Singer dedicates Hey Saddam to Soldiers on line
By Lee Elder
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Army News Service, Feb. 4, 2004) -- Like many Americans, country songwriter Dave Gibson was glued to the television and the Internet the Sunday morning when the world learned of Saddam Husseins capture.
I thought to myself, Somebody ought to write a song about this, said Gibson, a former front man for the famed country act, the Gibson/Miller Band.
So he picked up his guitar and started playing it. The song was done in two hours.
The result of Gibsons efforts was Hey Saddam, a humorous yet satirical account of Saddams capture. The song begins with an electric guitar playing chords from the Star Spangled Banner before erupting into a rowdy rebuke of Saddam.
We recorded it and mixed it in two days, Gibson said. Its the quickest thing Ive ever done.
Gibson said what struck him as most hilarious was Saddams declaration that he was president of Iraq, to which an Army officer replied, President Bush sends his regards.
It became the basis for the songs chorus, Our president sends his regards/Just an old-fashioned American greeting card/From the land of the free and the home of the brave/Hey Saddam, I guess it just aint your day.
The song concludes wishing Army units like the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 4th Infantry Division high fives and compliments.
I really wrote (the song) for the Soldiers over there, Gibson said. Its tough every day getting up and seeing more Soldiers killed.
They are putting their lives on the line every day, and I thought we can all use a little more humor.
Besides his work with the Gibson/Miller Band, which was the Academy of Country Music's Best New Vocal Duet/Group Of The Year in 1993, Gibson is a renowned songwriter. He has written five No. 1 country singles for other artists including Alabama (Jukebox In My Mind), Joe Diffie (Ships That Dont Come In) and Montgomery Gentry (Lonely and Gone).
An El Dorado, Ark., native, Gibson is the son of an Army National Guardsman. He is a University of Arkansas graduate who initially taught school before heading to Chicago to pursue a career as a commercial artist. While there, he began fronting a country band and decided to move to Nashville in 1982 to pursue music full time.
The single, Hey Saddam, was released to country radio on Jan. 12. Gibsons management team has also e-mailed copies of the song to Soldiers serving in Iraq.
One Soldier wrote to tell Gibson he believed the song was a morale booster for all the troops overseas, according to Gibsons manager, Roger Sarchet.
They just love it, Gibson said. I have a real affinity for those guys.
Im so proud of them, and I think of them every day. I watch the whole thing over there really closely.
The song is included on Gibsons upcoming album, The Money, The Gun, and The Bible. Another single on the album also praises the U.S. effort in the war against terrorism.
On Enduring Freedom, Gibson sings, We didnt come to conquer anyone, but sometimes you have to go out and slay the dragon.
Gibson says hes proud of this new ballad. He said he hopes the song will rally citizens to support the war on terror.
The whole idea of this campaign is to root out these people who are out to get us, Gibson said. Enduring Freedom is a song I really want people to hear.
The song is all about the Soldiers. Im really, really proud of it.
Gibson asks listeners to remember those fighting the war on terror before they criticize the war effort.
Just ask the Soldiers protecting me and you before you take sides, before you criticize/Take a walk in their shoes, he sings.
Since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the war on terror has taken center stage in several popular country songs including Alan Jacksons Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning), Toby Keiths Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) and Darryl Worleys Have You Forgotten? While all of these songs hit No. 1 on the country charts, each, in turn, inspired controversy.
For his part, Gibson said he doesnt want to wade into a political conflict.
I like to keep politics out of the whole thing, Gibson said. I am an American citizen, and I believe that whoever is the president we should support the choices they make.
These songs are for the Soldiers who put their lives on the line every day. I realize this is an unpopular war with a lot of people, but I like to talk about the Soldiers and why were free.
(Editors note: Lee Elder serves as a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.) |