Willie Nelson Pens Anti-War Ballad (Another GREAT Reason to Give Up on Willie Nelson!!)

cbsnews.com ^ | January 1, 2004 | Willie Nelson

[harpu]

Willie Nelson says he supports presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, because of the four-term Ohio congressman's support of family farmers.

Dennis Kucinich is not opposed to all wars but he has proposed a new Cabinet-level federal agency - the Department of Peace - to explore and implement non-violent approaches to foreign policy problems.

Nelson says he's backing Dennis Kucinich for president because of the four-term Ohio congressman's support for family farmers. Nelson is president and a co-founder of Farm Aid.

(CBS/AP) Willie Nelson plans to debut an anti-war ballad he wrote Christmas Day at a fund-raising concert Saturday for Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich at Austin Music Hall.

Nelson said he planned to record "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth" this week in Nashville, Tenn., and rush-release it as a single.

"Now, I haven't played it for Toby (Keith) yet," a laughing Nelson told the Austin American-Statesman for Tuesday editions. Although the two are close friends, the sentiments of Nelson's song are the polar opposite of Keith's angry-American anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," with its call to arms.

"Toby wrote that song in reaction to 9/11, which was a totally different thing than watching U.S. soldiers die in Iraq," Nelson said. "Toby's said he's not a Republican or a Democrat; he's a Christian. So we're coming from the same place."

The song asks questions such as "How much oil is a human life worth?"

Asked if the song might anger conservative country music fans, he said, "I sure hope so. I don't care if people say, 'Who the hell does he think he is?' I know who I am."

Kucinich, an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, is not opposed to all wars but he is perhaps best known for his proposal to create a new Cabinet-level federal agency - the Department of Peace - to explore and implement non-violent approaches to foreign policy problems.

Nelson said he supports Kucinich because of the four-term Ohio congressman's support of family farmers.

That's a cause which hits home for Nelson, the president and a co-founder of Farm Aid, a group which harnesses big names in music for benefits to help preserve family farms.

The 70-year-old country star wrote his new song at the Lake Elsinore, Calif., home of his in-laws.

"There was nothing but bad news, and here it was Christmas Day," Nelson said. "I said, 'There sure are a lot of babies dying and mothers crying,' and (wife) Annie said, 'That sounds like a song.'"

- - - - - - - - -

Here's the words to Willie 'the pothead' Nelson's latest protest against freedom...

What Ever Happened To Peace On Earth?

There’s 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
They’re gonna’ kill us
So we gotta’ kill them first
But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill
How much is that soldier’s life worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

(Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we’ve been told from our birth
Hell they won’t 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 it’s just
Do unto others before they do it to you
Let’s just kill em’ all and let God sort em’ out
Is this what God wants us to do

(Repeat Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we’ve been told from our birth
Hell they won’t lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liars word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

Now you probably won’t hear this on your radio
Probably not on your local TV
But if there’s a time, and if you’re ever so inclined
You can always hear it from me
How much is one picker’s word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

But don’t confuse caring for weakness
You can’t 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 we’ve been told from our birth
Hell they won’t lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liars word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

words by Willie Nelson
Christmas Day, 2003

[harpu]

Written on Christmas day in Kalifornia, and first sang at a Dennis Kucinish fund raising concert in Texas' own 'little Kalifornia,' Austin, TX. Where else would a pothead POS indroduce such a foolhearted, 'in-their-face' tribute(?) to the men and women of the military.

[Bommer]

Wille supports Kucinish who of all the candidates wants the most taxation. This after Willies IRS dance. This is your mind Willie. This is your mind on dope!

[Huck]

I like Willie's music. I have seen him in concert a few times. I have videos of him in concert with the Highwaymen. I just smoked marijuana. But this is the most assenine thing Willie's done in a long time.

[sarasota]

Shouldn't he have the Dixie Chicks singing the chorus?

[I still care]

"And what ever happened to peace on earth"

Earth to Willie - there never was such a thing. And there never will be, until the Last Day.

[OSHA]

Like I needed another reason....Oh well....Thanks!

[Missouri]

Nelson says he's backing Dennis Kucinich for president because of the four-term Ohio congressman's support for family farmers.

Didn't Cleveland go bankrupt when Kucinich was mayor there?

Get a clue Willie.

[Conspiracy Guy]

You are so correct. It slays me that too people don't know there can never be peace on earth until the last day.

Good Point

CG

[Rocko]

Nelson said he planned to record "What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth" this week in Nashville, Tenn., and rush-release it as a single.

Someone should do a follow-up, "Whatever Happened to the Mass Graves and the Rape Rooms?"

[Lexington Green]

And whatever happened to peace on earth ??

Never was such a thing, except in the smokey dreams of poets and minstrels.

[Radioactive]

Yeah.

Imagine Whirled Peas.

[Believe_In_The_Singularity]

This is pretty sad. I was sad when I read this, this morning.

I think Willie is reflecting on a life gone by, and he realizes he is not long for this world, seeing two good friends die last year. His career is behind him except for short guest appearances with current popular artists (Toby Kieth, Norah Jones.)

He is doing this to:
1 - Feel good about himself (isn't it fun to do insignificant things and then puff out our chests)
2 - Get some play time and attention (Lord knows he can't get it any other way anymore)
3 - Try to experience the attention Johnny Cash got after his death, for just a short time now in his last days
4 - To be controversial (Yes, like your 12 year old daughter)

He's still got some great music in his catalog. And at least he isn't sleeping with little boys.

BITS

[HHFi]

Sad to see the effects of so many decades of marijuana on a man's brain.

I work in radio, and when this doesn't get radio play, look for Willie and all his showbiz liberal pals to denounce the radio stations for "censoring" him. They'll never mentioning that aside from a duet with Toby Keith, Willie hasn't had an automatic add for any of his songs on country playlists for about 15 years.

[HHFi]

"mentioning" = "mention." D'oh!

[Ditto]

"How much oil is one human life worth

Dear Willie,
I don't how much oil a human life is worth. How many is a concert worth? Please tell us how many human lives it costs every time you fly across the country on a private jet to do one of your concerts and burn more oil in an hour than the rest of us do in a year. I'm assuming you ain't flying coach-class along with the "family farmers" you have been capitalizing on for 20 years just to keep your "common man" gig alive.

These sanctimonious self-serving "entertainers" give me gas.

[Uncle Miltie]

Well a man come on 6 o'clock news
Said somebody been shot
Somebody's been abused
somebody blew up a building
somebody stole a car
somebody got away
somebody didn't get too far
Yeah, they didn't get too far

Grand pappy told my pappy back in my day
Son a man had to answer for the wicked that he'd done
Take all the rope in Texas
Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys
Hang them high in the street
For all the people to see

That
Justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys
You got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we'll sing a victory tune
And we'll all meet back at the local saloon
And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

We got too many gangsters doing dirty deeds
too much corruption and crime in the streets
It's time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send 'em all to their maker and he'll settle 'em down
You can bet he'll set 'em down

Cause
Justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys
You got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we'll sing a victory tune
And we'll all meet back at the local saloon
And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

He knew
Justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys,
You got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we'll sing a victory tune
And we'll all meet back at the local saloon
And we'll raise up our glasses against evil forces
Singin' whiskey for my men, beer for my horses
Singing whiskey for my men, beer for my horses

[Paleo Conservative]

Imagine Whirled Peas.

[Uncle Miltie]

"But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill"

The commandment from the Hebrew is: You shall not MURDER. Killing in just wars, capital punishment and self defense are not ruled out. Study up, Willie.

[Liberty Valance]

Johnny Cash's new box set " unearthed" has an upside down American flag on the cover. I'd like to think he had nothing to do with this CD cover art before he died. I'm getting tired of trying to defend some of these artists. They are starting to piss me off!