July 21, 2002 -- NASHVILLE - American Taliban fighter John Walker
Lindh is glorified and called Jesus-like in a country-rock song to be
released soon by maverick singer-songwriter Steve Earle.
The controversial ballad called "John Walker's Blues" is backed by
the chanting of Arabic prayers and praises Allah.

Earle's lyrics describe the United States as "the land of the
infidel." Those fighting Osama bin Laden's declared jihad against the
United States and Jews are said to have hearts "pure and strong."

The song says when Lindh dies, he will "rise up to the sky like
Jesus."

Northern California-raised Lindh, 21, last week pleaded guilty to
charges including fighting for the Taliban against U.S. forces. He
faces 20 years in jail under a plea deal.

The Lindh ballad is on Earle's forthcoming album "Jerusalem," which
contains other songs that touch on political and social issues,
including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earle is currently in Europe and could not be reached for comment.
But he told an audience at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Ontario,
Canada, this month: "This song just may get me f---ing deported."

Music-industry heavyweights are already expressing outrage over the
controversial song, and many predict it will be banned from the
majority of radio playlists when it is released in late September.

"This puts [Earle] in the same category as Jane Fonda and John Walker
and all those people who hate America," said Nashville talk-show host
Steve Gill.

Phil Valentine, another Nashville DJ, said Earle had lost his way in
trying to rebuild his faltering career as an alternative country
performer.

"He's off the charts on this one," Valentine said. "It's politically
insane."

Earle had hits in the 1980s with "Guitar Town" and "Copperhead Road."
But his career was derailed in the '90s by a heroin addiction that
led to an arrest and time in prison.

Friends of the outspoken singer believe Earle will welcome any
controversy generated by the new song.

"He can take care of himself if anyone confronts him on the issue,"
said Grant Alden, publisher of No Depression, the alternative-country
music magazine. "He will not back down."

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......(some) people don't understand that steve is a storyteller and the song is
from John Walker's point of view

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I edited it a little for the the sake of niceness.

it's just a guy singing a song.It may be politically charged subject matter- but the First amendment was still in effect last I checked.

And whether you cared for any of this particular artist's previous endeavours matters not a whit.

this strikes me as a knee jerk reaction to a severely misinterpreted song, not unlike some folks' reaction to Randy Newman's "Short People got no Reason to Live" tune from several years back.

IMO

quote: one doesn't have to be an axe murderer to write a friggin mystery novel about serial killers... An actor need not be a child molester to play one convincingly on screen.
*No, but it helps.

quote:it's just a guy singing a song.It may be politically charged subject matter- but the First amendment was still in effect last I checked.
*No argument there.That doesn't mean I have to like it.

quote:And whether you cared for any of this particular artist's previous endeavours matters not a whit.
*Your right, but that's my opinion.

quote:this strikes me as a knee jerk reaction to a severely misinterpreted song, not unlike some folks' reaction to Randy Newman's "Short People got no Reason to Live" tune from several years back
*Geez,maybe a little more knee jerk reaction might prevent us from having to wake up in the morning with an AK47 pointed at our heads forcing us to recite the Koran before going off to work and kissing our wives goodby with a sheet over their heads. You know that's their goal.

[This message was edited by Earl Erb on 22 July 2002 at 02:44 PM.]

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put ol' Steve in the same boat as Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise and ship him out!

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EXPEL the INFIDELS who would dare disagree with us!

Momar Mohammed, Al Qaeda

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James R.Hall
MSA S10 & MSA D12

Personally, I would much rather listen to Earl Erb play guitar than listen to Steve Earl "sing"
or "play." I own an Earl Erb CD. I own no Steve Earl CD's

and damned if I intend to defend in any way the behaviour of John Walker Lindh. Nor am I an apologist for the poor down-trodden rich-kid Saudi terrorist bastards responsible for 9-11

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I think he's about 35 years too late to cash in on the "Folk Music/Protest Music" craze.

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Never could stand that guitar flogging style of music or what ever you call it.

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John Walker's Blues

Just an American boy
raised on MTV
And I've seen all them kids in the soda pop ads
None of them look like me

So I started looking round
for a light out of the dim
And the first thing I heard that made sense was the word
Mohammed peace be upon him

Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah, there is no God but God

If my daddy could see me now
chains around my feet
He don't understand sometimes a man has got to fight for what he
believes
And I believe God is great
All praise due to him
and if I should die I'll rise up to the sky
just like Jesus peace be upon him

Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah, there is no God but God

We came to fight the Jihad
Our hearts were pure and strong
And when death filled the air we all offered up prayers
prepared for our martyrdom
But Allah has some other plan
some secret not revealed
now they're dragging me back with my head in a sack
to the land of the infadels

Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah

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James R.Hall
MSA S10 & MSA D12

I don't want anyone telling me what I can listen to.

Remember when England banned Sir Paul's song, "Give Ireland Back to the Irish"?

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net

Steve may be a great singer and writer, but this song exhibits no such talents. This song's "sensationalism" is the only thing it's got going for it. I'm an amateur at both singing and writing, but I'd really be ashamed if that song was the best I could do.

My God...his singing on this makes Bob Dylan sound like Caruso.

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 26 July 2002 at 04:39 PM.]

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James R.Hall
MSA S10 & MSA D12

[This message was edited by retcop88 on 24 July 2002 at 03:33 AM.]

He wrote a song on it that tells the story of a Suicide Bomber in the first person.

That's dark, but not unusual for Bruce. I think it was his 80's album Nebraska that had songs in the first person about killers.

"...on top of the first Mrs Jones.." Porter Wagoner

"..you think I'm psycho don't you mama, I just killed..." don't remember the singer

"...just to watch him die..." Johnny Cash