Bobby Bare Jr.

A STORM – A TREE – MY MOTHER’S REAL DANG RECORD ALBUM-

BIG ROUND BLACK SPINNIN’ DISC WITH A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE

- is now available on VINYL

NEW SONGS ADDED TO THE BOBBY BARE JR. myspace page

I was asked to write something for AQUARIUM DRUNKARD BLOG about anything I wanted to and this is what I came up with- bbj

THE SOUND OF SOAP BOXERS

So lets say you have a really sore tooth and your at the dentists office. Your in the chair, your mouth is wedged open wide and you notice a large picture of a president that you did not vote for hanging over the shoulder of the dental assistant. She lays the gas on you and then the dentist walks in, begins picking at your stinky teeth while speaking passionatly about politics you don’t really agree with and some that you don’t really have an opinion about, but mostly YOUR JUST THERE TO HAVE YOUR FUCKING TEETH FIXED and can’t say a thing. This is how many fans of music feel when they go to a show.

They may have heard one of your songs on the radio or on the web and liked it, they knew some cute girls who might be goin’ to the show that night and they paid their money for some “musical entertainment”. Then they are drug through the political opinions of someone who may or may not have a very well informed opinion. The artist on stage has just potentially lost half of a crowd (who may not agree with the artists opinions). The rest of the crowd who are indifferent or may actually agree with the songwriter are possibly pissed cause they came there to ENJOY MUSIC and hear a familiar melody or maybe sing along, not listen to a lonely one sided “Crossfire”.
Just because you have the talent to write a song does not mean that you also have an equally special gift for politics or an especially qualified political opinion. THEY JUST DON’T ALWAYS GO TOGETHER. Many really talented musician friends of mine are the last mutherfuckers in the room who should be talking about politics as they mostly only think about girls, free beer, perfectly tattered vintage jeans and music. Which is fine as that is what worked for many musicians before them.

Johnny Cash sang in “THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS ON THE RIGHT” the line “and if you have political opinions keep them to yourself.” but he also wrote ” THE MAN IN BLACK”. It’s a strange yet common dilemma. There are many songwriters of whom their audience knows before they pay for their tickets that they are gonna get a one sided political ear load. But it’s an obstacle for a fan to like the singer’s songs if they don’t agree with the songwriter politically. I once heard a rumor that one of my favorite bands were all members of the opposing political team and I allowed it to taint the way I felt about music that I already liked. I wish I never heard that rumor. Who is the artist benefitting other than himself or herself to impose that choice on the listener. If Steve Earle were truck driver and not a musician he would surely be on his cb blasting to anyone who had the desire to listen to his opinions while truckin’ down the highway while on his way to the next death row execution/protest- it is unapologetically just who he is. I understand this about some of these hyper political songwriters, I admire their passion, they just can’t help themselves. For these, some of them great songwriters, music is mostly just used as a tool to sneak their opinions into your ear. I am a fan of many of these people and I don’t feel it is wrong of me to prefer to hear them sing me a song(even a political song) rather than listen to the sound of them trying to persuade me and my political ideals, many of which are parallel to whomever is on stage but why preach to the converted.

Of the musicians I respect the most are the ones who put their opinions into action more often than into a microphone. Neil Young who has made a career off of melody and verse mixed with politics recently said this:

“I think that the time when music could change the world is past,”

“I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age.”

Young added: “I think the world today is a different place, and that it’s time for science and physics and spirituality to make a difference in this world and to try to save the planet.”

(please watch his “Charlie Rose interview” http://www.lincvolt.com/lincvolt_media )

And he has backed it up with most of his efforts these days going into his “LINKVOLT” instead of touring. He even wrote a song called “Just Singing A Song Won’t Change The World”
If Conor Oberst is gonna give us his opinion about playing Tucson or not playing Tucson just before he nails the audience with a great song that everyone loves like “The First Day of My Life” than that is only gonna encourge the guys and girls who just walked off the American Idol stage to voice their opinions and I really don’t wanna know what Clay Aiken thinks about the “Surge in Kandahar” even if he has a good point. Or even worse – ACTORS – who somehow feel that they are “special” and deserve to talk politics cause someone is dumb enough to put them on CNN.

Why does anyone assume that just because someone can strum a guitar and hang a harmonica from their sweaty neck (both of which I do), that they have some sort of special insight into what’s right for anyone other than themselves. There are so many options for a famous person to flex their clout and help direct their country in the direction they feel is right without bringing it to the stage. I have written political songs myself, and enjoy playing them for different audiences in the USA and Europe but I always feel really self indulgent imposing my view on every person standing in the audience via my music. When you throw your political opinion out there there is an assumption that you as an citizen are somehow “special” and have some kinda insight that is above the audience and I just don’t feel comfortable making that assumption. Why does the mic in my face make my opinion more important or valid than anybody else’s opinion in that room. The courage it takes to get on stage and sing a song is usually the result of a desperate need for attention (myself included) and I don’t really think that makes someone special or especially insightful.
I know there really is power in music, there is a reason rock music is banned by governments in many oppressive countries, sometimes cause the rock music in those countries is so bad, but mostly cause the country is trying to keep a hold on what moves and binds the young people of that country. But still there is something sneaky and icky about sliding the political stuff in with the melodies and words that people paid to hear. Kinda like the dentist who starts laying it on you after he knows your deep in his chair, your mouth is wedged wide open, unable to speak, and the gas is starting to take effect and the opinions are beginning to leak.

THIS IS THE FIRST SINGLE FROM THE NEW ALBUM-

“A STORM – A TREE – MY MOTHER’S HEAD” due out aug 31st

02 SAD SMILE by BOBBY BARE JR.