July 22, 2002

Speaking of country music singer-songwriter

Speaking of country music singer-songwriter lefties, Steve Earle has apparently found, within his addled soul, yet another deep end into which to slip (via Instantman):

American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh is glorified and called Jesus-like in a country-rock song to be released soon by maverick singer-songwriter Steve Earle.

The controversial ballad called "John Walker's Blues" is backed by the chanting of Arabic prayers and praises Allah.

Earle's lyrics describe the United States as "the land of the infidel." Those fighting Osama bin Laden's declared jihad against the United States and Jews are said to have hearts "pure and strong."

The song says when Lindh dies, he will "rise up to the sky like Jesus."


I think Porphyorgenitus overstates the general significance of this publicity ploy and/or bid for attention and/or cry for help from a well-known brilliant insane person. All's fair in songwriting, and any angle, no matter how nuts, is worth exploring. Or better yet, it's worth listening to an out of control wreck of a man exploring it. And Walker Lindh did look a bit like Jesus before his jail haircut, though I don't know about this "rising into the sky" business. I can't wait to hear that album, anyway. (Jerusalem! Ye gods...)

Steve Earle and Gore Vidal ought to team up: that'd be a hell of a band.

UPDATE: Charles Oliver points to this more balanced account of the Steve Earle Tali-boy song, including the lyrics. Looks like a solid character-study song. It's hard to say without having heard the song, but I agree with Oliver that the New York Post article seems to have misrepresented it: the "land of the infidel" rhetoric and such is clearly from the point of view of the narrator. Read the lyrics and see what you think. Here's the description of the production: "over a layered backdrop of electric guitars recorded backward, the song serves as a kind of nightmarish funhouse-mirror version of Fess Parker's classic "Ballad of Davy Crockett" of the 1950s." Sounds like a good time to me.

Of course, for all I know Earle may agree with his narrator and may have intended the song as anti-American propaganda. I'm sure there are a few sorry sods who will take it up as an anti-American anthem (like Joan Hirsch, the manager of a Revolution Bookstore quoted in the article.) That's just as silly as trying to mount a campaign to "ban" the song (which will probably happen, too: if it does, he'll probably make enough dough to fund a few more drug habits.) Whatever. Good, interesting songs are hard to come by. Enjoy 'em when you can find 'em.

Posted by Dr. Frank at July 22, 2002 11:07 AM | TrackBack