6/13/06 Songwriter Responds to Dixie Chicks 'Lubbock or Leave It' (Pens 'Trouble In The Henhouse')

KCBD TV ^ | 6/13/06

[hispanarepublicana]

6/13/06
Songwriter Responds to Dixie Chicks 'Lubbock or Leave It'
 

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It's no secret the Dixie Chicks have ruffled some tail feathers since their 2003 comment about President Bush. And their latest album 'Taking the Long Way' is targeting Lubbock.

You'll recall some radio stations in Lubbock still aren't playing the chicks or their new song, 'Lubbock or Leave It.' Now one singer, songwriter is putting his reaction to the song to music.

Billy Briggs is a Lubbock native who now lives in the Dallas area. After reading the lyrics to 'Lubbock or Leave It', he joked with his brothers about writing a response song.

He said attacking the president is one thing, but attacking lLubbock is another altogether! That joke turned into about two weeks of late night work, and the result is 'Trouble in the Henhouse.'

It's an up-tempo, high-octane country shuffle with a tongue-in-cheek message - Don't Mess with Lubbock.

Billy Briggs says his song is not an attack on the Dixie Chicks or their political views, rather a response to their song 'Lubbock or Leave It.'

Briggs grew up in Lubbock, attended Monterey High and graduated from Texas Tech. He says he's proud of Lubbock and thinks most people agree. "We just felt like it would be a way for us to say not everybody who grew there are on the same page as the girls on this," Briggs said. 

"There are nine titles actually used throughout the course of the lyrics in my song and that's a mix of Buddy Holly tunes and Dixie Chicks tunes," Briggs said.

"When I read the lyrics to the song it kind of personally effected me because of my feelings of Lubbock and the close ties that we have to the town," Briggs said.

'Trouble in the Henhouse' is being played on 99.5 The Bear here in Lubbock.

The Dixie Chick's album was number one on the Billboard charts after one week of sales.

There have also been rumors through various web sites and radio stations that the chicks have been canceling some of the shows on their new tour. On the Dixie Chicks homepage, it actually says they've added eight new cities to their tour and they have not canceled any shows.

To listen to the entire song (click here).  You can get to Briggs' website by (clicking here).

[hispanarepublicana]

It should be noted that Natalie Maines' aunt is the early morning anchorwoman on KCBD TV; KCBD has promised "Commentary" at the end of tonight's newscast.

[hispanarepublicana]

Lubbock/TTU Ping

[decal]

"...Natalie Maines' aunt is the early morning anchorwoman on KCBD TV"

Is that Sharon Hibner Maines? She was the hotnewsbabe on KAMC when I was there...

[hispanarepublicana]

That would be her. Still pretty and still dumb as a stump.

[ichabod1]

Are you familiar with Lloyd Maines and the Maines Brothers? They've been a Texas Legend for a long time. That's why it's so disappointing that Natalie, who certainly has the pedigree to be quite talented, is such an obnoxious idiot.

I don't doubt that the family is liberal -- they're part of the Lubbock Mafia in Austin. But it's one thing to be liberal, another to be a loudmouth idiot. As one of our favorite talk radio hosts (who LOVES music) might say, "Shut up and sing."

[kromike]

Look on the bright side...her "beauty" genes apparently never got passed on to Natalie.

[hispanarepublicana]

Are you familiar with Lloyd Maines and the Maines Brothers?

Fell in love at leat 100 times to their songs while in H.S. "The Lubbock Mafia" in Austin? LOL.

[hispanarepublicana]

Sharon isn't blood kin to Natalie.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

LOL This song is too funny!

[WestTexasWend]

GREAT LYRICS...hope they hear it!

[decal]

Lloyd lives in San Marcos nowadays, doing sideman duty with Terri Hendrix when he's not producing releases for other folks.

He hasn't bring Nat up in conversation when I've spoken to him and I'm too polite to ask, so I don't know what he thinks of it all.

[TexasTransplant]

Her Threat was....

Still Waiting...

Good Threat if you can have folks waiting...

Heck I'm waiting....... and waiting...

Pretty good threat.... You know I may not sleep tonight, great threat...

TT

[starbase]

Well I'm not going to throw my Sammy Kershaw albums away, but I like their spirit in writing this song!

[hispanarepublicana]

Here's the lyrics:

Now you say we're hypocritical, and - girls - that may be true.

So maybe we'll just change our ways and start to follow through.

Yeah - we've seen the light, and we agree it's time to right our wrongs.

The first thing that we're gonna' do is stop buying Dixie Chick songs.

 

Chorus:

You birds have flown the coop; you've lost you're ever-lovin' minds.

Maybe you should just shut your mouths - yeah, maybe now's the time.

'Cause if you'd 'Think It Over,' maybe then you 'Fool's...' would see

This is as close to '...Paradise' as you will ever be.

 

For such a nonjudgmental group of open-minded girls,

You sure have said a mouthful about our little world.

Now you've been a 'Long Time Gone,' so 'Give It Up and Let it Go;'

We're better off 'Without You' - you're not welcome anymore.

 

Chorus

 

Ain't got time for Dixie Chickens

Lubbock, Texas is alive and kickin'

It don't matter what they say

This town will 'Not Fade Away'

 

Now we know that our old airport ain't the biggest one around,

But it sure did do a fine job shipping you straight out of town.

And as far as tribute statues go, I wouldn't hold my breath

Because Buddy is a legend, and you're not even second best.

 

Chorus

 

There's a pretty 'Wide Open Space...' between your ears.

I think your 'Sin Wagon' done lost its wheel.

Maybe it'd be better if you'd stop listening to those 'Voices Inside your Head.'

 

©2006,  Billy W. Briggs & Katherine E. Briggs

[Nachum]

Wonder how much airplay it'll get.

[hispanarepublicana]

Well, he's her daddy, and I'm sure he loves her, but he should at least admit that he shoulda spanked her butt more often when she was a kid.

[Texas Eagle]

It should be noted that Natalie Maines' aunt is the early morning anchorwoman on KCBD TV

[bmwcyle]

[Nachum]

Minnie Pearl was great. I can still hear her voice:

HOOOOOWWWDEEEE!

[hispanarepublicana]

Wonder how much airplay it'll get.

Well, in Lubbock only one station is playing it, and with her family being mainstays (or rather Maines-stays) of the "Lubbock Music Mafia" which is pretty much THE music mafia in Austin, Texas music capitol, I'd say probably not much.