
2. James McMurtry - - son of novelist Larry McMurtry. One good song of his is, ‘Painting by Numbers’ from about twenty years ago.
3. The Mavericks - - pretty good band, been around awhile, but they are NOT Lynyrd Skynyrd (great Americans).
Merle must have quit drinking and switched to LSD.
Oh boy, that will no doubt be a real "sell out".
Agreed but still just can't get into it. I prefer classic rock
I’m a huge country music fan and the only three I recognized are not true country - and certainly not superstars! Nanci Griffin is more bluegrass, Beth Nielson Chapman - the same; and the Mavericks are a bunch of guys from Miami - love their music - country it’s not! I still refuse to listen to or buy the DCs; still listen to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill but refuse to buy anything put out by them - don’t want to help finance the campaign of someone who says Hilary’s husband is the best prez we ever had.
Well my ol' dog died..
kum bay yah
And my TeeVee's fried...
kum bay yah
The train jumped the tracks...
kum bay yah
'Cause Bush is in Iraq...
kum bay yah
Naaah.
Nevermind.
It'll never fly, Orville.
That dog won't hunt.
Maybe Doug from Upland can do something with it...
and of course mamma.....a true country song is about trucks, prison, getting drunk, cussing and mamma....and that’s defined by David Allan Coe in his song about the “perfect country song”....
one of them was married to trisha yearwood until she divorced him for garth....
Roll Tide, Di :)
The lead singer of the Mavericks always boasted about his Cuban roots,seems he has more in common with Mark Cuban.
I think you just may have "nuanced" my response. I didn't mean to offend.
:)
Roll Tide....now if we can just roll a bit better this saturday then we did last saturday!
Check out the song “Not Ready To End The Fight” by U.S. Marine David Thibodeaux. It’s an answer song to the Dixie Chicks’ song “Not Ready To Make Nice.”
His song is posted on his myspace page at: www.myspace.com/davidthibodeauxmusic
This should get Hillary the Dems excited!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.