# Left-wing country & western music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152 "2003-07-04T00:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/21 "2003-07-04T14:11:44Z")
Upon further review, I find that Yoakam identifies himself as a little-l “libertarian.” ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/22 "2003-07-04T14:13:22Z")
Well, Willie Nelson has recently given an endorsement and pledged to support [Dennis Kucinich’s](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,91033,00.htm)presidential ambitions. [Marge Simpson] You don’t say no to the red haired stranger. [/Marge Simpson] ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/23 "2003-07-04T14:40:44Z")
Although most of the main-stream C&W fans reject her, in my mind she is one of the best singers in the genre and she is definitely of the prevailing winds – k.d. lang. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/24 "2003-07-04T14:41:47Z")
Should have read “left of the prevailing winds” sorry! ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/25 "2003-07-04T16:38:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > **Willie Nelson, a country music god if there ever was one, has endorsed Dennis Kucinich for president 2004. 🆒** He’s also just recorded a pro-lynching song, so you’ve got to wonder. (You’d think that in 2003 it would be pretty safe to say that most people were against lynch mobs, but you’d have underestimated country music fans) ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/26 "2003-07-04T16:57:00Z")
Garth Brooks (my secret shame) is fairly lefty, dunno if real country fans consider him country though. He has a fairly old-school folky anthem called “We shall be free”. Lyrics: [http://www.lyricsstyle.com/g/garthbrooks/weshallbefree.html](http://www.lyricsstyle.com/g/garthbrooks/weshallbefree.html) including: When we’re free to love anyone we choose When this world’s big enough for all different views When we all can worship from our own kind of pew Then we shall be free The video is really nice 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/27 "2003-07-04T17:47:02Z")
K D Lang, during her country phase, did pretty well 'till she hugged that cow. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/28 "2003-07-04T18:48:20Z")
Although I can’t think of any overtly political songs of his, Robert Earl Keen seems pretty left of center. Regardless of his politics, he’s darn good artist. (Plus, he was Lyle Lovett’s college roommate, which is just cool.) Mary Chapin Carpenter–is she still considered country? She’s another great singer and pretty left-wing. **amarinth** , can you elaborate on Willie Nelson’s “pro-lynching” song? It doesn’t square with anything else I’ve heard about him. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/29 "2003-07-04T19:18:17Z")
Damn hamster ate a long post. Cliffnotes version: CW stars from the south. Southern Democrats are pretty conservative people. Populist is a more apt label for most of the acts listed above. Alabama has specific populist/farmer appeal. Farmer Democrats don’t listen to NPR or drink Chardonay. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/30 "2003-07-04T21:03:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by burundi \* > \*\ ***amarinth** , can you elaborate on Willie Nelson’s “pro-lynching” song? It doesn’t square with anything else I’ve heard about him. \*\* [Here you go](http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/t/tobykeith/beerformyhorses.htm) I apologize for the pop-ups. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/31 "2003-07-05T03:28:41Z")
Patty Loveless has played some Democratic functions. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/32 "2003-07-05T03:40:52Z")
[This site](http://www.folkworld.de/23/e/toms.html) includes some dicussion of politics and country music. In line with **watsonwil** ’s observation about the populist thread in country music, there is this… > [@](#): > > Ideological consistency has been rare among country musicians. If any political label fits the music, it would be populist, with both its positive and negative connotations. Since the days of Andrew Jackson, and at least to 1968 or so, the majority of the white plain folk tended to be Democratic. They valued hard work and those who struggled and survived against adversity; they were suspicious of monopolies and nonproducers–bankers, lawyers, speculators, or, at the other end of the spectrum, people who lived on welfare or who otherwise lived off the labor of others. Southern working folk were usually warm, comforting, and hospitable to those who lived within or who fit the social confines of their circle of familiarity. They were prejudiced against strangers or outsiders, non-Christians, foreigners, blacks, gays, or social deviants. There is also some discussion of the association of country music with the right of late. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/33 "2003-07-05T06:24:40Z")
The Willie Nelson song is pro-vigilante justice, not pro-lynching. Not that I’m applauding the former, but it’s not at all the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/34 "2003-07-05T12:13:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*The Willie Nelson song is pro-vigilante justice, not pro-lynching. Not that I’m applauding the former, but it’s not at all the same thing. \*\* Is it? I don’t think it’s clear in the song whether the justice in question is being carried out by vigilantes or by a combination of elected lawmen and the courts. The song might be merely advocating prompt and decisive capital punishment of murderers. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/35 "2003-07-05T12:29:04Z")
Also, I think Willie is much given to recording any song that he likes the tune of. I doubt if he can be considered to be endorsing the lyrics of any of them. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/36 "2003-07-05T14:04:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*The Willie Nelson song is pro-vigilante justice, not pro-lynching. Not that I’m applauding the former, but it’s not at all the same thing. \*\* A bunch of people going, rounding up those they think might be guilty (or have heard rumors about) without the benefit of a legal trial? That’s a lynch mob. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/37 "2003-07-05T15:14:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarinth \* > \*\*A bunch of people going, rounding up those they think might be guilty (or have heard rumors about) without the benefit of a legal trial? > That’s a lynch mob. \*\* It sure is. Too bad for your scenario that it has very little to do with the lyrics of the song. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/38 "2003-07-05T15:54:40Z")
Three words\*: “9 to 5” \*actually two numbers and one word ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/39 "2003-07-05T19:38:15Z")
> [@](#): > > It sure is. Too bad for your scenario that it has very little to do with the lyrics of the song. Upon further review, I agree with **RikWriter**. It’s just a song about getting drunk and having a good time with your horse. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152/40 "2003-07-05T19:54:36Z")
Upon further review, I agree with **Marley23**. Except that it’s a song about getting drunk and having a good time with your horse hanging people who probably are guilty of crimes not limited to murder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-wing-country-western-music/186152.md?page=3)