Mr Woodward,
I have tried to talk myself out of replying to this. But i am, and this
will be the last time Ill discuss this garbage on here.
You Said">Not to put too fine a point on it, but have you actually
heard the song
and/or read the lyrics, or are you making an assumption based on what
others
have said? When you say "evidently," I assume that means you haven't.
This isn't an attack on you, but I would urge you & everyone else to
reserve
judgement on *anything* until you have investigated it for yourself.
As it happens, "John Walker's Blues" is a STORY SONG, which is an old, OLD
tradition in mountain music, & puts the writer in the place of the
protagonist, & neither condones or condemns his actions...the subject is
just telling his story from his POV.
Considering all the murder ballads, all the gals "Little Willie" has
gleefully killed over the years ("Pretty Polly," "Little Glass of Wine,"
etc.), all the songs about bad men ("Jesse James," "The Ballad of Carol
Chessman"), most of which don't condemn them & sometimes even elevate them
to hero status (take a look some time at how many innocent people Jesse
James killed during his "career"), I think it's a little silly to pass
judgement on Steve Earle. I think it's ludicrous to make unfounded
negative
judgements on the man just because he is following a long tradition of
writing story songs...this one just happens to be about a controversial
contemporary figure...but then so was Jesse at the time that song came to
be...
Yes sir, Ive heard the song, i wouldnt have commented on it if I hadn't. I
clearly made the point that some artists step beyond writing songs and
become politicians of sort. And by doing this, they are going to lose alot
of their fan base. I myself said that this is a touchy subject, and that
was my only point. You claim that what John Walkers Blues is a story song
which is an old tradition in mountain music. Pal, the obvious difference
here is that Steve Earle wrote a song, in the eyes of John Walker Lindh who
is a traitor and a treasonist in the eyes of our American law. How many
Mountain traditionalist would write such a song? How about if Ralph
recorded "Osama's Blues"? Ill tell you it aint gonna happen. What youre
saying is completely ignorant.
In addition, Steve Earle recorded and released this song shortly after 911
and the start of havoc in the middle east. Families crushed from the loss
of their sons and daughters, and you think we should be opened minded about
such a song? And I even said that i enjoyed all of Steve Earles previous
material. I posted my previous message to merely give an example of how
people become offended by musicians who try to become political speakers.
And its going to happen pal, musicians are going to write offensive songs,
and people will be offended by them. That's all i was saying.
Writing a song about Jesse James, who died in 1892, is really a pathetic
comparison to a tune about a modern day monster such as John Walker. And
not that it makes any difference to you, but had you walked down those
streets of Baghdad as I have, you might be a lil offended by it as well.
To be perfectly honest, I dont agree with our war. But that doesnt mean im
going to go join the enemy, or write songs degrading our soldiers, cause
thats exactly whats happening.
And you say its ludicrous to make negative unfound judgements on Steve
Earle. I never said anything negative about him. I simply said I havent
thought the same of him since. How could you take a comment like that and
just make up this big story? I stand by Steve Earles right to put out
whatever political garbage that he wants, but my friend, i have the right
not to buy it, or like it.
I apologise to everyone else on the list who come here to talk about
bluegrass. thats what it should be about. Before being attacked by Mr
Woodward, I even said that politics just starts our own little wars, and
would probably be better left outside this discussion forum. This will be
my last post about this, and Mr Woodward can go attack somebody else now,
maybe he should try selling Nazi records to Jewish people.
God Bless Everyone
Willie
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