Not Ready To Back Down

With all the talk about the new Neil Young album, I've thought a lot about musicians and their role in shaping public opinion, especially in regard to war. I have no intention to talk about George W. Bush today, God only knows how very little I even want to bring him up, but I did want to mention another new single by a band that has some serious baggage when it comes to the Bush administration, the Dixie Chicks.

I'm not a die-hard country music fan. I'll listen to Toby Keith now and again for the entertainment value alone and I listen to Garth Brooks quite often when I'm trying to make important decisions, but all in all I wouldn't say that my favorite genre is country...though, it isn't my least favorite either. I like Tim and Faith, miss the good ole days of Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, and even miss my junior high days of Blackhawk, Diamond Rio, and Deana Carter.

Anyway, back to the point at hand, the new single "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks (what a terrible name) is pretty good:

Forgive, sounds good

Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt

There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

Whether or not this song was written in response to the backlash that came after the Dixie Chicks spoke out against the Bush administration, I don't know. I don't even care. I think this song, on it's own, without the context that has been assigned to it, is beautiful. There aren't many songs lately (with the exception of some of the new songs coming out by Pearl Jam) that actually show any sort of writing talent. I had a rather rough night last night and when I couldn't sleep and was flipping through the channels, this song caught my attention and has been on my mind since. How many songs that have come out in the last year can we honestly say have held our attention?