I read a recent article about the same controversy. I meant to say in that post that whatever their feelings about the flag, they do have the sense not to put it on a t-shirt today. On the whole, LL and Paisley would have been better off covering “It Ain’t Easy Being White.”
As always gets brought up (often as not by me) when the topic of “that flag” comes up (which is frequently), unless your ancestor was in the Confederate navy you probably can’t even argue heritage since that was never the official flag of the Confederacy and really only became famous beginning in the early 20th century when its fame was tied in with the KKK and Jim Crow hooters and howlers. The rectangular red field with the blue X and the stars was pretty much always about racism and separatism and it’s jaw dropping how many southerners don’t know that it was never flown over any Confederate capitol building until generations after the war was over (though they may have flown one of the other ‘official’ rebel flags).
PAISLEY
I’m just a straight man comin’ to you from the southland
Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to like poon tang
I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done
And I’m still workin’ on the “it’s racist to say coon” thang
MARTIN
Dear Mr. Straight Man, I wish you could understand
When you look at boobies and say ‘I’ll pass’
I’m finished making your latte
But I don’t do femmes or fatties
So don’t worry that I’m checking out your ass…
Hey now, you can’t rip on Ebony and Ivory. It is the only force of nature that managed to make Joe Piscopo funny once.
My favorite thing about this song is that Brad keeps referring to himself as a proud Southerner. He is from a town about 30 minutes from me, which is…wait for it…NORTH of the Mason-Dixon line.
The little parts of it that I have heard are horrible, but I don’t like country/western and I am not a huge lover of rapper (though I like it better than c/w). So I don’t really care for the fusion of the two.
The lyrics are stupid.
Trading bling for 300 years of slavery. LL must have been smoking some seriously crazy shit.
Avenue Q did it better.
“IF YOU FORGIVE MY GOLD CHAINS I’LL FORGIVE YOU FOR MY IRON CHAINS”
Yep. Those are actual lyrics. :eek:
Well, it made me rethink race relations.
Which is not to say I’m forgiving the gold chains; I still haven’t decided.
I saw a TV piece that said it’s no classic like Ebony & Ivory . . . as if that was THE race relations song to live up to.
Pure crap. Both songs and the TV piece.
I like the Sinatra version of Ebony and Ivory.
I had no idea this was true.
Ayup. It’s true.
I had an excellent Social Studies teacher in 7th and 8th grade who was NOT a born southerner (born in NY state like I was, but living in South Florida at the time) who patiently explained this to his classes every year.
It’s rare to stumble across a song by a popular artist that has zero merit but it’s one of them. So wrong headed, awfully written, awfully produced.
It does need to be addressed and I give them credit for that but it is horribly hamhanded and inept. I actually like Brad Paisley (Wait - this isn’t the unpopular opinions thread is it?) so I was kinda horrified by this. (I agree it’s a bad song…however…)
For the record though, I think when most people think Lynard Skynard they think “Sweet Home Alabama” and racist things confederate flag or not. This song addresses stereotypes and makes us uncomfortable about them on both sides. That is the point.
I do appreciate that they’re sticking together though. It would be so easy for either of them to throw the other under the bus but they know what they want to say so ok.
Oh yeah; I don’t buy his music, but I listen to his guitar work - he’s an excellent player. I like a lot of LL Cool J - he was a great early rapper and demonstrated a longevity few rappers cam match.
Stevie and Macca are pretty amazing 
but can’t excuse E&I…
I have not heard the song and think the lyrics are pretty lame, but I’m still surprised by the response. Five years after the President said it’s time for a national dialogue about race, we find that we’re still not ready. Whether it’s a lame pop song, or the article on Philadelphia about how racism affects white people as well, it’s apparent this country is not open to diverse viewpoints on the subject. Apparently, people should not be judged on the color of their skin or where they are from unless they are white men from the South, then they are immediately racist redneck assholes, who, judging by the Cracked article should apologize for and ashamed by a practice that ended 100 years before they were born.
As stupid as the song is, the topic is at least being addressed in Country Music, a forum that is not known for such topics. Isn’t that a step in the right direction, for Pete’s sake?
Why LL Cool J? Ta-Nehisi Coats has a brief piece in the Atlantic about the song.
If Brad Paisley wanted to collaborate on a difficult song about race, I’m betting he could have found somebody else to work with. He decided to write an easy song instead.
No, dude* - it’s because the twits are comparing the chains of slavery with a fashion choice that some suburban types find scary.
It’s not that we’re not ready - it’s 'cuz it’s stoopid.
*non-gender specific invocation of “dude”
Or maybe the problem is that it’s a song supposedly about racism and the legacy of slavery but the ultimate victim appears to be Brad Paisley?
It’s all about how Paisley is being judged, then the black guy comes and immediately talks about living in the hood, says that he is racist too, kinda appologizes for Sherman’s March, mentions his do-rag, and offers to forget about slavery if white people let him wear his bling in peace.
I’m not a fan of the whole get offended at everything culture, and I believe their heart was in the right place, but do you really see this as an exploration of different views or a helpful attempt at bridging any gaps?