White House to welcome Dylan, Queen Latifah -concert celebrating music of the civil rights movement

[jefferson_dem]

Now we're talking. This is exciting. I wonder what Bob will play. He could go conventional (Blowing in the Wind, Times They Are a-Changin') or bold (http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/its-alright-ma-im-only-bleeding)

White House to welcome Dylan, Queen Latifah
January 26, 2010

WASHINGTON --Bob Dylan and Natalie Cole are among the performers President Barack Obama will welcome to the White House next month for a concert celebrating music of the civil rights movement.

The White House on Tuesday said Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and John Mellencamp will perform Feb. 10 in a concert to be broadcast the next evening. Smokey Robinson, Seal and the Blind Boys of Alabama also are on the program, which will be hosted by Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah.

The evening will include the Obamas and readings from civil rights speeches.

Earlier in the day, Mrs. Obama plans to have 120 high school students meet with the performers to talk about music's influence on the civil rights movement.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/01/26/white_house_to_welcome_dylan_queen_latifah?mode=PF

[ShortnFiery]

1. Too bad all this Administration will PROMOTE is "the music" and not "the movement." eom

[jefferson_dem]

2. You seem truly consumed with anger and bitterness.

I'm sorry about that and hope you have a nice day.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Bob Dylan put it best ... I wonder if he truly realizes that he will be schmoozing

with "The Masters of War" if the dignitaries of The Pentagon are Invited?

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion'
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.

[jefferson_dem]

5. Yes, he did put it best...

Positively 4th Street

You got a lotta nerve
To say you are my friend
When I was down
You just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve
To say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that's winning

You say I let you down
You know it's not like that
If you're so hurt
Why then don't you show it

You say you lost your faith
But that's not where it's at
You had no faith to lose
And you know it

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/positively-4th-street

[ShortnFiery]

6. Too funny, that was an inane reference to the people in Greenwich Village.

I think the disgust for illegal and immoral wars trumps personal scores. :eyes:

Perhaps they'll invite Black Sabbath to perform "War Pigs."

That would make out Government's ORWELLIAN TRANSFORMATION complete, aye? :evilgrin:

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!

Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
Oh lord yeah!

[jefferson_dem]

7. The lame, ego-centric, "hangers on" in the Village deserved that lyric.

...

Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you.
Forget the dead you've left, they will not follow you.
The vagabond who's rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore.
Strike another match, go start anew
And it's all over now, Baby Blue.

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/its-all-over-now-baby-blue

Hey, we could go back and forth on this all day. The point is, this sounds like a terrific cultural event at the WH, that honors some of the most important individuals, artistry, and events in American history. Don't be bitter. Celebrate. See it for what it is.

[ShortnFiery]

8. No it's a FALSE cultural event as President Obama is essentially morphing into LBJ.

Mark my words, we are going to have "a bloodbath" in Afghanistan this spring. I'm the first of many ANGRY anti-war protestors.

It's only beginning.

No matter how many "Hippie" Baby Boomers this Administration sponsors, they are WARMONGERS and the people sees them for who they are ... SERIOUSLY LAME - UNCOOL. :thumbsdown:

[me b zola]

19. +1

:applause:

[ShortnFiery]

4. I am. I have friends and family who have come back from these horrific Occupations

less than whole.

It's so easy when nobody CLOSE to you is harmed, to cheerlead for these VILE occupations. :(

[Number23]

9. Love it! Kicked and rec'd. I hope they broadcast this internationally

[impik]

10. Just like Bush.

[Ninga]

11. I am most honored to say my daughter is one of two teachers selected to attend along with

10 students.

What the article didn't say, was that the students were leaders in their schools teaching other students about non-violent solutions to conflict.

The students are taught by teachers who use curriculum written by Facing History and Ourselves, a wonderful 25 year organization out of Boston.

[CBR]

12. Congrats to your daughter. nt

[bigwillq]

17. Cool.

Congrats to her! :toast: :) :hi:

[Cha]

27. This is so Cool!

I'm so happy for your daughter and all those who are apart of this celebrattion. As well as we who get to benefit from their creativity!

[VMI Dem]

13. Celebrating the music of the civil rights movement while opposing the civil rights of gays.

That's rich.

[Armstead]

14. "It's Alright Ma'.....I love that song. Sends chills down my spine /nt

[femrap]

15. Bob Dylan....

sure hope he doesn't sing that song that he sings for the Victoria Secrets commercial on TV. I guess he only likes women to have civil rights if they are running around in skimpy lingerie.

What a sell-out to the Corporate Pigs.

Mellencamp has always refused to have his songs used for TV ads.

[jefferson_dem]

16. Like he cares what you or anyone else has to say.

Folks have been calling him "sell out" since 1965. Get in line.

Something about being the greatest performing artist of the past century affords creative license.

[ShortnFiery]

18. Yeah, people often forget where they came from. Money and celebrity often corrupts. eom

[femrap]

21. Obviously your taste springs

from the toilet. IMO, he didn't sell out until his 'work' with Victoria Secret. I had no problem that he went electric.

Sorry, but so many are ahead of him....The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, hell....The Rolling Stones.

I guess he needed $$$ and sold out to Vicky's Secrets....lots of people noticed and he did care.

Geez...it's credible criticism. Oh....I see, you are of the misogynist tendency...and you call yourself a Dem....hypocritical hog.

[fishwax]

30. No, Mellencamp has not "always refused to have his songs used for TV ads"

There was a huge Chevy campaign a few years back built around "Our Country": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j8Cv3dXh4A

[graywarrior]

20. Post something positive and watch Thems That Don't Know What They're Disgruntled About show up

and spoil everyone's fun. What a bunch of downers.

[OneBlueSky]

22. not sure how you can have a shindig like this and not invite Pete Seeger . . .

who was as responsible as anyone for music becoming a cornerstone of the civil rights movement . . . granted, he's 90 years old and without much of a voice, but without his presence this evening will be incomplete, at best . . .

[ShortnFiery]

23. You can when it's a gathering of Corporate Music Artist Enablers ...

What CIVIL RIGHTS they once stood for has been morphed into absurdity by their sell-out commercialism.

Sure, they're great artists and, in their day, they stood for something. Now it's all about that mean mean GREEN. :puke:

[ensho]

24. good

nt

[demokatgurrl]

25. Will it be broadcast? TV or net?

[jefferson_dem]

28. All of the previous White House "cultural events" have been carried streaming at whitehouse.gov.

I suspect this one will be too. :)

[FrenchieCat]

33. The all show up on PBS a few weeks later......

[jillan]

26. I wanna go!!

[Zomby Woof]

29. Just for "Blowin' In The Wind" alone

Dylan deserves the honor of poet laureate of the civil rights soundtrack. Remarkable that he wrote that when he was 21.

Here is one of his great topical songs from that era:

The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.
And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.

William Zanzinger, who at twenty-four years
Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
And high office relations in the politics of Maryland,
Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
And swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was snarling,
In a matter of minutes on bail was out walking.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.

Hattie Carroll was a maid of the kitchen.
She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
And never sat once at the head of the table
And didn't even talk to the people at the table
Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level,
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
That sailed through the air and came down through the room,
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle.
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.

In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught 'em
And that the ladder of law has no top and no bottom,
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feelin' that way without warnin'.
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished,
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance,
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence.
Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Bury the rag deep in your face
For now's the time for your tears.

Copyright ©1964; renewed 1992 Special Rider Music

[Onceuponalife]

31. Thanks. "Hattie Carroll" one of my favorite Dylan tunes.

Mother Jones did a great story on this case about 10 years ago. Bob Dylan is no sellout. Those who call him that have the wrong impression of what he was all about. He is a storyteller not an activist. His songs were used by people in the civil rights movement but he wasn't active in it and actually turned down offers to appear in support of it.

[Zomby Woof]

34. He did personally appear in events for civil rights/social justice

In 1963, he went down to Mississippi to meet with and sing for black civil rights workers trying to get voter registration accomplished. Footage of it appears in "Don't Look Back". He also performed at the March on Washington before MLK spoke.

He was instrumental in getting Farm Aid started. He mumbled a line of support for farmers during his Live Aid performance, and just for that utterance, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp started Farm Aid.

I also must note his participation in Artists Against Apartheid, and the song "Sun City". Then just this past Christmas, he released an album of holiday music for which 100% of the royalties for life will benefit Feeding America. As mercurial as Bob can be musically, spiritually, commercially, or otherwise, his stance on civil rights has been a constant in his career.

[jefferson_dem]

32. Poor Hattie. William Zanzinger has been villainized forever more. Thanks to that song. Rightly so.

He just died last year. Here's an interesting story in the Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4224527/William-Zantzinger.html

A few other great Dylan songs from "the movement" (there are so many):

When The Ship Comes In - http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/when-ship-comes
The Death Of Emmett Till - http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/death-emmett-till
Oxford Town - http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/oxford-town