Steve Earle escalates the political debate (NO ALERT NEEDED - "EARLE" SHOULD BE ENOUGH)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | August 22, 2004 | JIM DEROGATIS Pop Music Critic

[Chi-townChief]

Interestingly, DeRogatis fails to observe that if Earle didn't give his career a boost by his Bush-bashing frenzy, he'd probably be at work cleaning toilets at his local diner.

[weegee]

Steve Earle Hurl?

[weegee]

Later, he made a heck of a ruckus when he returned to rock and wrote a sympathetic song about John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban,

If he wasn't an an American member of the Taliban, what was he? Were not "Axis Sally" (Mildred Gillars) and Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) American Nazis working as broadcasters for Hitler in Germany?

[Fintan]

These are dangerous times for rockers who speak their minds about politics...

 

What an infantile, self-serving piece of pap.

I suppose to these people it's "dangerous" if anyone has the unmitigated gall to disagree with their viewpoints, such as they are...

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

As a Nashville area resident, I welcome news Steve Earle might move to New York. He's really stinkin' up this town.

[over3Owithabrain]

old-school Earle fans who resent being asked to think for themselves may find all of the above insulting and abhorrent.

So by rejecting the ravings of a herion-addict felon, you are not thinking for yourself? Typical leftist critic logic - only those on the left who worship Marx/Lenin/Che/Mao are the free thinkers.

[Bombardier]

"Copperhead Road" was okay (if you can get past the lyrics, there's really some good musicianship on it), but I haven't heard a damn thing that Earle has recorded since that's been worth a pinch of sour owl manure.

He needs to just shut up and sing to the nits who hang at Starbucks, wearing their little berets, reading Mao and sneering about how horrible the US is, all the while knowing that they couldn't get away with their $hit in any of the "worker's paradises" and "islamic heavens" they all love so much.

Dhimmicrats, liberal pus bags and assorted other pieces of leftist filth need to be put into camps and left there to rot.

[SAJ]

To borrow a lyric from a different idiot:

''Goodbye, Earle!''

[weegee]

"I've always opposed this war, and I oppose any war." - Steve "Vichy" Earle

[weegee]

How could he oppose war but be supportive of a soldier/potential terrorist like John Walker?

[Chi-townChief]

Quite frankly, I thought numbers like "Sweet Little 66" and "Guitar Town" were great but that was, what, 1000 years ago?

[HarryCaul]

Earle's a damn good musician, but I do find it amusing that the people who are always spouting off about "think for yourself" are doing nothing other that regurgitating what someone else told them.

The left has a bigger problem with mindless parroting of the party line than the right does, in my opinion. Though of course neither side is close to pure.

[ccmay]

A heroin-addict felon says what?

-ccm

[RightWingAtheist]

[Major Matt Mason]

I liked Earle's stuff up until he put out the JWB song. There were some politics in his songs prior to that, but it was pretty mild compared to what he is doing now. He certainly doesn't hide the fact that he has a socialist POV, though. Springsteen has always presented himself as being a musician for the common man, but he is just as big a socialist as Earle.

[NYCVirago]

This is one case where the interviewer's politics are even more offensive than the interviewee:

Q. That's for sure. You know, some day you're gonna get yourself shot, Steve.
A. I know, but nobody's shot me yet. But what are they going to shoot me about?

[BansheeBill]

A heroin-addict felon says what?

Not only did he get addicted to heroin, but after he got clean, he went and got addicted to heroin again.

A real deep thinker that Steve, wonder when he'll start using again. Always good to take political advice from braniacs like him.

[concentric circles]

I love the music of Steve Earle. I can't help it, I just do. So much modern music has been overcome by an urban luster and Steve Earle still writes and sings like a country boy, unvarnished and a little dusty.

I can tolerate his politics because he doesn't use a hammer when a feather will do.

- The Texas Eagle -

My Grandaddy was a railroad man
When I was young he took me by the hand
Dragged me to the station at the break of dawn
Said "boy I got to show you somethin' 'fore it's gone"
She was blue and silver - she was right on time
We rode that Texas Eagle on the Mopac line
We had some sandwiches that Granma packed
We rode to Palestine and hitchhiked back
Home in time for supper with a tale to tell
That night I dreamed I heard that lonesome whistle wail

When I got old enough to take the train alone
I rode that Texas Eagle down to San Antone

Nowadays they don't make no trains
Just the piggyback freighters and them Amtrak things
They shut the Eagle down awhile ago
Sold it to the railroad down in Mexico
But every now and then that whistle's on my mind
I ride that Texas Eagle ‘cross the borderline

[Ancient_Pistoll]

I bought it today, and 3.5 stars is about 2 to many. It's way too short (under 40 minutes) and has the same song twice. Home to Houston and Rich Man's War aren't bad, but the rest is pathetic, even the duet with Emmylou Harris isn't any good.

Jerusalem which "John Walker Blues" was on was far better than this.