Brad Paisley & LL Cool J’s Country Rap “Accidental Racist”
Okay look. Let’s establish something here right off the bat. Brad Paisley is the best guitar player in country music right now, hands down. He’s a cunning, brilliant lyricist, and a funny, creative guy and a naturally entertaining character who has put together a great country music career from his universal likeability that extends beyond the lemmings of the mainstream country format to reach many traditional and independent country fans.
But Brad Paisley is bored. And he’s been bored with country music for years now. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love country. Brad is the savant of country music, but like the gifted kid in elementary school who when not challenged begins to lose focus or even lash out, Brad has fallen deeper into joke songs and gimmickry to keep himself engaged with country as time has gone by. He’s been boxed in by the rigid borders of the mainstream format. That’s not to say that “Accidental Racist” is a joke song. It is far from it except for the title. But aside from the obvious country rap arguments or the social commentary this song has already stimulated, this is Brad Paisley trying to keep his own music world interesting–a world where he’s mastered his instrument, won a CMA for Entertainer of the Year, and amassed as much wealth as any one man could need.
Listen to me. I don’t care what the intentions of this song are. And I’ll give you that some of its lines are well-written, including some of LL Cool J’s rapping parts. And I’m not just saying that as a positioning point. Lines like “Caught between Southern pride, and Southern blame” are hard not to feel. Brad does somewhat of a good job painting the dichotomy of the Southern experience, and the struggles and frustrations it embodies. But instead of mending wounds, “Accidental Racist” picks at scabs. And no, this is not a music opinion, this is simply an observation based on the reaction to this song that I’ve seen from various country fans and hip hop fans of many stripes and from many locales.
Because despite the optimism this song attempts to convey, “Accidental Racist” also conveys a level of judgementalism and reaffirmation of stereotypes that many people don’t appreciate. It seems to imply that if you’re a white man from The South, you have to work at not being racist. Just like if you’re a black Yankee, you have to work at not judging white Southerners. Even the title “Accidental Racist” comes across as an accusation. The term implies that you’re racist simply for being white and being born in the South. What an irresponsible accusation. And whatever happened to the idea of ignoring skin color? I thought that was the way we would end racism.
“Accidental Racist” is outside of what is relevant in music right now. Sappy racism songs went out of vogue in the 90’s. And it’s an oversimplification of the issue. Race in the United States is in a very fluid state at the moment. We have a black President. One of the largest concentrations of black Americans is in the South. If you’re white and living in Texas, you’re a minority. This is not 1991, and we’re not living in the shadow of the Rodney King trial. It doesn’t mean racism is dead, but in no way does it help to revert back to old platitudes and plays for emotionalism.
And frankly, I’m not sure I fully trust the intentions of this song. Why the gimmicky title if this is supposed to be such a ballad of complexity? Are we really trying to solve racism, or are we making a big splash to get people talking? And am I feeding this beast myself by writing these very words?
“Accidental Racist” is not just a country rap mix with controversial themes, this song is a play for an emotional reaction from the listener. Like Brad himself says in his song “This is Country Music,” “You’re not supposed to say the word Cancer in a song. But this is country music and we do.” And why does mainstream country music mention Cancer, children dying, troops dying, patriotic anthems, and other generic themes of emotional grandstanding? Because they’re easy, shallow tools to evoke an emotional response from the unguarded listener. They are the lyrical equivalent of the droning, catchy hip-hop dance club beat that can also be found in “Accidental Racist.” They are an easy, shameless, and shallow way to grab the attention of the teeming masses and their money.
And then we get to the whole country rap thing. After Jason Aldean’s huge country rap hit “Dirt Road Anthem” in 2011, 2012 was virtually void of country rap in the mainstream, and it seemed like it had been relegated to a small underground subset of country. But here in 2013 it has come roaring back to where you can now make the case it is the most dominant influence for male country music stars: Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and now even Brad Paisley–the last name on the tip of many traditional country fan’s tongues when they were asked to offer up a male radio star they could still respect. And “Accidental Racist” has done something no other country rap has done up to this point, not “Dirt Road Anthem,” not “1994;” it has awakened the ire of the hip hop community as well. Outside of country, this is the world’s first real interfacing with country rap, and as could be expected, they are appalled.
The way “Accidental Racist” is constructed, if you oppose it, then you’re a racist. This is the same accusation if you oppose any country rap. It also means you don’t want country music to progress, regardless of your true intentions, or how bad the song is you’re criticizing. “Accidental Racist” takes this dynamic to a whole new level. Brad Paisley wanted to make a country rap, and possibly to shield himself from criticism he added a theme tackling racism directly. But instead of shielding this song, the racism thread is where it went wrong. If Brad Paisley wanted a country rap hit, he should have just cut one. The walls separating country and rap have already been torn down, and he would just be keeping up with his mainstream country music brethren.
Do I think deep down in Brad Paisley’s heart he sees this all as marketing and that he doesn’t care about the whole racist theme at all? No, no I don’t. Anyone who tells you there’s no depth or wit in the lyricism is not listening to this song, or is too hung up with the whole mixing of country and rap to give it a real chance. I think in the genesis of this song was the heart of a good intention. But as the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and it’s down that road that “Accidental Racist” steers country music, while having no effect on race relations in America.
1 3/4 of 2 guns down.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:16 am
I think that this song isn’t meant to be like the other country rap songs. Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton have released the worst songs in country history, all to destroy country music and make it country rap. On the other hand, This song will likely not be released As a single, it’s just too controversial. As you said before, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and we don’t know if this will bury country music or if it will bury country rap. only time will tell.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:37 am
I do think there is a possibility this song could hurt the future prospects of country rap. I’m in no way ready to call it country rap’s Waterloo, but it will be very interesting to see what happens with this song over time. Brad might as well have released this as a single. It is getting more press than most singles do.
April 9, 2013 @ 8:52 pm
Maybe that was what they set out to do. Kill country rap, but I think in the long run it will hurt both of there careers. I know certain people who would take this as Paisley apologizing for being white & vice versa. I think it’s a great song & a lot of what has been said in the song by Brad is things I myself have thought. I give them an A for effort but the only way this song could have made the difference they seem to be trying for was if it was a stand alone single & they made a big deal out of it. Now it feels like a song they decided didn’t work so they put it somewhere near the end of an album with no chance of a single release.
April 10, 2013 @ 10:59 am
This song was handled really poorly. The buzz about it happened before it was available to the public, and it probably won’t be released as a single, but if it was, they should have released it already to capitalize on the controversy. Would we be talking about this song if the title was “Walking a Mile In Another Man’s Skin?”
April 9, 2013 @ 9:25 am
Trig, I was tossing this question around in my head this morning and wanted to see what you think. With a few exceptions (LL Cool J, Nelly, Ludacris on the “Dirt Road” remix), rappers aren’t trying to incorporate country into their music. The names I mentioned are guys who are on the downturn in their careers and basically just trying to do whatever they can to stay relevant. The most popular rappers are probably ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Macklemore, and a few others right now, and none of their music gets anywhere close to country. So popular rappers aren’t making any push to incorporate any country style.
Now, that being said, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, and Brad Paisley are five of the ten biggest names in all of country music right now, and they’re all recording rap songs. I heard BS say in an interview that he heard how good Aldean and Bryan sounded and felt like he really wanted to try it too.
So my question is this: is country losing out to rap, even in the mono-genre battle? Why do these guys who spend their songs bragging about the small towns they’re from suddenly feel the need to incorporate sampled beats, auto-tune, and rapping? It seems that the battle against country rap is all but lost now that “Boys Round Here” and Florida Georgia Line are making their way up the charts, but I’m interested to see why you think this is. It’s a damn shame, and I don’t think Hank done it this way.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:42 am
Without question, country is taking a submissive role to rap in the formation of the mono-genre. I saw this happening nearly two years ago, and wrote an extensive article about it:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/country-taking-submissive-role-to-rap-in-mono-genre
“Country isn”™t combining with rap in the formation of the mono-genre, it is allowing rap to take over, along with pop. When two dogs meet, one usually stands in a dominant stance, and one rolls on its back. Right now, rap is the butch, and country is the bitch. Why don”™t we see country acts on the Hip Hop Awards or BET Awards? Why don”™t we see rap artists aping country styles, why is it only vice versa? (I”™ll give you Cowboy Troy and a handful of others, I”™m talking big picture here)
With Kid Rock hosting the CMT Awards, with country rapper Colt Ford performing, and with Jason Aldean and Ludacris closing the show out with a rap song, you can make the case that 15%-20% of what went down at the 2011 CMT Awards was either rap or rap inspired. I expect those percentages to increase over the next cycle of award shows until the number gets to 50%. Then the mono-genre will be fully realized, and the death of contrast will be complete.”
You could make the argument we saw that 50% realized at Sunday’s ACM Awards.
April 9, 2013 @ 6:20 pm
It’s probably worth noting that Brad also makes an appearance on a different song for LL Cool J’s upcoming album. As far as I know that’s not available to listen to anywhere yet, so it remains to be seen how that one will sound.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:46 am
The worst part of this song is that a self-loathing white guy feels that he needs to explain or apologize for something in which he had no involvement. There is a lot of hate in this country; most of it involves white people hating themselves.
In response to Rob above, the goal of the mono genre, country rap, etc. is to eliminate traditional country music and traditional culture.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:49 am
The term “Accidental Racist” implies that you’re racist simply for being white and being born in the South. What an irresponsible accusation, and an unnecessary one since that term doesn’t even appear in the song.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:10 am
Paisley apparently wore an Alabama shirt with a confederate flag and some people called him a racist for it. That’s what he meant by being “accidentally racist.”
He changed it to Skynyrd in this song. It’s interesting that this is about the only way that people will defend the confederate flag (Kid Rock defends it by saying it represents “Southern Rock” to him.)
Well it obviously meant something more than “Southern Rock” to Skynyrd and Alabama when they flew it.
Keep in mind that Paisley has suggested that southerners should not wear the confederate flag in Camoflage
“Well, the stars and bars offend some folks
And I guess I see why
But nowadays there’s still a way
To show your Southern pride” (wearing Camo)
April 10, 2013 @ 7:50 am
I’m from Alabama, proud of it, unapologetic, and I’ll continue to wear my Sons of Confederate Veterans shirt with the large confederate battle flag logo for as long as I live.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:35 am
I may not love it musically, but I applaud this song because I see it as a good counter to the arrogant “I know how things are and how they should be” attitude. Woody Guthrie sang about racism in his day and played many a song with Leadbelly, may they rest in peace. None of that had a negative effect on what would become country. Hank William’s early education in the Blues is well documented. Thank goodness he brought the twelve bar into it. Good on Paisley and LL for having the guts to put this out there and I hope people can be big enough to see the wider dimensions of what’s being addressed here.
April 9, 2013 @ 5:28 pm
“I imagine many Southerners feel listening to Accidental Racist the way I as an Italian-American felt watching ”˜Jersey Shore”™ clips.” ”“ seen on Twitter
I think it”™s about as palatable to use Jersey Shore for opening up dialogue about drugs, promiscuity, and a cornucopia of other behaviors, as it is to use this song to open up a meaningful dialogue about race and the way we treat eachother because of our false preconceived notions.
I just don’t think this song is it.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:37 am
Good points Trigger.
Honestly, it is a pretty terrible song all around…musically, lyrically, conceptually, etc…It just seems like a tired attempt to cash in on controversy (although I truly believe they THOUGHT they were doing a good thing), and as you stated, does nothing to add to the race conversation and does nothing to progress race relations in America.
Also the lyrics boil race relations down WAY too much to be effective at all. There are some pretty wild claims made in the lyrics (you ignore my gold chains, I’ll forget the iron chains…seriously?).
It would have been better off for everyone if this “song” were left on the cutting room floor.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:37 am
I think this song is terrible and frankly the message is trite.
However, what has struck me is the reaction of all the snarky publications (AV Club, Gawker, Huffington Post, Atlantic Wire) basically attacking Paisley for not being apologetic enough about the South and attacking LL Cool J for saying a few things like “RIP Robert E. Lee” as if this is the most terrible thing in the world.
The truth is that for all the talk about a “Conversation about race” all they want is to have liberals and minorities lecture whites.
That said, I have to say, I’m sort of glad to see Paisley hoisted on his own pertard. He has written so many god awful songs with subtle to not so subtle left wing themes (Southern Comfort Zone, American Saturday Night, Welcome to the Future) and then he tries to write another one of those songs, and instead gets lambasted for not being anti-Southern enough.
Finally, I agree Paisley is a talented guitar writer, but whenever he tries to be funny or provocative, he is one of the worst songwiriters.
April 9, 2013 @ 12:23 pm
“Finally, I agree Paisley is a talented guitar writer, but whenever he tries to be funny or provocative, he is one of the worst songwiriters.”
I was going to list some Paisley songs to counter this, tunes where I thought he displayed a genuine knack at turning a phrase and being clever. Then I realized all the songs were from the middle and early parts of the last decade. I think Trigger is right, my man is bored and has been for a while.
April 9, 2013 @ 2:16 pm
The “provocative” tunes like I mean Welcome to the Future, Southern Comfort Zone, this etc. I think are awful.
I always thought the songs like I’m going to Miss Her, Alcohol, Celebrity, I’m still a Guy, Online were just cheesy. Ticks might be a counterexample to my argument, but it’s not that great nor is he trying to be as funny.
The songs of him that I like: Mud on the Tire, Whiskey Lulaby, Little Moments are all a little bit cliche, but still well written and executed.
April 9, 2013 @ 8:15 pm
Lord if I don’t agree with every single thing you post.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:44 am
That said in this song, Country seems (or something that sort of resembles country) is more dominant than rap.
April 9, 2013 @ 9:56 am
I think the message has been taken on before in another genre at another time. The Drive By Truckers explored it way back when, when they recorded Southern Rock Opera, featuring tracks like, “The Southern Thing”, and “Three Alabama Icons”. They also did it without rapping.
As you say, do we really need to pick the scab just for money?
Do we really need country rap?
April 9, 2013 @ 10:03 am
Haha, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are a bit more thoughtful and nuanced as lyricists than Paisley. “Southern Rock Opera” was a much more honest take on dealing with the history of the South in the modern era.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:27 am
Agreed Rob, but they do take on the duality of the southern thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never compare anything Paisley did to the lyrical genius of Hood and Cooley
April 9, 2013 @ 10:25 am
Need to make the distinction that Brad is not attempting to RAP in this song; he is staying in his Wheelhouse. This song could not happen without LL he brings a different culture to the table.
I have a Hank 3 shirt that says Rebel Proud; my father in-law is black and saw me wearing it and thus started a lengthy conversation about perceptions. How many times do we judge someone based on what they are wearing? I don”™t believe this is meant to be a single, and I am very curious to see what the subject matter is on the next song they put out together which will be on LL”™s album.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:28 am
Can’t listen to the song it is gone.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:35 am
The videos keep getting pulled. If I find an active one or an “official” one, I will post it.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:49 am
Thanks
April 9, 2013 @ 11:32 am
I found it. Not sure if I like or not. I’ll have to listen to it a few more times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pJZrQiO3ls
April 9, 2013 @ 11:02 am
As seen by your well-developed review, “Accidental Racist” is probably the most thought-provoking song to come out of country music in the current Aldean/Bryan/country-rap era. However, more issue could be taken with LL Cool J’s part than with Brad’s part; whether white, black, or Hispanic, there are very few ways you can put a positive spin on showing one’s boxers in public. It’s not even a matter of race, it’s a matter of self-decency. That’s not to say that wearing a Confederate flag shirt everywhere is appropriate, but what does one see more of in the modern South: sagging pants or Confederate flag shirts? 20 years ago, you might could say the Confederate flag; now, sagging pants are much more prominent. In a way, sagging pants are now the majority, and the Confederate flags are the minority.
April 9, 2013 @ 11:21 am
Do sagging pants have any deep ties and connotation too slavery? I think it is unfair to try to judge them as one in the same. It is obvious that when you see sagging pants you automatically judge as indecent. You are making the songs point.
April 9, 2013 @ 11:45 am
Nowhere in my previous comment did I make any connection between slavery and sagging pants. If you ask most anyone, including the police, how they would describe someone’s underwear hanging out in the open, they would describe it as “indecent.” As the previous comment made clear, ” It”™s not even a matter of race, it”™s a matter of self-decency.”
April 9, 2013 @ 11:18 am
I like Brad Paisley, I really don’t like this song. It has good intentions but it simply doesn’t work. I do think the key difference between this country-rap and others, however, is that conceptually it requires rap in it; the point of the song according to Paisley was a conversation between a black Northerner and a white southerner. Thematically, a shift in sound IS required to represent the other angle. The point isn’t to use rap as a gimmick to make the song more popular, but to express a point. Does it work here? No. This song as a whole is a lot better in theory than in fact, judging by Brad’s explanation. I think he had good intentions but it just does not work at all.
The cultural aspect of this is important, however. I don’t have an issue with the Confederate flag (I know, hate me for it but it is a cultural symbol just like the US flag. Bad things have been done under both), but I’ll cringe if I see some truck with a huge one on the back. I don’t have a problem with Robert E. Lee for that matter (he fought for the Confederacy instead of the Union because he couldn’t fathom leading an army against his home state of Virginia), but I’ll get a bit angry when people say the South was fighting for states rights, not slavery. There are much better ways to explain that, while plenty of evil was done, not everyone on the Confederate side was bad and not everyone on the Union side was good, and that just because we honor the memory of Confederate soldiers (our kin, many of them young adults) doesn’t mean we honor the Confederacy.
Before you say anything, I think the Civil War was instigated entirely by the South, I think the secession was illegal, and I think the South didn’t secede for ‘states rights’, they seceded because they were mad they lost the election. So no, I don’t side with the South at all historically.
April 9, 2013 @ 12:30 pm
Public school has accomplished its goal.
April 9, 2013 @ 2:44 pm
I’m actually homeschooled. 😛
April 10, 2013 @ 6:18 pm
My problem with the whole “white people in the south should feel bad about slavery” argument is that only the wealthy white southerners owned slaves. From what I can tell, my ancestors were dirt poor and worked in the fields for hire along the slaves. Add to that the fact that slavery was very common in black african culture, and that many of the slaves were sold to whites by black traders, and I think you have to appreciate it in a slightly different context. That doesn’t make it any less despicable, but it was the norm at that point in history in a lot of cultures including black africans, who would routinely take prisoners of war for slaves. The idea that the white people showed up in Africa and started rounding up blacks in the jungle is not based in fact.
At some point people have to be accountable for their actions – I have black friends and don’t treat them any differently because I flat out don’t give a damn what color their skin is. People that are willing to make something of themselves can do so even today in this country. The ones that want to play the blame game and rely on the government for handouts (of all races!) get exactly what they deserve. If this song, sappy as it is, can stimulate an intelligent dialogue then that is great. Hopefully by talking through these issues we can find a middle ground and quit blaming everything on stuff that happened before any of us were born.
On the states-rights issue, the widely held consensus is that slavery was a flashpoint for the civil war, but the underlying issue of states rights is still being argued today. How the hell can a state ignore federal law on some issues (‘legalized” marijuana in California, Washington State, etc), but then the state and local governments are chastised for enforcing federal law in other situations (immigration in Arizona)? The subjigation of the states to federal powers tends to be selectively enforced to suit the agenda of whichever political party is in power. My interpretation of the articles of confederation is that it was to be a loose confederation of states, that joined voluntarily and could leave voluntarily. When some decided to withdraw from the union, the union went on the offensive to force them to rejoin. A lot of good men were lost on both sides, and yes, this is something that is not easily forgotten. Watering down the complexities of the civil war and race relations can only scratch the surface in a very superficial way.
I think Corey Smith summed it up with his song “I Love Black People” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDxGcvsMxuc
April 9, 2013 @ 11:22 am
Just more social engineering. Check this interesting article. Did this really happen?
“The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation”
http://www.hiphopisread.com/2012/04/secret-meeting-that-changed-rap-music.html
Rap was and continues to be shoved down the throats of the mainstream public, now in “Country.”
April 9, 2013 @ 11:53 am
I’m looking forward to the two of them touring.
Double L wearing the flag and Brad draped in gold chains wearing saggin’ paisley pants.
April 9, 2013 @ 11:59 am
Here are the lyrics. I get what the song is saying and is about. I’m not crazy about the song.
To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand
When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I”™m a Skynyrd fan
The red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the south
And I just walked him right in the room
Just a proud rebel son with an ”˜ol can of worms
Lookin”™ like I got a lot to learn but from my point of view
I”™m just a white man comin”™ to you from the southland
Tryin”™ to understand what it”™s like not to be
I”™m proud of where I”™m from but not everything we”™ve done
And it ain”™t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn”™t start this nation
We”™re still pickin”™ up the pieces, walkin”™ on eggshells, fightin”™ over yesterday
And caught between southern pride and southern blame
They called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some tears
We”™re still siftin”™ through the rubble after a hundred-fifty years
I try to put myself in your shoes and that”™s a good place to begin
But it ain”™t like I can walk a mile in someone else”™s skin
”˜Cause I”™m a white man livin”™ in the southland
Just like you I”™m more than what you see
I”™m proud of where I”™m from but not everything we”™ve done
And it ain”™t like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn”™t start this nation
And we”™re still paying for mistakes
That a bunch of folks made long before we came
And caught between southern pride and southern blame
Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood
What the world is really like when you”™re livin”™ in the hood
Just because my pants are saggin”™ doesn”™t mean I”™m up to no good
You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would
Now my chains are gold but I”™m still misunderstood
I wasn”™t there when Sherman”™s March turned the south into firewood
I want you to get paid but be a slave I never could
Feel like a new fangled Django, dodgin”™ invisible white hoods
So when I see that white cowboy hat, I”™m thinkin”™ it”™s not all good
I guess we”™re both guilty of judgin”™ the cover not the book
I”™d love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air
But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn”™t here
I”™m just a white man
(If you don”™t judge my do-rag)
Comin”™ to you from the southland
(I won”™t judge your red flag)
Tryin”™ to understand what it”™s like not to be
I”™m proud of where I”™m from
(If you don”™t judge my gold chains)
But not everything we”™ve done
(I”™ll forget the iron chains)
it ain”™t like you and me can re-write history
(Can”™t re-write history baby)
Oh, Dixieland
(The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixin”™)
I hope you understand what this is all about
(Quite frankly I”™m a black Yankee but I”™ve been thinkin”™ about this lately)
I”™m a son of the new south
(The past is the past, you feel me)
And I just want to make things right
(Let bygones be bygones)
Where all that”™s left is southern pride
(RIP Robert E. Lee but I”™ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean)
It”™s real, it”™s real
It”™s truth
April 9, 2013 @ 12:43 pm
Some good messages here (“I guess we’re both guilty of judging the cover, not the book,” “it ain’t like you and me can rewrite history”); but the overall song strikes me as too simplistic, pat and superficial, as well as painfully awkward.
As a result, instead of opening up a thoughtful dialogue as Mr. Paisley had perhaps intended, the song just ends up sparking more heated, knee-jerk debate. I admire his ambition — relative to the rest of the mainstream-country landscape, anyway — but I’m afraid he also seems to have pulled his punches a bit…
Brad makes some interesting comments in this article:
http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/04/08/brad-paisley-ll-cool-j-accidental-racist/
April 9, 2013 @ 2:02 pm
I’ve listen to the song several times and feel like the song says if your white and from the south you are automatically racist.
I’m from the south and don’t want to be thought I’m a racist just because of that. Just like I don’t judge people simply because they are a different race. If this song can open lines of discussion along those lines great if it just going to stir the pot than that’s bad.
April 9, 2013 @ 3:19 pm
Boy do I disagree about it being a well written song. One of the very first rules in songwriting is don’t make mishmashed mushy statements and then immidiately backtrack on them – which Paisley does about six times in less stanzas. He’s only expressing how much of a Skynyrd fan he is, well, uh, not really, cuz he knows it’s an “elephant in the corner of the South”. Ugh and gack. And that’s the least of it.
April 9, 2013 @ 3:56 pm
I agree it may not be a well-written song overall, but I do think it has some well-written lines. It is witty, and like Wayfast pointed out below, this makes it even more dangerous because to the unsuspecting listener used to the pap and cliches of popular radio, it will come across as deep and profound when as you point out, it contradicts itself and has many other inherent problems.
April 9, 2013 @ 3:36 pm
This song is perfect for the times, over simplify things for the masses. Throw in a few old sayings like “don’t judge a book by the cover” and the radio listener thinks they just heard something profound, compared to all the other topics in mainstream country.
Brad Paisley hasn’t ever put out a good song. Not sure why people seem to give this guy a free pass because he can play guitar. Brad was at the forefront of meaningless silly songs that populate the radio today.
April 9, 2013 @ 3:57 pm
“Unintentional Dumbass”
April 9, 2013 @ 4:35 pm
Folks might want to read the lyrics instead of reading into it. How is this NOT about: “You SHOULD’T assume someone’s racist” just because they’re wearing a Skynyrd shirt or proud of their rebel heritage. What do I mean?
“When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I”™m a Skynyrd fan”
“Just a proud rebel son with an ”˜ol can of worms”
This, and the rest of this verse is written as a letter to someone who’s assuming he’s racist. I think people are perhaps missing that point. The guy in the Starbuck’s (clearly chosen to represent northern-judgemental latte sippers) is looking at the protagonist like he’s a racist just because of how he’s dressed.
LL Cool J’s line echo’s this when he acknowledges that he wrongfully sees white hoods when he sees a cowboy hat.
This song is about mutual misunderstanding of cultures. And interestingly enough Brad seems to recognize that many people will take this the wrong way.
“I hope you understand what this is all about”
I’d love to hear a counterpoint that involved actual exploration of the lyrics.
April 9, 2013 @ 5:31 pm
I read they lyrics and really tried to understand this song, and went out of my way to recognize the wit and some of the wisdom in them.
But songs are like jokes. If you have to explain them, they don’t work. It doesn’t mean the message isn’t well-intentioned or that some of the lines aren’t profound. But when you put the whole thing together, there’s contradictions, unfair stereotypes, and other elements that are open to interpretation by the listener to where the literal meaning can actually be multiple things.
As many have said, the song just doesn’t work. Maybe that’s because we’re all not smart enough or focused enough to figure it out. But in the end, that’s the song’s job, to suck you in and MAKE you understand it.
April 9, 2013 @ 6:22 pm
I thought your review was fair. It’s just that it seemed really clear–to me–what the message was.
I’m not sure if I agree that songs should always be simple enough to understand the first time you hear it. Though I’d probably agree that Brad Paisley and LL Cool J probably aren’t the right people to try it. The point might better served by a more independent artists voice. I probably don’t want to hear an immigration reform duet from Shakira and Blake Shelton either.
April 9, 2013 @ 6:11 pm
I thought Paisley was from Union territory in West Virginia. When he become a southern boy?
April 9, 2013 @ 6:14 pm
Fair enough. I would like to nominate Steve Earle, Jason Isbell, James McMurtry and Robert Ellis to have a go at writing such a song. If it pisses some people of, that’s OK. You can’t please everyone all the time.
April 9, 2013 @ 7:26 pm
Mainstream country has the same problem mainstream rock has had for at least a decade. For many of the artists, they’re bored with traditional country sounds and lyrics (same as in rock) and they’re looking to do things differently. The problem is a lack of imagination on artists’ part, and a real dearth of songwriting talent in Nashville. The only way country-rap is going to go away (and it needs to) is if artists begin to feel it in the pocketbook. Most males I know (around the age of thirty) are totally disgusted with what has happened to country music. I guess it’s just sad that, at age 33, I have to listen to “country legends” stations in order to listen to music I enjoy. I can say the same thing for rock.
April 9, 2013 @ 7:33 pm
By the way, didn’t the Drive-By Truckers cover this subject perfectly in “Southern Rock Opera?” Duality of the southern thing.
April 9, 2013 @ 8:26 pm
Another Drive By Truckers song people have brought up is “The Three Great Alabama Icons.”
April 9, 2013 @ 8:09 pm
Good article, I listened to the album on iTunes on the weekend and agree about the this song, although still like Brad Paisley. Will you review the rest of the album as well Trig?
April 9, 2013 @ 8:27 pm
I will try. So many albums, so little time.
April 9, 2013 @ 8:21 pm
You’re being way too kind about this song. And the commenters shrugging their shoulders about it are the reason why country music is seen as backward and a joke.
April 10, 2013 @ 9:06 am
Due to the complexity of this song and this issue, I didn’t think a roast or light-making of the material was appropriate. Also knowing how contentious this song was, I really wanted to try and look at it from the other side and see why someone would like or love this song.
April 9, 2013 @ 10:12 pm
My all-time favorite song lyric; “Ain’t no money in poetry, that’s what sets the poet free, I’ve had all the freedom I can stand”
I never thought about the opposite of this. What about when a poet makes excessive riches beyond their imagination, creating celebrity life in a bubble freedom from the real world?? We get sad pathetic self indignation. Clearly been a long time since Paisley ate some cold dog soup
April 10, 2013 @ 5:37 am
To anyone looking for a more nuanced look at the issue, I highly recommend the book Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz.
http://www.amazon.com/Confederates-Attic-Dispatches-Unfinished-Civil/dp/067975833X
The “drums” are the worst part of the song, by the way.
April 10, 2013 @ 5:46 am
Agreed. Excellent book.
April 10, 2013 @ 6:00 am
OK, Paisley’s trying to make a point, and as others have said, it’s been done better by others (Drive By Truckers), but as with much of what he’s churned out in the last few years, it’s just too overdone for me. He’s tried too hard to make a point, just as he tries too hard with the (so called) novelty songs.
I think there’s a nugget of talent in Paisley that more often than not these days gets buried. He seems to release an album every year, which is great for the fans but, but he really needs to get someone onboard to do some quality control!
April 10, 2013 @ 8:56 am
I’ve been waiting for someone to point out racial stereotypes in his music. He makes the claim that white people can’t dance. Also in another song about Pacman on his phone or racism or you know just a combination of nonsense he calls out to “Wake up Martin Luther” in a racial context. Martin Luther was the leader of the Protestant reformation in the 1500s. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the civil rights movement in the US. They are two completely different people that did two completely different things & both are well known. What an idiot.
April 10, 2013 @ 11:50 am
Man, some people are too hard on Paisley
April 10, 2013 @ 3:31 pm
I hate the “Welcome to the Future” song so it pains me to defend it but I’d be willing to bet major bucks that Brad Paisley is aware of the difference between Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr. In the song, he’s rhyming “Luther” and “Future” which would explain why he took a little creative license with the lyrics. You could find a million other examples in country music.
April 11, 2013 @ 9:40 am
So what if he doesn’t say Kings full name in the song? Everybody knows who he is taking about, he doesn’t need to be that explicitly clear.
April 10, 2013 @ 10:14 am
Can someone please explain to me what the difference is between a white man wearing a confederate flag shirt and a black man calling another black man the “n” word? In my opinion neither one of these people actually mean slavery in any sense, but technically they are keeping racial divides relevant. I know myself the confederate flag doesn’t mean slavery to me. It just means southern pride. I’m sure when a black man uses the “n” word it doesn’t mean slavery, but probably pride in the brotherhood or fellow black man. Your thoughts?
April 10, 2013 @ 10:34 am
Hey Trig,
Good article. You might also agree with this take: http://www.blackbookmag.com/music/you-should-listen-to-southern-rock-opera-instead-of-accidental-racist-1.60842
Southern Rock Opera is one of my favorite albums that’s been made in a very long time (I would contend it’s also one of the best country/southern rock albums from the 2000’s.)
Hope all is well
April 10, 2013 @ 11:14 am
Speaking of “Ronnie and Neil”, I read Neil Young’s autobiography a little while back. Bit of a meandering, stream of consciousness effort, but here’s a memorable line from it with respect to Sweet Home Alabama:
My own song ‘Alabama’ richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it today. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, too easy to misconstrue.
April 10, 2013 @ 1:03 pm
I agree with the above comment. I am from Kentucky and I wear a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt with a Confederate flag on it. I SIMPLY REFUSE to apologize because I am white and live in the south. I have not owned slaves, my dad didn’t not own slaves and my granddad did not own slaves either.
I would like to believe that he has good intentions with but to make the accusation that I am white therefore I am racist rubs me the wrong way. Country musicians need to stop collaborating with rappers because it has all been crap (the only exception is “Roll me Up” with Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg).
April 10, 2013 @ 3:36 pm
was it just me or did that CNN article kinda go out they’re way to avoid using your name? “blogger” “as the writer stated”…wtf?
April 11, 2013 @ 3:29 pm
I was born in East St. Louis, Ill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis,_Illinois
I have lived for years in racially polarized cities and also in cities in which everyone doesn’t hate everyone.
I have no white guilt or reason for it.
If whites were 8 – 10 times more likely to commit crimes against blacks than vice versa, I may.
If my Congressman was a member of a Congressional White Caucus which didn’t accept black Congressmen, I may.
If I had gone to a law school where unqualified whites had points added to their test scores to get them admitted to school over more qualified black students and thereafter to keep them in school, I may.
If government contracting set aside money for contracts with white companies to the exclusions of qualified black ones, I may.
If my race had done to the black community what its own race has done to it during my lifetime, I may.
If anyone who hasn’t lived in a racially polarized community wants to grade my paper, so be it.
Brad grew up in West Virginia, which I suspect is a little light on diversity.
He brings his life experiences to the table and I bring mine.
But, at the end of the day he is a songwriter and trying to make a living and he is an artist.
There are no apologies necessary for being white and Southern or for being proud of my heritage.
The backdrop for the Flying’ Burrito Brothers was the Stars and Bars and I don’t think anyone thought Gram Parsons was a racist.
April 11, 2013 @ 6:53 pm
You bring a very good point.
Gram Parsons would fly the confederate flag, and he was a left wing liberal who at least claimed he left the Byrds because they were playing in Apartheid South Africa.
While I’m not sure what the exact politics of The Band was, the Night they Drove Old Dixie Down was covered by left wing singers like Joan Baez.
Through the 80s, you had liberals like Tom Petty play draped behind a giant confederate flag and no one batted an eye.
No one thought twice about Alabama using the Confederate Flag or Hank Jr. singing if The South Would Have Won.
It’s only been in the last 20 years that people started complaining about the Confederate Flag, and when liberals like Brad Paisley wear a shirt with a Tiny confederate flag on it, they get called racist.
Was America an irredeemably racist (or at least insensitive) country in the 1980s?
April 12, 2013 @ 11:48 am
Brad Paisley grew up in a town in W. Va. which is 97% white.
He has never had to deal with race relations.
Alec Baldwin called a black man a coon a few weeks ago, and now NBC, which owns him, is considering giving him his own late night show.
And we southerners are the racists?
And country music (with the exception of DAC’s “If That Ain’t Country”) songs don’t use racial expletives that are in many, many RAP tunes.
But we are the ones who should be wearing the hairshirt about race?
I don’t buy into this fiction.
April 13, 2013 @ 11:52 am
What about DAC x rated stuff he did a song “My Wife ran off with a N—— . there was another song called N—— F—er I know some see comedy in this. I guess I’m old fashion but I don’t
April 13, 2013 @ 11:20 am
Here’s a question was the old Duke’s Of Hazard TV show racist? They drove around a car that had the confederate flag painted on it and the name of the car was “General Lee” which was painted on the car. When they blew the horn the sound of “Dixie” was heard.
June 30, 2013 @ 11:10 am
One problem I have with the song (aside from the obvious) is that as mawkish as it is, Paisley doesn’t actually make any point. He neither says “I have the right to wear this flag and you’re wrong to be offended” nor “Sorry, you’re right, I’ll take it off.” What we get instead is him whining and refusing to either stand by his flag or acknowledge why people are upset.
December 2, 2024 @ 4:26 pm
You can’t ignore colour if its most conspicuously victimized people still feel the effects of 405 years of all manner of racism,but….Brad’s and LL’s (Mr. Paisley’s and Mr. Smith’s?) “Accidental Racist” is the LAST thing racial reconciliation wants or needs . (As a GQ cover boy handsome,71-year-old black cowboy,I’ll know racial comity has arrived if I go to a Brad Paisley concert and leave with a buxom blonde about half my age without,shall we say,at least a bit of head-shaking opprobrium).