US country-music singer casts somber light on war

[sabra]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N19368216&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-5

US country-music singer casts somber light on war


WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Darryl Worley rallied U.S. country music fans before the Iraq invasion with "Have You Forgotten?" a No. 1 hit that recalled the Sept. 11 attacks and issued an angry challenge to war critics.

Now, with Iraq a major issue in next months congressional elections, Worley is back on the charts with a new song, inspired by an Iraq veteran, that tells a quite different story.

It is a tale of a soldier's struggle to adjust to life back home from a difficult war. "I just came back / from a place where they hated me / and everything I stand for," Worley sings in "I Just Came Back (From a War)."

Worley is emphatic that the song is not political. But its downbeat sentiment echoes what polls say are growing doubts over the Iraq war in rural America -- a stronghold of country music, Bush conservatism and military patriotism.

"I just think the heart of America is like, 'hey we support the troops, but it's time to get out of there and bring the guys and gals home,'" said Philip Gibbons, assistant program director at radio station WGSQ, "The Country Giant" in Cookeville, Tennessee.

[johnnie]

1. Wow!

Can this dude make it any MORE apparent he is cashing in?

Hey, I'm glad people are finally realizing the mess georgie got us to in the first place, but this guy is priceless. Hey Darryl, you should have come to DU before the "war", you could have learned what it is taking people years to learn.

[saigon68]

36. NOT THIS FUCKING ASS CLOWN

http://www.lyrics007.com/Toby%20Keith%20Lyrics/Courtesy%20Of%20The%20Red,%20White%20And%20Blue%20(The%20Angry%20American)%20Lyrics.html


Hey Uncle Sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the Statue of Liberty
Started shakin' her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, it's gonna be hell
When you hear Mother Freedom
Start ringin' her bell
And it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
And you'll be sorry that you messed with
The U.S. of A.
'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way

[wtmusic]

2. Oops, we f*cked up!

"hey we support the troops, but it's time to get out of there and bring the guys and gals home"

Those Iraqis hate everything I stand for...invading their country and taking their resources...so now it's time to cut and run!

Darryl--Have You Forgotten?

[coalition_unwilling]

28. Support our Oops! (n/t)

[PuraVidaDreamin]

38. LOL

[DaveJ]

3. They rallied behind Rethugs hoping for a change...

And the change never happened. They still are without decent jobs or health insurance, and the obvious fallacy that Iraqis would welcome occupiers has been debunked by reality. Eventually they may further come to realize how Republicans were just taking advantage of their trust.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Uhoh.

This is not a Good Thing for Dear Leader. When the "simple country folk" turn away from Chimpy's Fine Adventure, he's toast.

[The Stranger]

5. Guess this imbecile has "forgotten."

First they lust for blood and then turn tail and run from what they created.

[Chipper Chat]

6. I'll bet Hannity wont have him on this time around.

Sean was all cozy with him when he sang "Have You Forgotten" on his show. Damn Sean - that's three you've lost this week - Darryl, Tim McGraw, and Sara Evans. You've got some splainin to do.

[Dogmudgeon]

12. Tim McGraw was in Bush's camp?

He must have defected early on -- I recall a number of RWers complaining that he was too libbrul to be a "real" American, let alone a Country Music star. But then again, most of my country listenin' is to commie basstids like Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Johnny Cash.

Sara Evans, on the other hand, has been snug in our Wise and Courageous Leader's warm, cozy back pocket since even before his electoral theft in 2000. Nice to see that she's been so supportive of good Christian Family Values in her tight cowboy bluejeans. (It's got to be ... perfect. Doesn't it, Sara?)

I've never heard of Worley, though I will give him points for having learned better.

--p!

[LostinVA]

22. No, he wasn't

And, Worley was a flaming Freeper. I distrust this "conversion."

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

33. Saw Steve Earle, Emmylou and Elvis in San Francisco 2 weeks ago

at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in GG Park. :thumbsup:

Highly political. 500,000 Chimp hating commies.

Other big hits: Richard Thompson and Todd Snider.*



*Conservative Christian, Right Wing, Republican, Straight, White, American Males

Conservative Christian, right wing Republican, straight, white, American male.
Gay bashin’, black fearin’, poor fightin’, tree killin’, regional leaders of the South
Frat housin’, keg tappin’, shirt tuckin’, back slappin’ haters of hippies like me.
Tree huggin’, peace lovin’, pot smokin’, porn watchin’ lazyass hippies like me.
Tree huggin’, love makin’, pro choicen, gay weddin’, widespread diggin’ hippies like me.
Skin color-blinded, conspiracy-minded, protestors of corporate greed,
We who have nothing and most likely will ‘till we all wind up locked up in jails
By conservative Christian, right wing Republican, straight, white, American males,.

Diamonds and dogs, boys and girls, living together in two separate worlds
Following leaders of mountains of shame, looking for someone to blame.

Diamonds and dogs, boys and girls, living together in two separate worlds
Following leaders of mountains of shame, looking for someone to blame.
I know who I like to blame:

Conservative Christian, right wing Republican, straight, white, American males,
Soul savin’, flag wavin’, Rush lovin’, land pavin’ personal friends to the Quayles
Quite diligently workin’ so hard to keep the free reins of this Democracy
From tree huggin’, peace lovin’, pot smokin’, barefootin’ folk-singin’ hippies like me.
Tree huggin’, peace lovin’, pot smokin’, porn watchin’ lazyass hippies like me.

:applause:

[Binka]

35. Wow What A Line Up! I Met Snider In 2000

He came to the radio station in NO Cal where I worked he is a great guy! I miss the Bay Area.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. Here's the whole line-up:

JOINING US THIS YEAR - Earl Scruggs, Hot Tuna Acoustic, Flying Other Brothers, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Robert Earl Keen, The Del McCoury Band, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Iris DeMent, Four Year Bender, Hazel Dickens, Billy Bragg, Dale Ann Bradley & Coon Creek, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle & the Bluegrass Dukes, Drive-By Truckers, Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, Tim O'Brien's Cornbread Nation with special guest Mollie O'Brien, Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin, The Devil Makes Three, Chatham County Line, Alejandro Escovedo, Jerry Douglas & Best Kept Secret, Gillian Welch, Scott Miller & The Commonwealth, Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Allison Moorer, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Alison Brown Quartet with special guest Joe Craven, Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Pine Leaf Boys, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Richard Thompson Solo Acoustic, The Lee Boys, Todd Snider, North Mississippi Allstars, Banjo Extravaganza with Bill Evans, Tony Trischka and Alan Munde, Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin, T Bone Burnett, The Waybacks w/ special guest Bob Weir, Heidi Clare & AtaGallop, Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, Willy Mason, The Avett Brothers, Richie Furay, Danny Barnes Collective, Annie & The Vets, The Opera Dukes, The Stairwell Sisters, Poor Man's Whiskey, Etienne de Rocher, Freakwater, A.J. Roach, Elvis Costello (solo & with the Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods), Barbary Coast Cloggers, Keystone Station, Kemo Sabe, David Berkeley, The Coward Brothers feat. Elvis Costello & T Bone Burnett, Jeffrey Luck Lucas & the Sorrows, Jon Langford, Rico Bell & Sally Timms of the Mekons, G.E. Smith, David Gans Trio, The Wronglers, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock, Songwriter Circle featuring Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson.

:wow:

[Frank Cannon]

40. Tim McGraw's always been a Dem

He's also pretty politically aware. No less than Bill Clinton has asked him to run for office, and McGraw has said he'd consider it once he's done with the music thing.

[LostinVA]

21. Tim McGraw is a long-time Dem n/t

[physioex]

32. I am sure....

Hammity will quickly forget it when he gets a free trip to the white house...

[meegbear]

7. Another asshole who wants to lecture on why the war is wrong ...

after lecturing people how wrong they are for not supporting it.

FUCK YOU WORLEY!

[Tempest]

8. Three years later the Dixie Chicks have been vindicated

Does this mean rednecks will go back to buying Chicks' albums?

[johnnie]

10. .

:spray:

Yeah, right.

[Bake]

9. Look up "tool" in the dictionary

And there you'll see Darryl Worley's picture. Maybe even a sound clip from "Have You Forgotten."

I'm glad he's FINALLY come around to the truth, but I question (a) why it took so long, and (b) whether he's just cashing in now on the other side of the coin.

Bake

[tularetom]

11. No asshole we haven't forgotten

your simple minded crappy song dogging those who opposed this stupid war. But I think you've forgotten how you thought it was a great fuckin idea. Now that it ain't going so well, you've changed your mind and you want to cut'n'run? Guess you aren't very much of a patriot are you boy?

[LostinVA]

23. The point of the original song was that Saddam caused 9/11

And, those nasty war protesters were unamerican commies who forgot the people who died on 9/11.

He was all fired up for the war and against us -- I call bull on his Road to Damascus moment.

[zbdent]

13. I think this guy should get the same treatment as did another group

you know, like the guys in "the resistance" who tipped off the Germans on when an attack was going to happen ... released to the tender mercies of those he betrayed ...

Let's see him get the support from his CW buddies who now think he's "gone to the other side" ...

:evilgrin:

[0rganism]

15. I thought you were going to say "Dixie Chicks"

but I guess that'll work too :D

[leftofthedial]

14. if mainstream country will even consider a song like that

it's bad news for the warmongers

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. "Real" country music is rarely played today

You don't hear much Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, or Roy Acuff anymore. Most of the stuff they play now is republican redneck rock.

[Sherman A1]

17. Better late than not at all.....

Some folks take longer than others to sort through the morass of Buffalo Chips.

[movonne]

18. Do you think that Toby Keith will come out with a record "I'm sorry"

[xxqqqzme]

20. Only if it is an apology

to his dog - sorry he kicked it.....or his pick-up truck - sorry he dented the fender.

[Shakespeare]

19. Worley wets finger, holds it to test the wind direction.

He's capitalizing on public trends. Opportunism at its worst.

[LostinVA]

24. You got it n/t

[mikeytherat]

25. For some context, here are the lyrics to "Have You Forgotten?"

:puke:

I hear people sayin'. We Don't need this war.
I say there's some things worth fightin' for.
What about our freedom, and this piece of ground?
We didn't get to keep 'em by backin' down.
They say we don't realize the mess we're gettin' in
Before you start preachin' let me ask you this my friend.

Chorus
Have you forgotten, how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten, when those towers fell
We had neighbors still inside goin through a livin hell
And you say we shouldn't worry bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

You took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbin for you and me
It'll just breed anger is what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country just out lookin' for a fight
Well after 9/11 man I'd have to say right.

Chorus
Have you forgotten, how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell
We had neighbors still inside goin' through a livin' hell
And we vow to get the ones behind Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
you can bet they remember just what they're fightin' for

Have you forgotten
All the people killed
Yes some went down like heroes
In that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten
About our Pentagon
All the loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry 'bout Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

Have you forgotten?

mikey_the_rat

[stanwyck]

26. Better late than never. Still, let's remember

to hold in very high regard those who were with us from the very beginning. Like The Dixie Chicks. And Bruce Springsteen. And Chuck Hagle. And Cynthia McKinney.
If the weathervane folks, like Joe Scarborough, want to sidle up to us now, fine. We know they're animals, sniffing the air.
It's all about the money for them.
Let's just remember all those folks who braved the "anti-American" hate crowd by speaking out from the beginning.

[AnneD]

27. I'm not ready to make nice.....

if folks would have used their own brains and thought this thing through, we never would have went into Iraq. We would have finished the job we started in Afghanistan.....WERE AL QUIDA WAS BASED and be wrapping up operations there by now. SH was effectively isolated and Iran would be in check. These folk have piss poor strategy or reasoning skills. Oh and I USE to listen to C&W until they took the Dixie Chicks off. Put the Chicks back on and I might listen once more. Add some Cash, Loretta Lynn. and Patsy Cline and it's a done deal.

[LostinVA]

30. The Chicks were right and so are you!

[daleo]

29. It would be interesting to compare this with Viet Nam

Even originally pro-war people started to turn. I guess the turning point was about 68 to 70 for that.

[saigon68]

37. 1969- 1970 FREDA PAYNE lyrics - "Bring The Boys Home"

THIS WAS BANNED FROM ARMED FORCES RADIO



FREDA PAYNE lyrics - "Bring The Boys Home"


www.OldieLyrics.com


Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone
Mothers are praying-send our sons back home
You marched them away-yes, you did-on ships and planes
To the senseless war, facing death in vain

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down

Can't you see 'em march across the sky, all the soldiers that have died
Tryin' to get home-can't you see them tryin' to get home?
Tryin' to get home-they're tryin' to get home
Cease all fire on the battlefield
Enough men have already been wounded or killed

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down
(Mothers, fathers and lovers, can't you see them)

Oooh, oooh...
Tryin' to get home-can't you see them tryin' to get home?
Oooh, oooh...
Tryin' to get home-they're tryin' to get home

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
What they doing over there, now (bring 'em back alive)
When we need them over here, now (bring 'em back alive)
What they doing over there, now (bring 'em back alive)
When we need them over here, now (bring 'em back alive

[slowry]

31. Further insult to...

... the innocent victims of this criminal war. He's basically saying the war might not be a good thing, but only because the people they're trying to free are savages, unappreciative of the freedom America was trying to spread, etc., etc. Non-apology apology.

[Ecumenist]

34. Welcome to DU, Slowry!!

:hi: :hi: I have to completely agree with your comment; it is part and parcel of what this bunch has been about from day 1.

[rodeodance]

39. how can it NOT be poliitcal?

......Worley is emphatic that the song is not political. But its downbeat sentiment echoes what polls say are growing doubts over the Iraq war in rural America -- a stronghold of country music, Bush conservatism and military patriotism.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

42. In 1968,

President Johnson reportedly turned to an aide at the time and said: "if I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America."

Cronkite's Vietnam Moment: 'US Must Leave Iraq'