You’ve gotta read this story:
Toby Keith’s Pro-Lynching Publicity Tour Hits Colbert, CBS and More
While Keith belted out “Beer For My Horses,” Colbert’s studio audience clapped to the beat, blithely unaware that they were swaying to a racially tinged, explicitly pro-lynching anthem that calls for the vigilante-style hanging of car thieves, “gangsters doing dirty deeds…crime in the streets,” and other assorted evildoers.
-SNIP-
Grandpappy told my pappy back in my day, son
A man had to answer for the wicked that he’d done
Take all the rope in Texas
Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys
Hang them high in the street
For all the people to see-SNIP-
During the days when Toby Keith’s “Grandpappy” stalked the Jim Crow South, lynching was an institutional method of terror employed against blacks to maintain white supremacy. According to the Tuskegee Institute, between the years 1882 and 1951, 3,437 African-Americans were lynched in the United States, mostly in the heart of Dixie. Felonious assault and rape (read: corrupting “the flower of white womanhood”) were the two most frequent justifications for lynch mob actions.
This is sure to make Toby Keith even more popular in parts of Kentucky, right?
Sickening.
38 responses so far ↓
1 David Adams // Jul 31, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Yes. It probably does. Especially in the heavily Democratic parts of the state.
2 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Thankfully everyone understands being a Democrat in Kentucky is like being a hardcore Republican in most parts of the country. Heh.
3 Terri // Jul 31, 2008 at 4:14 pm
In my hometown newspaper today:
4 Taylor // Jul 31, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Is lynching bad? Duh.
Does anyone really think that Toby Keith is an advocate of lynching black and hispanic males? Probably not.
It’s just a song, much like “F*** tha Police” is just a song (N.W.A. for those w/0 a pulse).
5 David Sharpe // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I don’t know squat about Toby Keith, but don’t you think this is more of a Western movie reference?
Maybe he should have done some ciphering. He would have figured out that he should have said great, great grandpappy. That would have put the whole thing in a more appropriate time frame.
6 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Reading the story, no, I don’t think it’s more of a “Western movie reference” at all.
7 elendil // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:34 pm
This is the most reaching.. and I mean reaching story I have ever heard. This is a Toby Ketih song that has been around for years now. The first time I heard it I thought it was about swift justice for people who have broken the law. I never dreamed it was about “lynching”.
I have never ever ever ever heard anyone thing that it is a song about lynching.
I have a black friend who like country music. He likes the song. He has never mentioned to me that the song is about lynching.
No it is only the left which is obsessed about race that can make that connection.
8 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Did you bother to read the story on Huffington Post before commenting? If so, you’d recognize that it’s hardly far-reaching.
9 David Sharpe // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Huffington Post has lost it. I watched the video. The guy the writer says is supposed to be a ganster obviously isn’t, if you use typical media stereotypes. Looks more like a homeless person to me. The perp could just as easily be Italian. He doesn’t even look Hispanic to me.
I could care less if Mr. Keith ever sang another not, but this is just silly.
Does this mean Willie Nelson is guilty too?
10 elendil // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I guess Willie Nelson is a racist as well since he sang the song with Tobie Keith as a duet in the original release of the song.
11 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 5:50 pm
If you don’t like it, don’t read it. You are, of course, free to talk about it here. But realize not everyone has the same opinion you have.
If you’re so closed-minded that you can’t see where the author is coming from, maybe you shoudl re-examine your own ability to be objective.
Re: Willie Nelson – I don’t know. Why don’t you contact the author and ask him what he thinks?
12 elendil // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I see where the author is coming from, I just would never had made that connection. I just don’t think about race all day every day. I don’t search for the “underlying” racial message in everything I read or do like Max Blumenthal.
99% of people would take the song at face value: Bringing justice to bad guys. That is why I believe it is a bit silly to call Toby Keith (and by association Willie Nelson) a racist hack for the song.
13 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:20 pm
You don’t have to “think about race all day every day”(sic) in order to recognize racially insensitive material.
Toby Keith may not have meant anything racist by the song but that doesn’t change the fact that racially insensitive (racist) and ignorant material was used.
You may think it’s silly, but I’m willing to bet most African Americans don’t. And that’d make your suggestion that 99% of people take the song at face value a little far off the mark.
14 David Sharpe // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I read all sorts of things of things I don’t like and am very open to the opinion of others.
Just because the author described a horrific period of U.S. history in the same post about an asinine song does not mean there is a direct correlation. His argument doesn’t have any legs and I’m guessing he’s a link whore and likes the attention.
Disagreeing does not equate to closed-mindedness.
15 jaded dude // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:50 pm
You shouldn’t hate your home state so much. Taking a stupid song and using it to make some bizarre connection to this political blog so you can slam “parts of Kentucky” is beyond uncool. And are you really not going to Fancy Farm? I’d write something about you not caring for western Kentucky, but surely you’re just joking about not going to Fancy Farm.
16 Terri // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:52 pm
…the preface to pretty much any and every justification of bigotry, ever.
17 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I love how some dude in New Jersey is attacking me for not going to Fancy Farm. (Read the site a little bit and you’ll find out I have the plague and/or ebola or some other fancy ailment)
Yeah, I totally hate Kentucky. You can read the thousands of stories on this site and instantely come to that conclusion. Great catch, duder!
18 jaded dude // Jul 31, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Oh yeah, when the truth hurts, just slam the messenger and their location (I’m 33 miles east of Houston, Texas, BTW). You spent a good two weeks after the primary blogging about how everyone in the world believes Kentucky is a racist state. Now you make a totally unsubstantiated claim that a song about lynching will now be more popular in parts of Kentucky. Yeah, I’m waaaaaay off base. As such a studious observer of IP addresses, you must know I visit this site often and must have just missed the part about you being sick. I honestly hope you get to feeling better.
19 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 7:35 pm
That’s because… dun dun dun… everyone and their mom thought Kentucky was racist central.
Primarily because 21% of Kentucky Democrats said they voted on the basis of race.
CNN, MSNBC, Faux News, et al.
Like the racist Democrats story, which I repeated and discussed on television as a result of national coverage, I’m doing the same with the Toby Keith story. I’d be stupid not to publish something that could generate a ton of page views.
20 jaded dude // Jul 31, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Come on, I didn’t write in to end up in a tired discussion over “how many of the 21% who based their vote on race were black voters”. That’s cliché.
This is a STORY?!! Is there a large clamoring in parts of Kentucky for some Toby Keith music following his recent, epic appearance on TEE-VEE?
Please don’t be such a sell-out! I’m calling you out for needlessly slamming Kentucky just to generate page views! That snide remark at the end of your post was unnecessary.
21 David Sharpe // Jul 31, 2008 at 8:18 pm
You’re not helping your argument by saying the story was posted to generate page views. Maybe the most sickening story this week is the one where you piggyback on something as serious as racism to get a few extra clicks.
22 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Snide remarks from me are unnecessary? You obviously don’t read the site.
That said– I’m hardly slamming Kentucky. I love this state and it’s pretty clear if you follow me. It just doesn’t change that it’s filled with racists.
And Sharpe: My argument stands pretty solidly. Maybe not among racially insensitive white dudes, but that’s not new. Never ceases to amaze me when white guys sit around and say, “Oh, that’s not racist! Trust me, I know black people!” (See Terri’s response above)
Also, thanks for the page views.
23 jaded dude // Jul 31, 2008 at 8:41 pm
You’re welcome!
Thanks for the blog. I like it most of the time!!
24 Dean // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Personally I haven’t heard the Toby Keith song and most likely won’t.
Because:
First- I don’t listen to country music and don’t like country music. That’s just because of personal music preferences.
Second- Even without this song Toby Keith’s a Dick, starting(I think) with the Iraq war(just ask the Dixie Chicks). I don’t like music by Dicks. Ted Nugent’s a Rock n Roll wingnut Dick and I wouldn’t cross the street to see Nugent. On the other hand I like Willie Nelson(not a Dick), he’s old country.
25 James R. // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I dont know much about Toby Keith, I am not a country fan, but all of this racist talk gets very old to me. Nothing was mentioned about black people in the Keith song, so why is there such inference to it? Why does everyone think they know what Keith was saying.
No one on this website made such a big deal when a black rapper called Ladacris called Hillary Clinton a bitch! This guy Ladacris is an idiot and Obama should publicly tell him he does not want this own name used in another of Ladacris’s song, like it was in the song calling Clinton a bitch. I am disgusted with the lyrics that come from much rap music which denigrates women. Everyone should expect more. Unfortunately we do not.
As for Kentucky being a racist state, I believe that is a joke. There are racists here like anywhere else, but no more than in Conn, NY, Ala or Montana. Obama did not do good in Kentucky because he never introduced himself to people in this state. He came to Jefferson County one time and no where else. Newsflash—Jefferson County is not the entire state of Kentucky. If people do not know you they tend to not support you. Its that simple.
26 Frankfort One // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:37 pm
here are the lyrics before those cited:
Well a man came on the 6 o’clock news
Said somebody’s been shot
Somebody’s been abused
Somebody blew up a building
Somebody stole a car
Somebody got away
Somebody didn’t get to far yeah
They didn’t get to far
So this is about the news you see with shootings, acts of terrorism (building blown up), etc.
Then the lyrics cited:
Grand pappy told my pappy back in my day, son
A man had to answer for the wicked that he’d done
Take all the rope in Texas
Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys
Hang them high in the street
For all the people to see
Here’s what’s next:
Justice is the one thing you should always find
You got to saddle up your boys
You got to draw a hard line
When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune
And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon
And we’ll raise up our glasses against evil forces singing
Whiskey for my man, beer for my horses
So this song is someone lamenting that criminals (not by color) get away with stuff these days including the blowing up buildings, escapes, etc. The grandfather in the story of the song is recalling during his days in Texas during the ‘western’ period of American history when such things were settled with gunfights and criminals were hung (not lynched because of color). The grandfather is referring to the
‘cowboy’ days hence the reference to guns and meeting back at the saloon.
The racial take on this one is taking one stanza out of context without looking at the whole song. It’s the lament about criminals getting aways with crime when in the gunslinging days, folks paid for their crimes-gunslingers, gunfights in the street, posses of good guys chasing the bad guys, etc.
The racial thing isn’t here on this one and it is ok to admit you’re wrong!
27 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Two things.
1: Again, 21% of Kentucky DEMOCRATS admitted that they voted on the basis of race. Fact of the matter is Obama has been outside of Jefferson County in Kentucky.
2. The following lyrics, for reasons cited in the article I link to, are hella racist:
No matter how you cut it, that’s racist. Especially when a black dude is on the screen as you’re singing them and talking about thugs.
28 Joe Sonka // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:56 pm
90% of those 21% that voted based on race were white.
Newsflash: there are quite a few ignorant racists in this state. No more than a fifth, but that’s not saying much.
If you believe there aren’t any racists in Kentucky, you probably believe Dick Cheney steered radio controlled planes into the World Trade Center and Obama is a fundamentalist Muslim in disguise.
Some protest too much…
(and everytime I hear one of these guys, I immediately hear Stephen Colbert in my head…. I don’t see color)
29 Not My Given Name // Jul 31, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Let me throw a hypothetical out to you.
Which would be worse:
A voter voting for McCain (or having voted for Hillary) because (s)he is white?
Or a voter voting for Obama because he’s black?
Or to rephrase: Voting against Obama because he’s black, or voting against McCain or Hillary because they’re white?
30 Lannie // Jul 31, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Jake,
I usually think you are pretty clever. But if you are serious about this Toby Keith song being aimed at black people, you have lost it. It is an old song, it is a Old West song. Willie Nelson, who I’m sure has never been accused of being a Republican, sang it with him! That is about the dumbest thing I’ve heard today. Sorry you are so desperate to be seen as the way cool savvy liberal that you are that you sacrifice rationality and truth just to get attention. This is way beneath your usual insight. This time I’m laughing at you, not with you. LANIE
31 jake // Jul 31, 2008 at 11:12 pm
HAHAHAHA!
Where did I say it was aimed at black people? I said it was racist– which is much worse.
You’re in Frankfort so I’m assuming you know all of probably two non-white people. That doesn’t help your argument.
And “way cool savvy liberal” ??? What the living fuck planet are you on?
Keep laughing. Because that sort of attitude would get your ass shot up in the city (aka anywhere outside of Kentucky).
32 Joe Sonka // Jul 31, 2008 at 11:17 pm
ummm… the video, people
33 BimBeau // Jul 31, 2008 at 11:59 pm
F’Fort-1 –
Linguisticly, I’m hung, or at least that’s what they say. One is hanged, if one is to be punished by suspension above the nominal plane of the Earth at a specific location.
For this and other obvious reasons, I will not wish that you be hung – I can’t stand the competition, nor will I advocate your being hanged, that would be assault should it ever come about.
For those out there who don’t understand the difference between a racist remark and merely omitting references to ethnic groups in conversation, that’s why Kentiucky is a state or commonwealth dominated by racist political thought, action and practice and there isn’t a racist policy published in the state.
Thanks to Joe & Terri for their more timely support than mine.
34 James R. // Aug 1, 2008 at 8:31 am
Jake, you are the one who mentioned statistics on lynchings between 1882-1951.
No one is saying there are no racists in Kentucky. But I do not accept the fact that you are trying to advance that Kentucky has a higher percentage of racists than other states. It simply is NOT true. Idiots are everywhere.
As for Obama and his visits to Kentucky, could you name the towns that he visited during the primary since you believe he was in other towns during the primary? I believe that he came to Louisville alone during the democratic primary.
35 jake // Aug 1, 2008 at 9:52 am
Sorry, but the south and Appalachia are very definitely more racist than other areas of the country.
Lexington is another city he visited.
36 Not My Given Name // Aug 1, 2008 at 3:14 pm
This discussion about “hung” vs. “hanged” reminds me of a line from that very racist movie Blazing Saddles.
“They said you was hung!”
“And they was right!”
Or in other words, “it’s twue, it’s twue!”
37 Lannie // Aug 1, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Hey Jake,
Sorry I got you so upset. I forgot how you revert to profanity, insults and semi-threats (“that sort of attitude would get your ass shot up in the city”) when someone dares to disagree with you.
I’m glad you can tell when an email comes from Frankfort since that must be all you know about our city. (“You’re in Frankfort so I’m assuming you know all of probably two non-white people. “) I guess you’ve never heard of the institution on E. Main Street called Kentucky State University. It is the fastest growing university in Kentucky and it is FULL of non-white people. In fact, I am one of them myself, Jake. So don’t use that argument with me.
Where did you say it was aimed at black people?? In explaining your disgust at the song in question you said: “During the days when Toby Keith’s “Grandpappy” stalked the Jim Crow South, lynching was an institutional method of terror employed against blacks to maintain white supremacy. ” I guess that’s where I got the idea.
And lastly, your head is so full of hatred toward anything that is not liberal, you can’t even laugh at my meant-to-be-silly reference to your Web site’s banner that proclaims how savvy you are. It reminds me of the old Mark Hebert format that displayed his picture beside of each and every entry so that you sometimes had a screen full of his smiling faces. I like Mark, but it was a little much. He had the good sense to have it redesigned so that we now see one Mark, not ten. If you are smart, beautiful, evil, saintly, or savvy, you don’t have to announce it. Others will notice.
And “What ………..planet am I on?” One where people treat others with respect, can laugh at themsleves, do not rely on insults and gutter language to get their points acrosss, and believe that the people of our state are as good-hearted as those in other states, perhaps even moreso. I see people, not colors, and I resent your implication that I am an ignorant racist who would be shot outside of my ignorant racist state. (Are you calling all KSU students ignorant racists because a whole lot of us feel the same way. ) We are not perfect, but everyone is not so paranoid that they look for evils like racism, homophobia and hatred under every rock. In this case ( the song, the O’boro connection–how stupid can it get with you?) there were not even any rocks.
Have a good day, and lighten up. LP
38 jake // Aug 1, 2008 at 10:04 pm
You’re not white? Prove it. And post with your real name and contact information.
I’m quite familiar with KSU. If you were at least familiar with the school, you’d probaby be educated enough to understand when someone is quoting something on a website and when they’re saying it themselves.
You didn’t bother to read before commenting, dipstick. Because that was part of a blockquote from the actual story I referenced and linked to.
Hatred toward anything not liberal? You obviously don’t know me or my friends. And you’ve obviously never read this website with any regularity.
We call ourselves savvy because– guess what– we are. It makes us plenty of something called money.
Gutter language? Get over yourself.
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