Soldier in Iraq Records Country-Music Hit

[Kerrytravelers]

Picture Lee Greenwood singing "I'm Proud to Be an American..." Well... now we have "American by God's Amazing Grace."



<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/music_soldier_s_song&printer=1;_ylt=AqqLZQIuIG.A_jrAm68wujVH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE->


Soldier in Iraq Records Country-Music Hit

By CARYN ROUSSEAU, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 29, 4:38 PM ET



His boots battered, his spirits sinking, Luke Stricklin struggled to explain his experiences in Iraq to his family and friends back home who kept asking him what it was like to fight in Baghdad.

<snip>

"Bottom of my boots sure are getting worn," the 22-year-old Arkansas National Guardsman wrote. "There's a lot of holes in this faded uniform. Hands are black with dirt and so is my face. Ain't ever been to hell, but it can't be any worse than this place."

He kept on writing, entering lines on his laptop computer or jotting them down in a green waterproof Army-issue notebook he was required to carry while on patrols.

The song became "American by God's Amazing Grace," and by the time Stricklin came home from Iraq in March it was on country radio stations from Albuquerque, N.M., to Lima, Ohio, and Lexington, Neb., to Jackson, Tenn.

<snip>

------------

This is his own website:
<http://www.lukestricklin.com>

You have to read the guestpage. Freepers love this guy and thank him for "spreading the truth about the good we're doing in Iraq defending our country. It's so hard to hear the media bad mouth our president."

Dear God. :eyes:





Ok, that's all I can stomach.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. That "good Cristian soldier" turned the place into hell

Fucking asswipe....

[davepc]

3. yeah, its all *HIS * fault.

:rolleyes:

[Maestro]

32. What NSMA probably means is that

the radical right and their fundie screwball supporters see * as some sort of messiah here to "save" those Muslims by imposing good ole American democracy on them. When in reality, all that these idiots have done is further the suffering of the people. They were screwed with Saddam and now they are screwed by our country's actions. And anybody who feels so inpsired to write a song titled, American, by God's Amazing Grace because of what he saw there is just a bit ignorant.

[Lithos]

2. It's 1968

And this is the Ballad of the Green Beret.

L-

[skids]

6. It is?

Where's the widespread hallucenagen use, casual sex, cross-country road-tripping, flowers in the hair, and commune living?

How come my generation's 60's suck? We get the shaft on everything! No fair! :grr:

[OKDem08]

7. My son & I were having a discussion

yesterday in reference to the graduate-level music history class he is taking over the summer. He stated that in the Medieval Era, due to nearly uniform illiteracy, music was utilized as a widespread means to garner support for military endeavors.:eyes:

[catzies]

11. And with that, Lithos wins the thread.

'Nuff said.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. and Leonard Clark is demoted and fined

because he blogged the truth.

[Schema Thing]

5. It's hell over there. And just imagine...

millions of people have to actually carve out their entire existance there.

[Parche]

8. country music

A 1 legged dog could write a country song

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. "If I had it to do all over again, I'd do it all over boosh*"

"Kenny Boy got the gold mine / We got the shaft"
"Our Cheatin' Prez"
"Don't You Go Messin' With My Beautiful Mind"

I detect a buck to be made here... ;-)

[ghostsofgiants]

24. Li'l Brudder's "I Can Make It On My Own (And Other Redneck Hits)"

[RandomKoolzip]

38. He's got the heart of a champion!

Bwahahaha....

[Straight Shooter]

9. I'm so happy his hands or arms weren't blown off, so he could write.

Also happy he didn't suffer a severe head injury where he would never be able to create a song in there.

God's amazing grace. Such vomitus. Excuse me while I go read Mark Twain's "The War Prayer."

edit: Pardon the sarcasm. It makes me angry that he's glorifying war for profit, in his own way, while we have tens of thousands of wounded, and reaching 2,000 dead soldiers.

[Kerrytravelers]

10. I didn't have an opinion until I looked at his site.

Visiting faux news more than once gives a hint. The guestbook gave me the impression that the freepers love this guy.

I could always be wrong. It would be nice if I were and this guys was against the invasion.

Thankfully, we have guys like Paul Hackett in OH on our side!

[PDXWoman]

13. well at least...

its a step up from "mommas in the graveyard and papas in the pen."

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. I wish that *I* had no integrity. I'd be recording country music songs

every day, and pumpin' out, full out of standard country patriotic America=God rah rah flag waving bullshit.

And if I could so while labeling myself a veteran, jesus, it'd be like printing my own money.

These fucknob assholes don't care what the music sounds like, as long as the lyrics are appropriately braindead propagandistic bullshit.

Shit, maybe I SHOULD start recording some typically racist country music. I could make a bajillion dollars, do it under a false name and say that I don't do live performances or interviews because I'm afraid of liberals bombing my fans because "I've received so many hate emails from liberals threatening typical liberal cowardly violence against me that I am actually afraid for my fans", and then support DU, give a shitload to the democratic party, and STILL have enough to buy a 15,000 square foot home on a lake with a few thousand acres of land.

[AntiCoup2K4]

17. Hell, I'm in! What should we call the band?

Not that I can play an instrument, but then you think Billy Ray Cyrus ever actually played a note on that guitar?

[Rabrrrrrr]

35. We'll call it "God's a Red White and Blue God" band

[AntiCoup2K4]

41. God ain't red or blue. He's just White!

/end Freep mode :silly:

But hell, keep the alcohol flowing and I'll sing country like the reanimated corpse of Hank Sr. (which would still sound better than his son)

[ghostsofgiants]

26. Can I be your bassist?

[Rabrrrrrr]

36. Sure, as long you don't do nothing too fancy, and just keep

repeating the same bass line over and over, adjusting for the standard I-IV-V chord changes.

[ghostsofgiants]

39. I can handle that

[Rabrrrrrr]

40. Yeah, country bass is pretty fuckin' easy. Even Shithead McAWOL

could do it.

[Rebellious Republican]

15. Before everyone starts stereotyping country music ...

It is not necessarily all country musicians that are all pro war. Lets not forget who owns almost all forms of media outlets. The corporate elites decide what and who gets airplay, who needs payola, they own it now.

Check these out....

Country music artists are hardly united in their support of the war in Iraq — but you'd never know it from listening to the radio.

While Toby Keith , Darryl Worley and Charlie Daniels have scored hits with patriotic, war-themed songs, others such as Willie Nelson , Merle Haggard and Nanci Griffith released anti-war, or at least questioning, songs that went nowhere.

But the patriotic tunes that were everywhere at the beginning of the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq have slowed. John Michael Montgomery 's touching "Letters from Home" is the only current chart hit with a war theme, and it is neither an angry call to arms nor a love letter to America.

Hart believes the flag-waving songs reached a saturation point. He also says the continuing hostilities in Iraq and recent prison abuse scandal may have tempered the enthusiasm expressed early in the conflict.

"I think right now the labels and radio feel they have come to a line in the sand where they need to slow down," Hart said. "And the artists are hesitant to release anything right now that they think might be overkill."
http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12175256



Merle Haggard Sounds Off
(CBS/AP) A new Merle Haggard song that is critical of the media's coverage of the war in Iraq is being rushed to thousands of radio stations around the United States.

Tom Thacker, vice president of Hag Records, says the song "That's the News" is generating intense interest around the country from media and fans.

"We're mailing it out as we speak," Thacker said. "It's going to a broad range of stations."

"It's another one of Merle Haggard's social commentaries," he said. "This time it's kind of opposed to the tone of 'The Fightin' Side of Me."'
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/25/entertainment/main565038.shtml



Willie Nelson Pens Anti-War Ballad

(CBS/AP) Willie Nelson plans to debut an anti-war ballad he wrote Christmas Day at a fund-raising concert Saturday for Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich at Austin Music Hall.

Nelson said he planned to record "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth" this week in Nashville, Tenn., and rush-release it as a single.

"Now, I haven't played it for Toby (Keith) yet," a laughing Nelson told the Austin American-Statesman for Tuesday editions. Although the two are close friends, the sentiments of Nelson's song are the polar opposite of Keith's angry-American anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," with its call to arms.

"Toby wrote that song in reaction to 9/11, which was a totally different thing than watching U.S. soldiers die in Iraq," Nelson said. "Toby's said he's not a Republican or a Democrat; he's a Christian. So we're coming from the same place."

The song asks questions such as "How much oil is a human life worth?"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/01/entertainment/main591036.shtml



Country music star releases anti-war song

BY BUSTER SOUTHERLY

Australia's singing cowboy James Blundell is singing a different tune to the posse of good ol' boys in the White House, led by George “Texas Ranger” Bush.

The top-selling country singer has released a song, “Back it up”, “dedicated to one simple question the whole world is asking, `Do we want a war?'. Blundell describes himself has “a worried man” because of the war on Iraq. “It is a war that could change his and his family's lives forever ... and there seems that there is nothing that anybody can do about it. However, James has done something about it”, states the troubadour's press release.

The song asks the world's leaders to think, “Have the last wars really sorted out the world's problems?”

“Before we step right off the edge
Before `We are at war' is said
Before we start to count the dead
Back it up
Everybody breathes, Everybody bleeds.”

Blundell hopes these lines from the song will be heard by millions and will make them think about the consequences and justness of the looming war.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2003/529/529p22d.htm

[Kerrytravelers]

19. I could care less what style he chooses. 3 Doors Down went freeper.

For me, it's not about being Country (my Dad loves Country... and New Age, go figure...) but the idea that By God's Amazing Grace he's an American and then running all over faux. I just have to roll my eyes at the kool-aid drinkers.

Hell, I grew up on Willie and Dolly!

[Rebellious Republican]

23. That I can agree with Kerrytravelers, Just more hype from the RW.

Do you think the kid is going to turn down the big bucks to be used as a Freeper tool.

He will be a flash in the pan!

[Maestro]

33. Don't worry. I have plenty of anti-* country musicians

in my collection.

[deadparrot]

16. If God's grace were truly amazing, I would have been born in Europe. nt

[AntiCoup2K4]

18. Who ever built his website is a dumbass.

He's got sound clips there of his "patriotic" hit broke up into 3 different pieces (different verses) plus clips from 2 other songs (apparently the other singles from his album.)

Problem is they all start streaming at once. At least with Firefox.

[dhinojosa]

20. I think I'll write a country song too, "Why aincha gettin' it" nt

[Fenris]

21. What a surprise! A Bocephus shirt!

:eyes:

[Kerrytravelers]

22. Bocephus? I don't know what that is!

[Rebellious Republican]

25. Hank Williams Jr.

"Bocephus" was his late father's fond nickname for him

[ghostsofgiants]

27. "I was born an American by God's amazing grace"

No, you were born an American because that's where your parents happened to be living 9 months after they fucked.

[Kerrytravelers]

34. Mr. kt and I are cracking up!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


Basically:

+ = :patriot:

[Viking12]

28. America, FUCK YEAH!

America...
America...
America, FUCK YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother fucking day yeah,
America, FUCK YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,
Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer too,
America, FUCK YEAH!
So lick my butt, and suck on my balls,
America, FUCK YEAH!
What you going to do when we come for you now,
it’s the dream that we all share; it’s the hope for tomorrow

FUCK YEAH!

McDonalds, FUCK YEAH!
Wal-Mart, FUCK YEAH!
The Gap, FUCK YEAH!
Baseball, FUCK YEAH!
NFL, FUCK, YEAH!
Rock and roll, FUCK YEAH!
The Internet, FUCK YEAH!
Slavery, FUCK YEAH!

FUCK YEAH!

Starbucks, FUCK YEAH!
Disney world, FUCK YEAH!
Porno, FUCK YEAH!
Valium, FUCK YEAH!
Reeboks, FUCK YEAH!
Fake Tits, FUCK YEAH!
Sushi, FUCK YEAH!
Taco Bell, FUCK YEAH!
Rodeos, FUCK YEAH!
Bed bath and beyond (Fuck yeah, Fuck yeah)

Liberty, FUCK YEAH!
White Slips, FUCK YEAH!
The Alamo, FUCK YEAH!
Band-aids, FUCK YEAH!
Las Vegas, FUCK YEAH!
Christmas, FUCK YEAH!
Immigrants, FUCK YEAH!
Popeye, FUCK YEAH!
Demarcates, FUCK YEAH!
Republicans (republicans)
(fuck yeah, fuck yeah)
Sportsmanship
Books

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/teamamericaworldpolice/americafuckyeah.htm

[dhinojosa]

37. Demarcates?

what's that?

[ghostsofgiants]

42. Wasn't he a Grek philosopher?

[6000eliot]

29. Looks like "Wag the Dog" to me.

Didn't they have a country song in that one?

[Maestro]

30. I thought I was American by virtue of where I was born

:shrug:

[Skip Intro]

31. Its fucking hell over there becuause we made it hell over there

it wasn't paradise to begin with, I'm sure, but equating what we have done to Iraq and the lives taken by our force, leaving so many more shattered, to equate that to heroism is about the most bullshit attampt at an illusion as I've ever seen.

We'll just pretend we don't see the wires, dude, go ahead with your act.

:eyes: