-Cp
04-02-2009, 02:37 PM
Rich releases 'Son of a Preacher Man' this week, a CD of tracks that mirror his personality -- feisty, opinionated, passionate and reflective. The country mogul swung by the Boot's offices on a busy promotional tour to talk about his solo venture. The notoriously candid Rich also opened up about his new marriage, his "hell-raising" ways and the bone he has to pick with President Obama.
Your new single, 'Shuttin' Detroit Down,' is certainly hitting home with people in this tough economy.
I wrote 'Shuttin' Detroit Down' because I watched the news and just about lost it. The CEO of Merrill Lynch took some bail-out money and spent a million dollars remodeling his office, and somewhere in the world found a $38,000 toilet and bought it for his office. I thought, 'Is this what this world has come to?' There's a lack of reality and a lack of respect for American taxpayers. It struck me so hard that I wrote this song. As of right now, it's the fastest-rising single in the history of my career.
Is it safe to assume it's gotten the biggest response of any song in your career, as well?
It's the biggest positive response! [laughs] 'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy' got a big response, but it was either positive or people hated it. But 'Shuttin' Detroit Down' crosses lines of all Americans. It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, Republican or Independent ... no matter what your race or religion is. Everybody sees this absolute nonsense going on everyday. People are losing their jobs; people are getting their 401-Ks cut by 60 percent. Then they turn on the news and see these guys in D.C. sending billions of dollars over to these other guys who blow it on private jets and bonuses. After a while, you feel like you want to revolt!
If you could sit in a room with President Obama and ask him anything, what would you ask?
Are the long-term effects of spending trillions and trillions of my grandkids' dollars worth the short-term blackjack move that he's making to stimulate our economy right now? I look at how he's doing it -- he has shoved all the chips on the table on one hand of cards and doesn't know what the next card is. He's holding the King and so is the dealer, and we don't know if he's going to flip an Ace or a six. I feel like it's taking an immense gamble, and one that's just within 60 days of being in office. That is way, way, way ahead of where it ought to be. He's a very intelligent man, so I'm sure he'd have a great answer for that, but that's what concerns me the most.
Read the rest at:
http://www.theboot.com/2009/03/26/john-rich-preaches-his-own-agenda/?icid=main|htmlws-sb|dl5|link3|http://www.theboot.com/2009/03/26/john-rich-preaches-his-own-agenda/
Your new single, 'Shuttin' Detroit Down,' is certainly hitting home with people in this tough economy.
I wrote 'Shuttin' Detroit Down' because I watched the news and just about lost it. The CEO of Merrill Lynch took some bail-out money and spent a million dollars remodeling his office, and somewhere in the world found a $38,000 toilet and bought it for his office. I thought, 'Is this what this world has come to?' There's a lack of reality and a lack of respect for American taxpayers. It struck me so hard that I wrote this song. As of right now, it's the fastest-rising single in the history of my career.
Is it safe to assume it's gotten the biggest response of any song in your career, as well?
It's the biggest positive response! [laughs] 'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy' got a big response, but it was either positive or people hated it. But 'Shuttin' Detroit Down' crosses lines of all Americans. It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, Republican or Independent ... no matter what your race or religion is. Everybody sees this absolute nonsense going on everyday. People are losing their jobs; people are getting their 401-Ks cut by 60 percent. Then they turn on the news and see these guys in D.C. sending billions of dollars over to these other guys who blow it on private jets and bonuses. After a while, you feel like you want to revolt!
If you could sit in a room with President Obama and ask him anything, what would you ask?
Are the long-term effects of spending trillions and trillions of my grandkids' dollars worth the short-term blackjack move that he's making to stimulate our economy right now? I look at how he's doing it -- he has shoved all the chips on the table on one hand of cards and doesn't know what the next card is. He's holding the King and so is the dealer, and we don't know if he's going to flip an Ace or a six. I feel like it's taking an immense gamble, and one that's just within 60 days of being in office. That is way, way, way ahead of where it ought to be. He's a very intelligent man, so I'm sure he'd have a great answer for that, but that's what concerns me the most.
Read the rest at:
http://www.theboot.com/2009/03/26/john-rich-preaches-his-own-agenda/?icid=main|htmlws-sb|dl5|link3|http://www.theboot.com/2009/03/26/john-rich-preaches-his-own-agenda/