Your Take: Mixing Politics and Country Music

I used to hate when an artist would write about anti-government or anti-Bush or even anti-war, but after listening to an interview with The Boss about a year or so ago I began to open my mind and thoughts to a different way of thinking. He talked about how songwriting has always been an outpouring of his thoughts and emotion. And during the writing of his album Magic his anti-war thoughts poured into his writing. And what came off that album was some of the best stuff he’s done, IMHO.

While I’ve changed my tune on what musicians write about, I still hate when they use their position in the public eye to spout of a political agenda. They are in the public eye because they are entertainers… not because they got an A in Social Studies. I think it’s a shame that people may cast a vote for Obama because The Boss supports him instead of actually understanding what his policy’s are.

In the end, I go to shows to listen to music. I may take a bathroom break during a song I don’t like.. but don’t preach at me just because you have a mic and I don’t. That one-way communication is just crap.

There is a long, 200+ year tradition in our country of mixing art, nee music, and politics and I would stand on Abraham Lincoln’s coffee table wearing George Washington’s cowboy boots — or something like that — to argue that it is one of the many things that makes this a great country.

Whether it comes from the left or the right makes no difference. Every artist — every citizen — has a fundamental right to express his or her views freely. From Toby Keith to Steve Earle, they can all make their voices heard and we, as consumers, can decide whether to lend them our ears. But to silence any voice would be the greatest sin.

I don’t agree with Cindy2’s view about a “lack of objective knowledge.” Indeed many somgwriters are pointedly clear and show great insight and nuance to give us a name and face of many in the underclass who are easily lost in the shuffle of politics and media in this day and age. Springsteen is a master of this, of course, as is McMurtry and others. Who is going to be the voice for the voiceless?

But to fear the “risk [of] alienating part of their audience?” No true artist worth their Stetson would even give that a second thought.

I look at this from the perspective of a novelist. I have four characters trying to figure out what they are going to do with their lives. Yet I still have to set these characters in the world they live in. It would be unrealistic to have three girls from small towns in Oregon not have relatives in the service and to not have these relatives go to Iraq. Its unrealistic not to have all four women have strong opinions on Bush. For all that this is not supposed to be a book about politics, I cannot set it in the 2003-2006 time frame without political references because those poliical references define the times.
Music is the voice of its era and there it it simply unrealistic to expect at least part of the music of its time to reflect the politics of the time.

To me, the only danger of addressing an issue in song is that the song will later sound dated. Then again, “Ohio” is a classic, so maybe it just has to be a good song.

I don’t mind artists mixing politics with their music. To me, challenging the status quo and making people think and feel is what art should do. I like the brainless bop your head song as much as the next person when I’m in a club or bar or occasionally sitting in the car focused on other things, but those songs are not why I love music. True artists – like the Boss – are focused on making music that is an honest reflection of their lives and the times. They make music that they can sing with conviction and feeling. How many times on this blog do we say “I didn’t believe him when he sang that” or “I didn’t feel any emotion coming from her in the song”?

In many ways, I feel that mainstream pop and mainstream country are the only two genres that go out of their way to maintain the status quo. They stick to themes like love and heartbreak and having fun, because the end goal is simply not to offend anyone. How can we criticize country music for playing it safe, but then get ticked off when certain artists don’t play it that way? As I get older, those are increasingly becoming my two least favorite kinds of music. Hip hop, rap, blues, rock, alternative, folk, americana, etc. all challenge the status quo. They challenge their listeners.

I started reading this blog because I love country music but could no longer listen to country radio. It seemed like the artists, the labels and country radio simply stopped trying. Trying to be different. Trying to be interesting. Trying to be creative. Trying to challenge their listeners. Any time I hear a country artist with an opinion, I’ll take the time to listen to his/her music. Not because I necessarily agree with it, but, sadly, it’s enough these days that they have one.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot to talk about these days. Our country is currently fighting in two wars, contemplating a third, I have many friends who have recently been laid off because they are teachers or work in the housing industry, there are at least 5 houses in my neighborhood that are in foreclosure, I want to cry everytime I fill my car with gas and I’m watching the news and what are they reporting on – OMG, Rachel Ray wore a terrorist scarf in a donut commercial, Hilary Clinton has a funny laugh, and Obama terrorist fist bumps with his wife and doesn’t wear a flag pin. Seriously?!?!?!? I feel like the more serious or worse things get in our world, the more people don’t want to talk about it, but we NEED to talk about it. On this 4th of July, everyone was asked what patriotism meant to them. To me, in crass terms, it means simply “giving a sh*t.” Because honestly, too many people don’t. They’d rather watch American Idol than figure out what McCain or Obama plan to do about healthcare or education (both of which desperately need fixing).

So, while it’s easy to criticize an artist with a cause or an opinion, they care. Maybe they have the luxury of caring, but who are we to criticize? What have we done lately? Instead of being pissed off at an artist with an opinion, take it for what it’s worth – it’s their personal opinion, their take on the times, their personal experience. You can agree or disagree. You aren’t trying to be converted. America is supposed to be a melting pot – a melting pot of people, from different heritages and cultures, with different religions, different ideas and opinions. When did we stop wanting to hear opinions different from our own?

Artists are people too – mothers, wives, husbands, daughters, neighbors, and most importantly, citizens. Their opinions and experiences matter just as much as ours. And if they didn’t express those opinions or experiences through their art, then they wouldn’t be artists.

So, on this 6th of July (2 days late), here’s a salute to the artists – be it Republican, Democrat, Independent or International – who do give a sh*t!! :P

I agree that most musicians don’t know the Constitution from Bill of Rights but they have every right to spout off, as long as it doesn’t cause their music to suck. And some actually are pretty insightful without carving a career out of it, Cash singing Peter La Farge’s “The Ballad of Ira Hayes and Hag and Marty Stuart doing “Farmer’s Blues” and then there’s those that have built a career on it, Steve Earle, James McMurtry and Todd Snider.

I agree with Lynn, opinionated music doesn’t piss me off, boring music does.

Chris N. I downloaded Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire and it was scary how many apt it still was.

I’d also like to commend Lynn. She said it all.

Artists should write and sing about whatever is important to them, so there’s no reason why politics should be excluded from that. They shouldn’t write bad simplistic politically oriented songs, but they shouldn’t write band simplistic songs period.
The list of politically oriented classics is vast – Ohio, Fortunate Son, Masters of War, A Change Is Gonna Come, How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live, etc.

I agree largely with Amy’s point. The issue is expectations.

If I pay for a Brooks & Dunn concert ticket, I expect a certain kind of show that doesn’t include partisan politics. If B&D started playing political songs instead of their lightweight hits, I might feel ripped off. On the other hand, If I go to a Steve Earle concert, and Earle starts singing about “Putting a Girl in It,” it feel similarly ripped off.

In both cases, I’m not getting what I paid for, and that is a problem.

But I certainly think singers should address political matters if they so choose. If an act that generally stays away from partisan politics wants to include a political song or two in concert, that won’t bother me. But it would be an issue if it came at the expense of satisfying my general expectations of the kind of concert I’m paying to attend. (of course if I like the political song more than the music I expected to hear, I’d be happy).

It seems–

If you agree with the artist speaking out, you think it’s okay. If you don’t agree with the artist, it’s not okay.

Now, I don’t agree with that. I think it’s okay to speak your mind–in general–without worrying about the machine.

Its their right to delve into politics if they please, and its my right to tune them out if I please.

IMO if the chicks had said that in the US no big deal but don’t go raggin’ on your country in a foreign country. Like I can talk about my mama but you can’t kinda thing if that makes sense.

We need to concentrate on the things that unite us and not let all the politicians divide us. We’re all Americans, and we all have different opinions, so what. That is what makes us great.

Also, that statement probably made England love us more than hate us.

Corey, you dont see any political connection to a song about the death penalty?? the song itself may not have intended to be political, in your opinion, but a song that makes such a polarizing lightning rod its focal point will be political, period.

After watching in dismay what happened to the Chicks, I decided I would not be the type of country music fan who lets an artist’s politics color my view of his or her musical abilities. I may not agree with everything Toby Keith or Darryl Worley or Brooks and Dunn say, but, good grief, I’m not going to drive over their CDs with a tractor. I can like their music without liking their politics.

I really dont care if musicians sing about politics because its their way of express, just dont expect your fans to feel the same way or expect us to agree with you because thats not we listen to your music for