WILLIE TO W: ‘WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO PEACE ON EARTH?’
When Dubya went home to Crawford for Christmas, he may have listened to some holiday music. As a confessed country music fan, he might have turned on the local radio station to hear Willie Nelsonยs latest song. I doubt it. Red, white, and blue Willie, one of country musicยs biggest icons, has kicked up a little Texas dirt for the New Year by writing a jimdandy song that is bound to stir passions and possibly, the pot.
It seems Willie, who rarely ventures into protest music, spent some time watching the news on Christmas Day. If he was watching FOX news, he might have wondered if the cow had jumped over the moon and the dish had run away with the spoon. Sandwiched between missives of peace by the Pope and reports of the worldยs Christians attending services to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, news from Iraq, delivered by teheeing happychatterers complete with video shots of bombings, bloodshedding, and brutality was served up as entertainment and amusement. Other networks did much the same.
Thus, Willie, in his apparent disgust, penned ยWhat Ever Happened To Peace On Earthย. He will play it on Saturday at a concert to benefit one of the Democratic presidential candidates.
Country and western fans may be finding themselves embroiled in another industry induced conundrum. Since the corporations who run the country music radio stations have demanded the radio personalities to become the purveyors of Republican patriotism and Bush adoration, things have gotten real stupid and totally scary. Last year, when the ever popular Dixie Chicks decided to go public with their feelings of embarrassment about being from the same state as The First Fan, the country music world went into a tailspin. The Chicks suddenly found themselves to be the scorn of the industry, complete with DJ hurled invectives and a boycott of their songs. ยGetting Dixiechickedย joined the American vernacular and became a known fear shared by any music artist who might have considered voicing opposition to the Bush administrationยs decision to invade Iraq.
The White House claimed the fans were just giving the Dixie Chicks what they deserved when the industry boycotted them. It remains to be seen whether Willie Nelsonยs song will spawn similar reactions and whether he will be brandished by Bush devoting station owners as an unpatriotic, ungodly, evildoer who deserves to be profaned and boycotted by his fans.
The country singer, who has five nominations in the upcoming Grammy Awards said his new song is intended to voice criticism of the Bush administrationยs decision to invade Iraq and those who thought it unpatriotic to speak out against the war. ยI hope that there is some controversy. If you write something like this and nobody says anything, then you probably havenยt struck a nerveย, said Willie Nelson. Spoken like a star-spangled patriot and Americaยs greatest singing cowboy.
What Ever Happened To Peace On Earth
Thereยs so many things going on in the world
Babies dying
Mothers crying
How much oil is one human life worth
And what ever happened to peace on earth
We believe everything that they tell us
Theyยre gonnaย kill us
So we gottaย kill them first
But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill
How much is that soldierยs life worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth
(Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything weยve been told from our birth
Hell they wonยt lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liars word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth
So I guess itยs just
Do unto others before they do it to you
Letยs just kill emย all and let God sort emย out
Is this what God wants us to do
(Repeat Bridge)
Now you probably wonยt hear this on your radio
Probably not on your local TV
But if thereยs a time, and if youยre ever inclined
You can always hear if from me
How much is one pickerยs word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth
But donยt confuse caring for weakness
You canยt put that label on me
The truth is my weapon of mass protection
And I believe truth sets you free
(Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything weยve been told from our birth
Hell they wonยt lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liars word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth