Posted on 10.14.2016

Stand up - Soapbox Rewind

*** NOTE ***

Due to Charlie's time constraints during this busy time Charlie will be doing one new soapbox a week for the time being to be posted on Mondays. We will supplement with a "best of" Soapbox Rewind from the archives. - TeamCDB

Some time back Laura Ingraham wrote a book called Shut Up and Sing in which she advised entertainers who share their political convictions with the audiences they perform for, to cease and desist and do the job the audience bought the tickets to see them do.

I agree with Laura's premise that people do not spend their hard earned money to hear some opinionated singer stand on stage and regale them with personal politics and social commentary about the wrongs of society.

In my humble opinion that part of an entertainer's day is bought and paid for by the people who purchased the tickets and should be used to give them what they paid for from start to finish without denigrating or promoting candidates and causes.

However, when you decide to devote your life to show business it doesn't mean that you give up your first amendment rights, you don't turn in your voter registration card and retire from the arena of ideas and issues which effect those of us in show business as much as any other citizen.

So I made the decision long ago to confine my hours on stage to entertaining the audiences who do me the honor of coming to see me and my opinion to my twice-weekly soapbox columns, interviews, my Twitter account and private conversations. I consider these outlets to be as much a part of my personal life as I do my time on stage to be a part of my public one.

I am accused at times of writing political songs, but, to me, they are not political at all, just an expression of patriotism, anger, frustration or social comment, expressed from my personal point of view in music.

"In America" was written about the awakening of patriotism in America in the aftermath of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

"This Ain't No Rag (It's A Flag)" and "The Last Fallen Hero" came after 9/11 and "Let 'Em Win, Or Bring 'Em Home" is commentary on a war I feel we should have brought our troops home from long ago.

"Simple Man" is nothing but a hyperbolic reaction to out of control crime and the failure of our courts to keep up with it.

To me, these are not political but human issues that last through administration changes and good and bad times. They affect us all and writing songs about them are as old as music. My subjects are simple and my lyrics reflect the mindset and vernacular of the blue collar segment of the population I came from, not flowery, not intellectual, just straight ahead and easy to understand.

I have no university degrees or certificates of higher learning and actually feel blessed to have made it through high school, but I don't consider the world of political commentary a private preserve for those with acronyms behind their names and diplomas on their wall. The first amendment was written for us all, even sparsely educated hillbillies with strong opinions.

Laura Ingraham's book title has become a catch phrase for those who don't agree with my writings and I'm often told to "shut up and sing" by those responding to my columns and tweets but that could easily be applied to them also, shut up and teach, shut up and study for your exam or shut up and practice law.

So in my parallel universes, on stage I will indeed shut up and sing but in my private life, I'm apt to stand up and holler.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, and for our country.

God Bless America

� Charlie Daniels

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST

Feel free to comment on Charlie's soapboxes, but please refrain from profanity and anonymous posts are not allowed, we need a name and you MUST provide a valid email address. If you provide an email address, but leave the name as "Anonymous" we will pick a name for you based on your email address. No one other than website adminstrators will see your email address, not other posters. If you post without a valid email address, your comment (whether postive or negative) will be deleted. � TeamCDB

Comments

Thanks
My wife and I saw you last night at the comming fair and we were really impressed with you and your band and I wanted to say thank you for playing as hard as you did the last time I saw you was in the late 80s it was just as fun!!!! Bad to the bone yea come on!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Richie
Shut Up and Sing
Amen, to that. Right along with it, Shut up and play ball! Thanks for all the great songs you have written and the memories I associate with them.
Posted by Charles
Keep Hollering
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie, it ain't no secret I have admired yo for a long time, for your music and your opinions and how you keep them separate, which is a very wise thing to do. In my honest opinion I am tickled over Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize but you sir rank right up there with him & Merle as a poet. Just keep on keeping on sir. God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
You tell them Charlie!
If they don't want to hear your opinion than they shouldn't read your posts. I love reading everything you post. You, my friend are a true American and always have been.
Posted by Cheryl
I concur Amigo
If I want a lecture I'll enroll in a class , If I want to be preached to I'll go to church , If I want to be nagged I have my wife...
Posted by Terry
Your rights
Again, well said, your rights speak your opinion should be respected no matter your status in life or your job title. We are Americans first and stand for what should be good about the country. I stand as a proud American, hoping this nation returns to the stature of what has made her great. With leadership and vision this can once again be a nation that leads doesn't follow and doesn't apologize for putting it's people first.
Posted by Jim
Misunderstanding
I enjoy both your music and your thoughtful words. I have not read the book so this is just an opnion. I think what she was talking about is when celebrities speak on topics they dont have knowledge about. Unlike you it seems many skip the research part then use the platform to spead misinformation as facts not as just opinions.
Posted by Thomas
The Free Exchange of Ideas
It bothers me when people get upset at a famous person just for saying an opinion that they don't like. Having a difference of opinion doesn't make someone a disgusting person. Part of having a free exchange of ideas is respecting people no matter what their opinions are. And by the way, yes, I do think that it's annoying when musicians yammer about politics during a concert when they should be singing.
Posted by Tru