The Dixie Chicks … not ready to back down, thankfully

Sometimes, we let musical genre's define how we look at the people who listen to that music. We look at heavy metal, and see long-haired druggie headbangers who can't string two coherent words together. We hear country music, and sometimes, we think right-wing redneck.

The Dixie Chicks have always defied those lines. Never really a strict country act that played by the Nashville rules, nevertheless until their 2003 concert, The Chicks were developing a solid following throughout the country music scene.

And then cam the George Bush comment, and the boycott by country radio. Many people assumed that the radio and the industry were the peoplewho defined what got played and what didn't, what sold and what didn't. But somewhere long the way, someone forgot that music isn't about politics or business … its about music.

"Shut up and sing" is the common refrain from conservatives when musicians start to talk about inconvinient politics. The Dixie Chicks have answered by doing just that … singing a new album that despite limited play on country radio, and some VERY bad press by a variety of people, is selling better than any other coutry album this week.

The "Shut up and sing" argument loses some strength when what comes out is something like "Not Ready to make Nice." Its the perfect answer to "Shut up and sing" … a musically sound number with poeticly political lyrics. And in fact, they address that thought directly, and I think I'll let them finish this off for me. Just want to say "Good on ya" to the Chicks for listening to all those folks who said "Shut up and sing." Keep singing Ladies

And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying 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