Merle Haggard singing anti-war on Letterman

[Syrinx]

[Momof1]

1. its also anti media song, "Thats the News" mentions Peterson etc eom

[Syrinx]

2. yep. I like that song.

It seems Merle has gotten some wisdom since "Okie From Muskogee(sp)."

[blitzen]

5. "Okie" revisited

Hag has always been, politically, all over the map--but more left than right. A song in the sixties praising interracial marriage, anti-Nixon songs, lots of pro-labor stuff ("They're Tearing the Labor Camps Down"--about revisiting the shanty town where his Okie parents lived after moving to CA--will bring you to tears, as will "Tulare Dust"). "Okie" is more about the dignity of Okies than it is a right-wing diatribe. Besides, the voice of "Okie" is a fictional persona--Hag himself has always been a pothead.

[regnaD kciN]

6. True, but...

..."Fightin' Side Of Me" was about as right-wing as they come back in 1970, and basically accused anyone opposed to Vietnam of being both a traitor and a coward who should be driven out of the country.

:grr:

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

10. I don't know

I hestitate to attempt explication of a Merele Haggard song, but it seems to say that you can disagree, but you'd better not trash-talk America itself.

It seems to be another way of saying that you can hate your government, but you'd better love your country. I can get behind that sentiment.

[Seneca]

11. people do change

He long ago disavowed that song, and "Okie", as "me being stupid during a time much of the country was stupid about a stupid war."

He does "Okie" in concert with new lyrics. The song was originally written with his Dad's generation in mind.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Gotta version of the Grateful Dead and the BeachBoys doing Okie.

Kind of different....

[blitzen]

3. details?

I'm really bummed that I missed the song...caught the 20 second wrap-up at least. Hag, besides being among the greatest singer-songwriters in the history of American music, has distinguished himself by standing up for the Dixie Chicks. Makes me aspire to be an old weed-smoking iconoclast.

[Syrinx]

4. sample lyrics

"Suddenly it's over, the war is finally done
Soldiers in the desert sand still clinging to a gun
No one is the winner and everyone must lose
Suddenly the war's over, that's the news.
...
Politicians do all the talking, soldiers pay the dues
Suddenly the war is over, that's the news."

[Old and In the Way]

8. I heard it.....I was impressed.

His band was all older guys, too....I mean in their 60s. They sounded pretty tight.

Maybe Merle has birthed himself the anti-war tune for this generation...

[ReadTomPaine]

9. Letterman's been getting some serious antibush cred these day, eh?