Singer Toby Keith speaks out on ABC Censorship

USAToday ^ | 6/13/2002 | Brian Mansfield

[Lou L]

Country singer Toby Keith has some choice words for Peter Jennings.

Toby Keith says the producer of an ABC 4th of July TV special rescinded an offer to have the country singer perform his current hit after the show's host, World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings, heard the song and vetoed it.

[Mo1]

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[Geezerette]

Thank you for posting Alan Jackson's lyrics ... I did hear his song, and got goosebumps!!

g

[Revolting cat!]

Toby Keith is just doing his job. Popular music, and country music especially, is about the times we're living in, about inspiration and glory, why, about ordinary life. That is just shocking to the perfumed, limousine princes of Hollyweird and the NY-DC axis of evil. Note also the countrast between authentic country (Jackson, Travis, Keith) and what I call the hippie country (I won't mention any names to avoid a pissing match,) which concerns itself with some abstract, and most often quite trite, concepts and leftist inventions of post-modern rock. Well, you know, "racism", "fascism" and such.

[Skooz]

Don't be so fast, there:

Open Invitation
by Jackyl

I HATE YOU BIN LADEN
I HATE YOU BIN LADEN
I HATE YOU BIN LADEN
I HATE YOU BIN LADEN

I’M PISSED OFF AND NOT A PATIENT MAN
I’D DROP A BOMB ON AFGANISTAN
I’D SNATCH THAT TOWEL FROM YOUR HEAD
WRAP IT AROUND YOUR NECK

PULL IT TIGHT UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD
“M F” YOU WANT TO PLAY
YOU WANT TO GO TO HELL
I’LL SEND YOU TODAY

(CHORUS)

YOU’VE GOT AN OPEN INVITATION
TO MEET US FACE TO FACE
YOU FIGHT LIKE A COWARD
YOU’RE NOT A MAN YOU’RE A DISGRACE

YOU STEPPED ACROSS THE LINE
FROM YOUR SAND TO MY GRASS
YOU’VE GOT AN OPEN INVITATION TO KISS OUR ASS
I AIN’T SCARED TO TAKE AN EYE
FOR AN EYE
I AIN’T SCARED
IT’S THE TRUTH
IT’S AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH
I’M PISSED OFF SEEING RED
CANDY ASS I WANT YOU DEAD

Yeah, it looks like the rockers are on board, too.

[pgkdan]

"I find it interesting that he's not from the U.S.," Keith says of Jennings, who is Canadian. "I bet Dan Rather'd let me do it on his special."

I'd take that bet. Brit Hume would let him play it, but he's about the only one who would. If I were Toby I wouldn't get too worked about this...nobody watches anything put on by ABC News anyway.

[E Rocc]

And for Rock and Roll, you have:

Sammy Hagar: VOA and the "Dreams" Blue Angels video with Van Halen.

The aforementioned Jackyl Song.

Annnnndd....."Don't Tread on Me" by Metallica. Written not in the wake of September 11 when patriotism became lucrative, but 1991:

Liberty or death, what we so proudly hail
once you provoke her, rattling of her tail
never begins it, never, but once engaged...
never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me

love it or live it, she with the deadly bite
quick is the blue tongue, forked as lighting strike
shining with brightness, always on surveillance
the eyes, they never close, emblem of vigilance

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war

liberty or death, what we so proudly hail
once you provoke her, rattling on her tail

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me

Also keep in mind that when hard rock was at its most popular, young voters were going 2-1 for Reagan. In fact, I personally suspect the record industry pushed whine-music like Nirvana in order to try and reverse this trend.

As for country, admittedly that twangy stuff is like fingernails on a blackboard for me. But I wouldn't call it all that conservative. With all it's glorification of the ordinary as opposed to the extraordinary, it has an inverse snobbery worthy of an AFL-CIO rally or a Michael Moore event.

-Eric

[dennisw]

Toby looks like he could wrestle P Jennings to the ground with his pinkie finger.

[okiecowgirl]

It's also an Okie thing. He's from Okla. I'm really proud of him and what he stands for.

[bootless]

Toby Keith is terrific! Saw him perform at the Alameda County Fair about four years ago - he's one of the good guys. (cute, too!) I love his music. Don't let the talking head meat puppets tell you what to do, Toby!

[southern rock]

Don't forget Hank Jr., "America Will Survive"

[Darlin']

"Lettuce Roll" Jennings true colors are showing AGAIN and they ain't Red, White & Blue. Its a 4th of July celebration, for God's sake ! Big Mistake, Petah ! Is Jennings ABC's news anchor and their censor ? Has this news reader from Canada ever become a U.S. citizen ?

Note to Toby: It is a day to celebrate American Independence. Sing the song.

[TxBec]

since everyone else is putting out lyrics, here goes:

One More Day

LAST NIGHT I HAD A CRAZY DREAM
A WISH WAS GRANTED JUST FOR ME,
IT COULD BE FOR ANYTHING
I DIDN'T ASK FOR MONEY
OR A MANSION IN MALIBU
I SIMPLY WISHED, FOR ONE MORE DAY WITH YOU

CHORUS
ONE MORE DAY
ONE MORE TIME
ONE MORE SUNSET,
MAYBE I'D BE SATISFIED
BUT THEN AGAIN
I KNOW WHAT IT WOULD DO
LEAVE ME WISHING STILL,
FOR ONE MORE DAY WITH YOU

FIRST THING I'D DO,
IS PRAY FOR TIME TO CRAWL
THEN I'D UNPLUG THE TELEPHONE
AND KEEP THE TV OFF
I'D HOLD YOU EVERY SECOND
SAY A MILLION I LOVE YOU'S
THAT'S WHAT I'D DO.
WITH ONE MORE DAY WITH YOU

CHORUS
LEAVE ME WISHING STILL FOR ONE MORE DAY
LEAVE ME WISHING STILL FOR ONE MORE DAY

[E Rocc]

Meanwhile, Jim Morrison wasn't fazed. He'd already played Sullivan's show. And he didn't do it with the snide "in your face" defiance shown in Oliver Stone's film, he just sang the song as written. The surviving members of the band really don't like that movie.

I've heard that they thought Kilmer played the Morrison role dead-on accurate.

-Eric

[Flashlight]

...is anyone surprised that ABC would take this position?...

No, but they might be surprised to know that Keith sang this song on the AMC Award show a few weeks ago on CBS, apparently with no problem.

[DLfromthedesert]

How about absoLUTEly gorgeous!!??!! And a good person, as well.

[weegee]

Well I know that they said they disliked the movie because they can be heard saying this on the commentary track of a DVD that collects up several video presentations that they made. Ray says that "this" (one of the hour long "videos"( was their answer to that bad film.

I don't know that it was the way Val Kilmer walked or talked so much as what he did (probably as written). I think I recall them saying that there was no way that they could have lasted as long with that jerk that was portrayed on the screen.

Forest J Ackerman refused a cameo/bit part in Ed Wood because the man on the screen wasn't Bela Lugosi. Bela did not use all that profanity and was not that bitter about Boris Karloff. It's a good performance and an interesting movie, but it does not have a connection to reality.

[another cricket]

Don't forget "Bring on the rain" by by JoDee Messina with Tim McGraw

Another day has almost come and gone
Can't imagine what else could go wrong
Sometimes I'd like to hide away
Somewhere and lock the door
A single battle lost but not the war

'Cause tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

It's almost like the hard times circle 'round
A couple drops and they all
Start coming down
Yeah, I might feel defeated
I might hang my head
I might be barely breathing but I'm not dead

'Cause tomorrow's another day
And I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the rain

No, I'm not gonna let it get me down
I'm not gonna cry
And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight...
'Cause tommorow another day and I am not afraid
So bring on the rain

'Cause tomorrow's another day
and I'm thirsty anyway
So bring on the Rain!

I think this was the first song to come out after 9/11.

a.cricket

[hobblemaster]

In case anybody is interested, Toby Keith will be on with Wolf Blitzed at 5:00 PM on CNN today talking about this song and conterversy.

[FreeTally]

"One More Day"

Personally, I do not like the fact that this song has been associated with 9/11. Im sure it was used at many funerals before the tragedy, and on may different occasions, but the first "public tragedy" is was assocaited with was Dale Earnhardt's death. Many people think of him every time they hear the song.

In good taste, when a song has been associated with one tragedy, it shouldn't be used again for another. Thats just MHO, though.

[SpookBrat]

Toby Ping.