Shut up and sing or yer life will be over

Mad props to the Dixie Chicks yo.
And I don't often give props to anyone or anything, since it's a stupid fucking saying.

Regardless, their latest single "Not Ready to Make Nice" (which I'm sure every Canadian has heard about 100 times) is a bold statement that's brought them back into the spotlight after a few years off. As far as I've heard, they debuted at the top spot on the Billboard charts with their new album Taking The Long Way.

Apparently their return was eagerly awaited by most in the music community (save for the South), with everyone wondering what message they'd bring with them after the whole Bush-bashing thing back in 2003. They were on tour in Europe when Natalie Maines stated at a live show in London, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."

Gotta love the balls on that statement eh? But naturally it brought alot of fallout from them thar Americans down in Shotgun Country.

This from 2003:

Jake Easton
Updated April 23, 2003

If they were looking for a reaction, they certainly didn't have to wait long. Radio stations across the country have been busy dropping their music like a rock.

Angry phone calls flooded Nashville radio station WKDF-FM on Thursday, some calling for a boycott of the Texas trio's music. Jeff Garrison, program director for KILT in Houston said, "People are shocked, we've got them off the air. They cannot believe Texas' own have attacked the state and the President," Garrison said.

At Dallas radio station "99.5 The Wolf," program director Paul Williams said, "the comments touched a deep nerve in Texas because they came from one of the biggest country groups to come out of the state and were directed at a President who calls Texas home."

WDAF-AM (610), 61 Country, in Kansas City even held a Dixie 'chicken toss' party, where Chick critics were encouraged to dump the group's tapes, CDs and concert tickets into trash cans. WDAF program director Ted Cramer said about 100 people showed up, and the 125 or so CDs collected will be shipped back to the band's record label.

Nothin' quite like a gun-carrying patriot with a hard-on for any free speech or intellignet thought.

Shut up and believe everything that you hear! Those who step out of line are FUCKING COMMIES!! Hang the traitors!!! ... and so on and soforth.

Now the video for the song is alright, but I can't say I'm a huge fan of it. I do find it interesting that they use the famous line, "To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming". The irony of that is quite funny when you look at it: the women who said this traitorous comment about Bushy are clearly intelligent enough to question the status quo, while those who boycott them and send death threats are the ones who blindly trust their commander in chief and shoot without aiming. Figuratively if not literally; don't forget the whole 2nd amendment dealie they have down there.

The group is set to start their tour soon, and they'll even be making stops off in good old London and Toronto, Ontario. Though ticket sales have been lower than expected, I can't say I'm surprised -- Those that ought to be heard in the world are usually the ones who have to yell the loudest to be noticed.