Posted on 06/21/2006 8:05:53 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana
Billy Briggs was uncertain how people would respond when he and his wife of 10 years, Katie, wrote "Trouble in the Henhouse," a song which suggests that the Dixie Chicks can find hypocrisy in a mirror.
He calls it a response to the Dixie Chicks' "Lubbock or Leave It," a tune the trio described as a musical attack on the "hypocrisy of small towns" - most notably Lubbock.
"I don't write novelty songs," said Briggs, 29, whose most recent compositions were for "29 Reasons to Run," an independent film on the festival circuit.
"I didn't write 'Trouble in the Henhouse' to have legs," he added. "I just wanted it to be funny, and for people in Lubbock to get a kick out of it."
Briggs posted it at www.billybriggs.com, where he was surprised when it attracted 10,000 hits in its first 10 days.
Contacted at his home in Dallas, where he is a financial adviser for a bank, Briggs emphasized, "My song has nothing to do with the Dixie Chicks' political views, or how they present those views."
His song also does not make reference to a comment given by Dixie Chicks vocalist Natalie Maines to a British newspaper last week: "The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the need for patriotism. Why do you have to be a patriot. About what? This land is our land? Why? You can live where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country... I don't see why people care about patriotism."
Kathy Best, president of Front Page Publicity, the Nashville firm handling the Dixie Chicks, said Tuesday night that the Chicks office had delivered no comment or reaction to Maines' statement in England.
"Not at this time, we haven't," said Best, who added that she was unaware of Briggs' song.
Briggs stressed that his song "has to do with Lubbock, where I used to live, a town which did not deserve such nasty treatment."
Briggs, a former Littlefield resident, moved to Lubbock and graduated from Monterey High School (class of 1995) and Texas Tech (class of '99).
He played rock 'n' roll with the Briggs Brothers Band while a student and followed the Chicks primarily via news sites until his younger brother, David, e-mailed him the lyrics to "Lubbock or Leave It."
For two weeks, Briggs labored at his day job, then came home and worked on writing and recording a response. He and Katie printed out lists of songs by the Chicks and Buddy Holly, using almost a dozen titles when making revisions.
"What bothered me," said Briggs, "was the odd, uppity nature of the Chicks' song.
"The reference to Lubbock's airport not being a big deal - or asking why go to Paris, Texas, or Athens, Georgia? The Chicks made a living off of the people in towns like that. Now they don't need them (small towns) anymore, and it just comes off as snotty."
Briggs is the son of a Church of Christ minister. "I share the same religious beliefs as my dad," he declared, noting that it was his father who first introduced him to rock songs.
"But since I don't drink, and fans send up shots when they like you," he explained, "I shifted from playing live in clubs to publishing music."
Briggs said, "Some people don't hold to religion, but that's everywhere. The Chicks generalize about small towns; that flies in the face of everything they say they stand for."
Chicks vocalist Natalie Maines' comparing herself (in song) to Buddy Holly also peeved Briggs.
"The first song I ever learned to play was 'Peggy Sue,'" he began, "and I like to tell people that, 10 years later, I learned to play it the right way.
"Buddy was a deceptively good guitar player. Plus, just look at the amount of music he put out, and all the bands he influenced, in his two years.
"The sisters in the Dixie Chicks (Emily Robison and Martie Maguire) are good musicians. But I doubt seriously that people will be listening to Chicks music 50 years later.
"And Natalie comparing herself to Buddy is ludicrous."
Upon deciding to write "Trouble in the Henhouse," Briggs said, "I wanted people to hold our lyrics next to the Chicks' words, and understand why we are responding."
'Lubbock or Leave It' by Dixie Chicks
Words and music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Mike Campbell (c) Woolly Puddin' Music (BMI) - Wild Gator Music (ASCAP)
Dust bowl, Bible belt
Got more churches than trees
Raise me, praise me, couldn't save me
Couldn't keep me on my knees
Oh Boy
Rave on down Loop 289
That'll be the day you see me back
In this fool's paradise
Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Throwin' stones from the top of your rock
Thinkin' no one can see The secrets you hide behind
Your southern hospitality
On the strip, the kids get lit
So they can have a real good time
Come Sunday they can just take their pick
From the crucifix skyline
Temptation's strong (Salvation's gone) I'm on my way
To hell's half acre How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Get to heaven now
International airport
A quarter after nine
Paris Texas, Athens Georgia's
Not what I had in mind
As I'm getting out I laugh to myself
Cause this is the only place
Where as you're getting' on the plane
You see Buddy
Holly's face
I hear they hate me now Just like they hated you
Maybe when I'm dead and gone I'm gonna get a statue too
Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I everget to heaven now
'Trouble in the Henhouse'
by The Briggs Brothers Band
2006, Billy W. Briggs & Katherine E. Briggs
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 listeningto those 'Voices Inside your Head.'
To comment on this story:
william.kerns@lubbockonline.com 766-8712
shelly.gonzales@lubbockonline.com 766-8747
ping, and PS-that's the AJ's headline, not mine.
Well that just burst my bubble.
Reading shutdown.
Still, if you keep reading, I think the guy is making the point that he doesn't want to get into a policy discussion, which is what the Chick's have wrapped themselves in, but rather the way they've gone about it and the mostly unchallenged and undebated attacks on Christianity and their hometown (where Natalie's family still lives).
It's like a monkey at the zoo who throws its feces at you because it's hungry and you don't have food. Rather than getting caught up in a debate with the monkey about how often a monkey should eat or whether it's your job to feed it or not, let's address the fact that it threw its feces at you.
I live in Athens, GA.
Rather like it. It's actually a college town, featuring the large and well-respected University of Georgia wherein people study business, law, science, art, agriculture, etc. and end up improving the human condition. The downtown area features lots of fine dining and upscale shopping. Athens is also noted as a major pop-music incubator (rather ironic for the DCs to bash it) which has produced REM and the B52s, among other successful acts.
Hardly a lame backwater hicksville. Actually, it's more the American Dream.
ping ... didn't know if you caught his thread.
Temptation's strong
(Salvation's gone)
I'm on my way
To hell's half acre
How will I ever
How will I ever
Get to heaven now
Sounds like they're driving down the Lost Highway that Hank Williams sang about in 1949.
How coincidental. As home to a Big12 school ourselves, your entire post is how many people describe Lubbock. It sounds like our communities are the perfect places to be married and raising 2.3 kids and a dog/cat. I guess that's just too "uncool" for Natalie.
By the way, I thought it was funny that she made fun of the "patriotic" line, "This land is our land", which is actually written by the commie sympathizer Woody Guthrie.
I would think the Dixie Chicks would find a lot of their fans in such towns--especially among professors in the humanities and social sciences.
Did NOT see it.
Hmm.... I lived off of 289 and Brownfield Hwy. But I also spent a lot of time and money out on "The Strip". Does that make me a hypocrit as well? =)
"I live in Athens, GA."
Beautiful town and the locals were VERY nice while I was there.
Mostly bulldozed for a new freeway now....
Thanks for the ping. Time to change their names to the Three French Hens.
DON'T YOU BLASPHEME IN HERE! DON'T YOU BLASPHEME!
Rest easy Spinner ... the factors you refer to are not on my list of things that make you a hypocrit
That's good! Ditzy Hicks have gone H'weird. They need their comeuppance one more time.
Nice locals indeed. Even when I saw a fight break out, the combatants were profusely apologetic & polite inbetween slaps & shoves.
I have said it before and I shall say it once more, the Dixie Dinks can smooch my butt.
If they aren't pleased with the US, then I shall gladly help pay for a one-way ticket to the Commie-ruled s**thole of their choice.
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