Merle Haggard --Great protest song and video

[Catamount]

Whether you like Country music or not, he has this great new protest song on his website, you just look on the top left of his site and click "Free MP3 Song".
"Lets liberate America first!" is my favorite line.
Apparently he used to be a big repug, but no longer!
I suppose traveling around with Bob Dylan on his tour might have made him 'think twice'.

http://merlehaggard.com/

[MissMarple]

1. I think Merle Haggard may be a populist...and an American.

CMT and GAC have played the video. It is quite powerful. "Let's put America first" should be put on billboards all over the country. It is way past time to put American's first.

[Hand]

2. Oh, yeah...

Old Merle's been through a lot of changes since "Okie from Muskogee", and they've all been for the better. He's apologized for that song more than once. :patriot:

[LiberalinNC]

3. I wonder if Country Stations will protest against him now???

:evilgrin:

[Catamount]

4. Have they done that in the past?

Excuse my ignorance!

[Lefty48197]

5. That sounded like a reference to the Dixie Chicks boycott

that the right wingers started after the ladies dared open their mouths.

[Catamount]

6. Oh,of course!

[fishwax]

10. they don't care enough to protest him

alas, most country formats don't give him the time of day these days--not top 40 enough ...

But it would still be funny to see. :evilgrin:

[Zomby Woof]

7. He was never a Republican OR a Democrat

He, like the much-discussed Neil Young as of late, is his own political animal. Part populist, part chest-beating Amurikan, part pacifist, and part jingoist at other times... Merle has evolved, but not necessarily from right to left. Remember, his new song with Gretchen Wilson is called "Politically Uncorrect" and is much in the same vein as "The Fightin' Side Of Me".

I will give him credit for disavowing "Okie From Muskogee" a few years ago... he changed some of the lyrics, and says he was being stupid about a stupid war at a time when the country was being stupid. (paraphrase, but he used the word 'stupid' a lot). And a few years ago on his website, he defended the Dixie Chicks' right to free speech, even though he disagreed with them. He also hinted he believed 2000 was stolen... and knows the Iraq war is about oil. So truly, he is hard to pigeonhole along the normal left or right dichotomies. His hanging out with Willie Nelson for the past few decades has had more effect than a tour or two with Dylan.

I love the Hag, but it is dicey to lump him in with them or us. He has people on both sides laying claim to him, and he will keep it that way.

[HuskerDU]

14. In addition to Willie and Dylan, I believe that the lovely and

talented Iris Dement has had his ear in recent years. And I agree with your assessment of Merle's politics.

[Catamount]

16. Thanks, I really didn't know much about him until....

the Dylan tour last year. Of course I'd heard of him, but Thom Hartman talked about him this morning and announced the link. He said "When you've lost Merle Haggard--you've lost America" a sentiment I was happy to hear expressed.
I love music in most of its forms, but was put off with the country stuff after 9/11, since it seemed over-patriotic and totally repug- until recent months, when the trend seems to be reversing, in general.
Of course I'm talking about the mainstream audience singers, not the poets and soothsayers that we all listen to.
Actually since the last election, my radio listening consists of 10.90am--where at least you get to hear a few licks of great numbers.

[Ernesto]

8. Sorry, but I lived in Redding Ca for years.....

Mr Haggard was a well know celebrity resident in that small town.. The man was NOT popular with locals. Mention his name in Redding, & just about everybody there had a story of his arrogant (I'm special: above the rules of decent conduct) behavior.
His music? I don't pay attention. Mention his name, & I just think of the 1st person accounts of his nasty personality, espeacialy from lady friends that were gropped by him.

[pitohui]

17. well it's never worth it to meet a celebrity

i'm always sorry when i do, they're just abt all nasty and arrogant, or maybe it just seems that way because they have to be so guarded

best thing to do if you like someone's work is to not know too much abt their private life

picasso was anti-war too

[Ernesto]

9. ..

[Catamount]

11. woops

delete

[ZRB]

12. That was very good

Hopefully these protest songs will keep on coming!

[Tanyah]

13. Excellent!

:toast:

[pitohui]

15. another kick

i posted it in a thread the other night but i think it dropped pretty fast, it was late

another kick for merle!