Psyche, Science, and Society

Dixie Chicks win: Salute to those who don’t back down

February 12th, 2007

One of my favorite bands, the Dixie Chicks, swept the Grammys, winning in every category they were nominated: Best Album, Best Country Album, Record of the Year, Best Country Group Performance, and, most important to me, Song of the Year for Not Ready To Make Nice!

“I think people are using their freedom of speech here tonight with all these awards. We get the message… I’m very humbled,” said singer Natalie Maines, accepting the coveted best album award late Sunday.

It was Maines who infamously said during a London gig in 2003: “We’re ashamed the president is from Texas.”

The comment resulted in their music being banned by country music stations and even sparked death threats.

Singer Emily Robison said after receiving the best country album award: “We wouldn’t have done this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets.”

Here’s the winners:

I consider this an honor, both for the Chicks, and for all us rabble-rouses. Here are the lyrics to Not Ready to Make Nice:

Not Ready To Make Nice

Forgive, sounds good
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

Also, go see Shut Up and Sing, a truly marvelous movie about the Chicks.

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