Total bullsh*t, right off.
Something funny happens in the room when you talk about politics. It is palpable that you lose folks. Does that mean you saying how you feel is wrong? Of course it doesn’t. Some folks take this phenomenon to mean that you shouldn’t say anything controversial as a musician. I obviously disagree. In fact, I disagree so much that I think it is responsible and good for folks to know where you stand. They might change because of it.
People listen to music. They learn from it. They get it in their heads and sing it all day. What would you rather them sing? Oppressive stereotypes or fresh views? Only one makes society better.
I was told this almost daily about politics and music on social media. One good thing about not being on social media is not going through the process of defending my position on this issue. But my email today suggested I have to do it occasionally here too. For those that don’t know, yes, politics and music totally mix. Sometimes when I am writing a song a desire comes over me to put political lines in it. If I can find them, I’ll f*cking do it. All day.
Elvis and Nixon?
A lot has been made of these two’s relationship. You can read about it. There’s even a cartoon about it. What they prove beyond a doubt, despite their flaws, is an obvious connection between music and politics. If a listener on social media doesn’t know this, and a politician does, that gives the politician the advantage. Who the F wants that?
Now that is done…
I’d like to get back to Woody Guthrie. He inspired me. Woody knew where we wanted to go. He also knew some of his communist ideologies would hamper him getting there. Some folks weren’t going to dig his message, and he knew that going in. He figured it was more important to be right than popular. He was right about that, I think. So I follow the best I can in Woody’s footsteps. I like his music too, so that helps. Maybe he planned it that way. No way of knowing.
“Music and politics don’t mix” means “shut up.”
Audiences or fans have all kinds of ways to say “shut up” without actually saying it. “Be humble,” is very common for artists to hear. I have been told that before. My response is usually, “go to hell.” I don’t hold folks down to hear my music. I don’t even charge for it. For them to tell me to shut up, just means they want me to fit in a box. I hate boxes.
As a musician, it helps to learn “go f*ck yourself.”
There are a ton of listeners out there that think up things artists need to do to be famous. This is one of those things. I had to learn to tell those folks to f*ck right off. I have a vision, I have a design, I have words, and I don’t force them on anyone. They literally pop on my radar and start barking orders sometimes. I’ve been told I need to be on streamers, not cuss, be humble, not talk politics, needed AI, and all kinds of stuff I can’t afford. Several times, folks have wanted me to talk to this or that club owner or label, or try out on Idol. Ridiculous. Won’t do it. F*ck off. I have found “f*ck off” to be an important phrase to me today. I may not actually say it every time, but I think it a lot.
We should talk about Kacey Musgraves a second.
I am not a modern pop/country fan. I listen to it a little every week to keep up. But there’s not much in it for me. That’s fine, I don’t mind. I have lots of music, and if folks want that, totally cool. I do like Kacey Musgraves. If she isn’t afraid to come out against guns or bigotry without packing heat in the south, she’s got my “vote.” I may not love every song, true. They probably aren’t for me anyway. That’s fine. But I love her. If you are a young musician out there wanting to talk about politics, Kacey is working hard at breaking that ceiling for you. Give her a listen and a google sometime. She knows what’s up.
“If protesters can’t wear masks ICE shouldn’t be able to either” -Kacey Musgraves on social media.
I still keep thinking about Woody.
I am not sure Woody Guthrie would be pleased today. The fascism he was fighting didn’t have internet. It’s possible he’d resurrect and want to go right back to being dead. This man toured small towns in the 30’s -50’s talking about fascism. Can you try to imagine that for a second? You live in a provincial town, loaded with privilege. Then a folk singer shows up on campus talking about fascism, he even has it on his guitar. It’s very possible unless you were in the war, you hadn’t heard that term in a long time. But the veterans..
See, our lack of knowledge about the real world gets real people killed. Like it did in Woody’s time, it’s happening in our time too. We are severely lacking in veterans that already killed nazis. And not many of us actually know what is going on. It is time for another Woody Guthrie, is it you?
return home.
