Waist Deep in the Big Muddy...

so, i dunno man. where the hell are all the protest singers? i mean, back in the day the Vietnam War pretty much made the careers of lots of legends. Bob Dylan anyone?

we've got a few people out there speaking their minds. Steve Earle has a new record coming out this summer called "The Revolution Starts...now," and features songs like "Rich Man's War," "Condi, Condi," and "F(uck) the CC".

Ani DiFranco has said a few things as well, but really oughta be keeping a louder profile. A few other singers have been outspoken, but just seem to be afraid of some sort of backlash.

There's a compilation out there featuring Michael Franti, Charlie Hunter, and Ozomatli. NOFX put out this wonderfully fun compilation called Rock Against Bush.

But two of the people who i expect to be the loudest - and i don't mean by speaking or putting on concerts - but by writing music that should be evoking change and will be something our kids will look at as music that helped alter the course of history - have been strangely quiet.

Serj Tankian. Zack de la Rocha. Where are you guys? Especially you Zack - the World needs y'all now, more than ever. We need your music damnit!

Zack - you once said it best. "Anger is a gift," you growled.

Well for fuck's sake man, get out of your bunker and share your gift with us. The loudest and angriest voices we've had so far are from the Dixie Chicks - a country band!!! No disrespect to them, but anger and change isn't their forte.

it's yours.

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"Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," Originally by Pete Seeger, slightly reworked by Richard Shindell for his new cd "Vuelta," due on 8/24.

It was back in nineteen forty-two,
I was a member of a good platoon.
We were on maneuvers in Louisiana
One night by the light of the moon.
The captain told us to ford a river,
That's how it all begun.
We were -- knee deep in the Big Muddy,
But the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

The Sergeant said, "Sir, are you sure,
This is the best way back to the base?"
"Sergeant, go on! I forded this river
'Bout a mile above this place.
It'll be a little soggy but just keep slogging.
We'll soon be on dry ground."
We were -- waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

The Sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment
No man will be able to swim."
"Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie,"
The Captain said to him.
"All we need is a little determination;
Men, follow me, I'll lead on."
We were -- neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

All at once, the moon clouded over,
We heard a gurgling cry.
A few seconds later, the captain's helmet
Was all that floated by.
The Sergeant said, "Turn around men!
I'm in charge from now on."
And we just made it out of the Big Muddy
With the captain dead and gone.

We stripped and dived and found his body
Stuck in the old quicksand.
I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper
Than the place he'd once before been.
Another stream had joined the Big Muddy
'Bout a half mile from where we'd gone.
We were lucky to escape from the Big Muddy
When the damn fool kept yelling to push on.

Well, you might not want to draw conclusions;
I'll leave that to yourself
Maybe you're still walking, you're still talking
You'd like to keep your health.
But every time I hear the news
That old feeling comes back on;
We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools kept yelling to push on.
Waist deep! Neck deep!
We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on.