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

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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).

To: Liberty Valance

61 posted on 06/14/2006 7:48:32 AM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life)

To: hispanarepublicana

62 posted on 06/14/2006 7:50:00 AM PDT by TET1968 (SI MINOR PLUS EST ERGO NIHIL SUNT OMNIA)

I've never heard it....

64 posted on 06/14/2006 8:26:34 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (Don't fall for the soft bigotry of assuming all Hispanics are pro-amnesty. www.dontspeakforme.org)

To: hispanarepublicana

Ooooh. Do you have insight as to how the rest of the family feels about all this?

Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Grandma Maines is very upset with natalie and she says it is a hard lesson for Natalie to learn to shut up but she said this time, I think she has really blown it.... coming from one of her uncles who still rsides her along with her grandma.

67 posted on 06/14/2006 9:15:38 AM PDT by JFC (Land of the FREE because of our BRAVE)

That's really sad. It's kind of become a two-horned monster now....one horn is the political stuff and now the other horn is the fact that she sh*t in the part of the pen where her family still has to live.
Even if she were to suddenly come around as the biggest G.W. Bush fan around and replace Karl Rove on his staff, I don't think I can forgive the position she's put her family in who still have to (get to) live here.

68 posted on 06/14/2006 9:55:22 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (Don't fall for the soft bigotry of assuming all Hispanics are pro-amnesty. www.dontspeakforme.org)

"Ever heard of it?"

I remember this one - is it the same one?

http://secure.ci.lubbock.tx.us/BuddyHollyCenter/Main/Product_Details.aspx?PRoductID=96

69 posted on 06/14/2006 7:26:36 PM PDT by decal (Different Tagline Tomorrow!)

To: hispanarepublicana

A friend of my son's, during his rowdy college days, (about 1993 or 1994) had too much to drink one night and lost control of his car and ran into Natalie Maines' trailer house. Yep, you read that right. She attended school at South Plains College in Levelland and lived in a trailer house. I don't think she includes in her biography that she went to South Plains or lived in a trailer house. Levelland is no doubt too close to her hated hometown of Lubbock. I've been thinking about looking that young man up and giving him some kind of award! Ha! Not for driving drunk, mind you, but running into Maines' trailer house.

In my opinion, South Plains is a fine community college, and they probably are ashamed that Natalie Maines ever went to school there.

70 posted on 06/15/2006 4:57:59 AM PDT by TejasRose

Is his family still there? My daughter went to TT with his little sisters.

71 posted on 06/15/2006 5:09:00 AM PDT by mathluv (Never Forget!)

72 posted on 06/15/2006 6:35:04 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana (Don't fall for the soft bigotry of assuming all Hispanics are pro-amnesty. www.dontspeakforme.org)

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