Pop-singer Sheryl Crow has always been outspoken about her own political views, but now she's telling former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to zip it.
"I saw you ranting on TV today, I heard you tell me to reload. You got a lot of nerve to talk that way, someone unplug the microphone," sings Crow in her new anthem, "Say What You Want," which was released in late July.
The angsty, politically-charged song makes plenty of references to "kool-aid drinking," "talking heads" and, of course, "ignorance."
"I'm tired of all the fighting, cynicism and back biting. Can't even hear myself think, you pour the kool-aid and then we drink," sings Crow of Palin.
The Grammy Award-winning songstress makes it clear what she thinks of conservative views, crooning sarcastically that "Ignorance is patriotic, reasons are so idiotic."
Crow also made an emotional appeal to the young and impressionable, urging them to steer clear of the "hatred" that has apparently been manufactured by "talking heads" and their "hate campaigns."
"All you little ones with open hearts, don't let hatred tear your world apart. And if you wonder who is wrong and who is right, better go ask God to shine some light," she sings.
Crow defended the song in an interview with The Sunday Times, saying that "[T]he morning that Sarah Palin came out and said 'reload', there was no way I wasn't going to write about that."
The "All I Want to Do" singer also delved into politics during the interview, saying that the reason Americans aren't "out on the streets" protesting may be because they're too distracted by tabloids.
People can't "experience the angst or the sadness or the anger that should go along with the oil spill or George Bush or our loan system or the economy," Crow told the paper. "So we have tabloids, we have all these things that we can invest in, which obviously make us sick in a psychological way, but don't dictate that we actually show up. Because, look, we'd be out on the street otherwise, if we got into a war like we did in Iraq."
Crow also made some predictions for the November elections (listen up, Karl Rove!), and threatened to move to Canada if the Democrats suffered major losses. "The Tea Party is going to split the Republican vote," she estimated. "[W]hich can only be good for the Democrats. That has to be the hope. Either that, or we all move to Canada." (Make sure to dress warm.)
The popstar sparked controversy in late June, when she claimed that Tea Partiers were too "uneducated" to understand the financial crisis, during an interview with CBS journalist Katie Couric for Glamour magazine.
"They're not sure what they're angry at," Crow said at the time. "[T]hey don't understand what's happening on Wall Street."
In 2007, the songwriter was also ridiculed across the political spectrum for suggesting in a Huffington Post column that people should use "only one square [of toilet paper] per restroom visit" in order to conserve trees.
Other ideas in Crow's 2007 column included using a reusable "dining sleeve" instead of a dinner napkin, and a creating a "greenest lifestyle" contest for aspiring musicians.
Crow later backed away from those statements, insisting that they were simply "satire," written in order to bring attention to the looming threat of climate change.
Full lyrics to Crow's new song are below:
Say What You Want
I saw you ranting on TV today
I heard you tell me to reload
You got a lot of nerve to talk that way
Someone unplug the microphone
I'm tired of all the fighting
Cynicism and back biting
Can't even hear myself think
Your pour the kool-aid and then we drink
So much noise so much chatter
Does the truth even matter
Say, say what you want to (even though you never mean it)
Say, say what you want to ( ain't got time to be wasting time)
Say, say what you want to (We had a chance and now we're gonna blow it)
Say, say what you want to (If this is America you'd never know it)
Ignorance is patriotic
Reasons are so idiotic
The winds of change just keep on blowing
This is America you never know it
So much noise so much chatter
Does the truth even matter?
Say, say what you want to (even though you never mean it)
Say, say what you want to ( ain't got time to be wasting time)
Say, say what you want to (We had a chance and now we're gonna blow it)
Say, say what you want to (If this is America you'd never know it)
All you little ones with open hearts
Don't let hatred tear your world apart
And if you wonder who is wrong and who is right
Better go ask God to shine some light
Earthquakes and Jihad Jane
Talking heads and hate campaigns
If aliens should land today
Who would be more afraid us or them?
Say, say what you want to (even though you never mean it)
Say, say what you want to ( ain't got time to be wasting time)
(Say it loud yeah)
Say, say what you want to (We had a chance and now we're gonna blow it)
Say, say what you want to (If this is America you'd never know it)
Say, say what you want to (You gotta say it, say)
Say, say what you want to (Whatever's on your mind)
Say, say what you want to (Give me a microphone baby)
(say it loud)
Say, say what you want to (All the things I want to say)
