rebel yell

so, most people who know me know (and tolerate) my love for the dixie chicks. their album 'home' (while demonstrating a puzzling aversion to any bass whatsoever) is one of my favorite country albums, probably ever. these are some talented women, even if their music sometimes sinks into overproduction hell.

so, most people who know me also know that i have hated diane sawyer ever since i saw her interview the dixie chicks on primetime live just after natalie maines, the lead singer, commented that she was ashamed she and Bush shared a home state. don't get me started on that.

what i will say, though, is that i applauded and still applaud natalie maines and the other two dixie chicks for not backing down in the face of a destroyed career or smarmy, common denominator-pandering anchor-robots who wouldn't take "i don't apologize" as an answer. in fact, i stood next to ms. maines in the valet line after a stevie nicks concert last summer and it was all i could do not to grab her and hug her and tell her that myself (visions of jail-time and headlines involving the word 'stalker' kept me from it).

anyhoo, they've released their new single (available today for download at iTunes) and the usual suspects are gettin' riled. here are the lyrics, which i'm sure will have the hannitys of the world ready to spit:

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

as for the song, it's ok. i love how it starts out, but then it kind of devolves into - yes - overproduction. however, word on the street is that the album is gonna be fantastic, which wouldn't surprise me as rick rubin is producing it, and the late-career albums he produced for johnny cash are some of the best albums recorded in the last 20 years, in my humble opinion. we shall see.

in the meantime, proverbial hats off to the dixie chicks for not being ready to make nice. free speech doesn't require an apology, no matter what the ruling party would have us believe.