Dixie Chicks - Not Ready To Make Nice - song of the year already?
Well some of you know I am a bit of a country fan (note - that is country - not country and western - there is a huge difference) and I have had the latest Dixie Chicks song on rotation for about 2 weeks now.
It's a very personal rebuttal to all the idiots who lost their shi t over Natalie Maine's admission at a London show in 2003 that they were embarassed to come from Texas - home of George W Bush. What followed that statement was purely amazing. It made the front of a few papers here in Australia as well as cause a fair bit of discussion about America's faith in it's own ability to protect the right to free speech.
The Dixie Chicks faced massive criticism in the USA from all angles - CD's were smashed, concert dates almost cancelled due to consumer backlash and a huge radio block out was started - and the stigma is still attached. It was reported earlier this year that a few venues in the Southern USA did not allow the Dixie Chicks to book dates there for their 'Long Road' tour which defiantly kicks off in London later this year.
So what is your take on the song?
You can hear it at
www.dixiechicks.com as well as see the stunning video. Even if you hate the whole concept of country music, this is an important song - perhaps the first fully defiant protest song of this millennia from a major label act. Yes, that is a big call considering Green Day gave us a whole album of them with 'American Idiot' - byut this song doesn't criticise the USA - it flips the bird, drops their pants and shits on those who dare to put addendums and restrictions on free speech.
Here are the lyrics -
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
*****************
Your thoughts?