Posted on 07/16/2015 3:18:31 PM PDT by dennisw
Florida-born rocker used the flag for song Rebels about southern heritage But he now admits he had not fully thought through the flag's history He implores all Americans to denounce the flag as it offends black people It comes after South Carolina took it down following Charleston attack Fellow rocker Kid Rock, from the Midwest, has defended the Confederacy
Tom Petty has apologized for displaying the Confederate flag during his Southern Accents tour of 1985.
The Florida-born rocker has spoken out to denounce the controversial banner after South Carolina removed it from their statehouse and conceded that to many it is symbol of racial hatred.
Writing in the Rolling Stone, Petty says admits he was 'pretty ignorant' about the history of the flag, and goes as far as to call himself 'downright stupid'.
Midwest-born Kid Rock - defended the flag and continue to sell Confederate merchandise.
'I noticed people in the audience wearing Confederate flag bandannas and things like that. One night, someone threw one onstage. I stopped everything and gave a speech about it. I said, "Look, this was to illustrate a character. This is not who we are. Having gone through this, I would prefer it if no one would ever bring a Confederate flag to our shows again because this isn’t who we are."'
Controversy surrounding the symbol resurfaced in June when a Confederate flag-touting gunman shot dead nine black churchgoers, shouting: 'I have to do this.'
The shooting prompted national outcry over the fact that the South continues to fly the flag as a symbol of southern heritage.
One hundred and fifty years old, it was used by the seven southern slave states during the civil war. Its racist associations were refreshed during the civil rights movement, when anti-integration state flew the Confederate flag in defiance.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
In the zeitgeist of today, forget the flag, the song itself is offensive to the politically correct. According to what I could gather from youtube, he was still performing it two years ago. As someone stated, he is what Bruce Jenner wants.
Honey don’t walk out I’m too drunk to follow
You know you won’t feel this way tomorrow
Well, maybe I’m a little rough around the edges
Inside a little hollow
I get faced with some things sometimes
That are so hard to swallow
Hey hey hey!
I was born a rebel
Down in Dixie on a Sunday morning
Yeah with one foot in the grave
And one foot on the pedal
I was born a rebel
Well she picked me up in the morning
And she paid all my tickets
Yeah she screamed in the car
And threw me out in the thicket
Well I never would’ve dreamed
That her heart was so wicked
Oh but I keep coming back
Cause it’s so hard to kick it
I was born a rebel
Down in Dixie on a Sunday morning
Yeah with one foot in the grave
And on e foot on the pedal
I was born a rebel
Even before my father’s fathers
They called us all rebels
Burned our cornfields
And left our cities leveled
I can still see the eyes
Of those blue bellied devils
When I’m walking round tonight
Through the concrete and metal
I was born a rebel
Down in Dixie on a Sunday morning
Yeah with one foot in the grave
And one foot on the pedal
I was born a rebel
Me too
Hey Daryll from Yazoo City who I hear inherited a huge cotton plantation near Panther Burn.....can I say plantation???
I’m sorry about 1967 at YMCA Camp Mondamin in Simpson county Mississippi on the Strong River when you pushed me and I beat you down to the hardwood floor and you cried for your mommy before the counselor grabbed me and took me to the camp directors cabin where they paddled my bare ass a good one
I’m sorry if I rurnt your life.
PS....I think I saw you at a Pike Party at Ole Miss in 77....you exited quickly with your chubby DG date
I’m really sorry dude.
Can I please get into heaven now?
Tom Petty should apologize for being just another POS!
He backed down.
Disappointing.... but not surprising.
And he was born a toady (not a rebel).
How petty of him.
Did he ever apologize for trying to ride the “New Wave”?
We forgive you, Tom, despite all of the mayhem and carnage that resulted from flying the Confederate flag on your tour.
Shut up and sing....
Petty you are a bald faced liar., Read your own lyrics on the third verse. Doesn’t sound like you were ignorant to history to me!!!!!!!
Tom Petty is a total jerk liberal. Here’s an excerpt—
“Tom Petty — Talk about petty; the nasal-voiced classic rocker enjoys a second career griping about Republican use of his music. When then-candidate George W. Bush played “I Won’t Back Down” at campaign rallies, Mr. Petty promptly sent a cease-and-desist order.
Last year, Mr. Petty’s ire was raised when Michele Bachmann played “American Girl,” and once again out came the lawyers. Mr. Petty was more tolerant with Hillary Rodham Clinton, though, allowing her to use the latter song during her unsuccessful 2008 presidential run.”
Expecting an “entertainer” to be anything other than looney liberal is a formula for disappointment.
Yes there are a handful of exceptions, but certainly in the one percent range.
What? Tom petty a rocker? Seriously?
I’ve probably got some MTV clips from the 80’s with him and the flag. Is he going to apologize for his rotting teeth at the time as well? I’ve learned to take with a grain of salt what rockers say (except Ted Nugent naturally).........Yo!
I Won’t Back Down
Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
No, I’ll stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down
by Tom Petty
Tom Petty is from GAinseville, Fl. I’m from Jax. He made his living legend for 30 years with everyone out in the audience wrapping confederate flags around themselves and wearing confederate flag jackets etc and waving zippo lighters. I know because I was in the era. He’s really weaseling out on this one. I wonder what he will think when the stands are empty next concert.
I am beyond disappointed.
Petty writes in Rolling Stone about his concern over the meaning behind the flag:
“The Confederate flag was the wallpaper of the South when I was a kid growing up in Gainesville, Florida. I always knew it had to do with the Civil War, but the South had adopted it as its logo. I was pretty ignorant of what it actually meant. It was on a flagpole in front of the courthouse and I often saw it in Western movies. I just honestly didn’t give it much thought, though I should have.”
Petty copped to using the flag in his work, though he realized very quickly why it was such a problem:
“I used it onstage during [Rebels], and I regretted it pretty quickly. When we toured two years later, I noticed people in the audience wearing Confederate flag bandanas and things like that. One night, someone threw one onstage. I stopped everything and gave a speech about it. I said, ‘Look, this was to illustrate a character. This is not who we are. Having gone through this, I would prefer it if no one would ever bring a Confederate flag to our shows again because this isn’t who we are.’”
Then, Petty dropped some knowledge about how ridiculous the flag itself is in 2015, considering the Civil War ended 150 years ago:
“Lowering the flag from the statehouse grounds was the right decision. That flag shouldn’t have any part in our government. It shouldn’t represent us in any way. The war is over. You know, it’s a bit ironic: It’s the only time that I know of where we defeated a country in a war and then flew their flag.”
Petty is such a hypocrite. I have been sitting in the audience with the flag and its not bandanas its people with flags wrapped around themselves. Give me a Break. The guy was totally OK with it until this. He’s afraid it will hurt his concerts going forward. I don’t know why its not like there are any blacks there. LOL!
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