Can you believe there was a time not too long ago when saying something mean about George W. Bush could result in death threats (to the person who said it, that is, not to George W. Bush)?
I guess when you say it shortly after 9/11 on foreign soil and you’re a country singer, you should expect a bit of backlash. But the firestorm that erupted over Dixie Chick Natalie Maines’ comment that she was ashamed President Bush was from Texas was unreal. Death threats, CD burnings, radio bans… whoa. And it was all captured in the excellent documentary Shut Up and Sing.
That movie also captures the tumultuous personal and creative atmosphere the Dixie Chicks faced during the writing and recording of their excellent album Taking the Long Way. This is the only Dixie Chicks album I own and it makes me want to seek out their other stuff. It runs on about three songs too long but the first 12 tracks are uniformly excellent.
Best among them is ‘Not Ready to Make Nice,’ Maines’ powerful response to the Bush controversy. I love that it doesn’t contain even a hint of apology… in fact, she comes right out of the gate saying that it’s her naysayers who should seek forgiveness from her. God damn right.
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
Meet Me In Montauk 
One of the things I love best about this song is how thoroughly it embraces everything that is quintessential about country music to take to task those passionate country music fans who were the most critical of Maines and the Dixie Chicks. The whole notion that God and Country should be respected at all costs, but it’s okay to send death threats to somebody who criticizes the President, is so utterly ludicrous that the only appropriate response is a song like this.
And I love that with this song (and the documentary), the Dixie Chicks not only retained many of their country fans but they also found a whole new fan base, and that they exposed that fan base to what true country music can sound like.
As has been well documented, :), I’m not a big fan of country music, but I do love this song. Perhaps it is 90% about the background leading up to it and the lyrical response to the morons who trashed her. However, I must admit that it is also is really just a darn good tune as well.