"New Mellencamp song jabs at U.S. war plans," Indianapolis Star, March 10, 2003 -
John Mellencamp questions President Bush's motives for a possible war against Iraq in a new song available at the Hoosier rock star's Web site. "He wants to fight with many, and he says it's not for oil," Mellencamp sings during "To Washington," which can be downloaded for free at www.mellencamp.com . The Seymour native doesn't consider the song to be a protest or anti-war anthem, but rather an overview of recent American history. Bush is never identified more specifically than "a new man in the White House with a familiar name." "I think the song is relevant, irrespective of the ticking of a 'war clock,' " Mellencamp said in a statement issued by his publicist. The lyrics of "To Washington" begin at the end of the Clinton administration, in which the Monica Lewinsky scandal is weighed against "eight years of peace and prosperity." In subsequent verses, Mellencamp addresses Florida's voting controversy of 2000, active duty for members of the National Guard and Reserves and religious perspectives regarding the killing of humans. The tune borrows its melody and arrangement from folk/country icons Woody Guthrie and the Carter Family. It's also "unplugged," featuring mandolin, acoustic guitar, fiddle, accordion and tambourine.
Mellencamp is the latest high-profile musician to record politically charged material following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Toby Keith ("Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue") and Darryl Worley ("Have You Forgotten?) have called for blood. Steve Earle ("Amerika v. 6.0"), Ani DiFranco ("Self Evident") and Pearl Jam ("Bushleaguer") have criticized the president. Meanwhile, Alan Jackson ("Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?") and Bruce Springsteen ("The Rising") have made personal statements without taking sides.
During Mellencamp's most recent concert tours, an Albert Einstein quotation of "You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war" has been projected on a large screen at the back of the stage. The 51-year-old singer performed last month at a private fund-raiser for Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. Designated by the Indiana Historical Society as a Living Legend in 1999, Mellencamp won a Grammy Award in 1983 and has sold more than 25 million albums during his career. "To Washington" will be included on a new studio album tentatively scheduled for a spring release on Columbia Records, a label Mellencamp seemingly broke ties with last May.
By David Lindquist
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/9/028008-5959-092.html
"Mellencamp fights authority with new song," Hollywood Reporter, March 7, 2003 -
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- John Mellencamp's new antiwar song "To Washington" will be on his upcoming untitled CD due May 20. But by then, the United States might have already won its threatened war with Iraq. So, since time is of the essence, Mellencamp is negotiating with his label, Columbia Records, for the right to quickly get the song at his Web site, Mellencamp.com. A sort of update to the Woody Guthrie tune "From Baltimore to Washington," Mellencamp's lyrics attack President Bush: "He wants to fight with many/And he says it's not for oil/He sent out the National Guard/To police the world/From Baghdad to Washington." "It's of interest now, so no reason to hold it," Mellencamp's publicist Bob Merlis said. "We're theorizing it will be free. Whether it be by streaming or download, we don't know yet."
And for those hungry for the geopolitical thoughts of popular musicians, the opposite viewpoint is also represented online. Surfers at DreamWorksNashville.com may stream Darryl Worley (news)'s hot country tune "Have You Forgotten." Sample lyrics: "I hear people saying we don't need this war/I say there's some things worth fighting for/What about our freedom and this piece of ground?/We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down." And for more on the pro-military, pro-Bush side, surfers may check out the Web sites of musicians Ted Nugent and Charlie Daniels. At CharlieDaniels.com, for example, there's an angry open letter to celebrity antiwar activists. "You people are some of the most disgusting examples of a waste of protoplasm I've ever had the displeasure to hear about," Daniels tells Sean Penn, Barbra Streisand and others.
By Paul Bond
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/bpihw/20030307/en_bpihw/mellencamp_fights_authority_with_new_song