CD Baby artist David Rovics is the featured snger/songwriter on Fahrenheit 911 news/info blog

	posted by JOlmsted on Thursday June 24 2004 @ 08:27AM PDT
	NOTE: The Fahrenheit 911 news/info blog is a resource for singer/songwriters to use to gather material to compose music based on the film and events surrounding distribution. If you have a song you feel fits the film, please send an email to bandsagainstbush@yahoogroups.com The F911 Interview with David Rovics David: I don't know how pressed for time you are, and I completely understand if you're very busy, but I definitely am, and most of your questions could be answered if you spent a couple hours on my website, http://www.davidrovics.com. I could answer them all, of course, and i don't mean to be rude, but it'd be better for both of us I think if you had more questions like the ones about Moore's new movie, that aren't easily answered by looking at my website and downloading some music, reading some lyrics, looking at my tour itinerary, etc., it's all there. F911: I see from your LiveJournal that you are currently in England. Where will you be when Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 911 is released next Friday (June 25)? David: I’ll be playing at the Glastonbury festival from June 25-27 (one of the world's biggest music festivals). Maybe the film will be shown there....? could be -- stranger things have happened. But if not, I plan to see it during the first week of July, assuming it'll be playing somewhere in Houston, TX, where I’ll be most of that week (don't ask). F911: What are your thoughts, ideas about Michael Moore? Have you seen his movies? Read his books? David: I think Michael Moore is absolutely brilliant. I really can't say enough good things about him. I don't agree with him about every one of his political perspectives, but I have no interest in dwelling on our few political differences, because the main thing is that he's brilliant, he tells the truth in a way that is accessible to people, he's a breath of fresh air. I think the progressive movement needs more culture, more humor and more of lots of things, and Michael contributes too much of that. And yes, I've seen all his movies; probably most of his TV stuff, and read much of his writing, including at least one or two books. I think his most brilliant work to date, out of all of that, is "Roger and Me." (But I can't wait to see "Fahrenheit 9/11"!) F911: How many “911” songs have you written? David: I've written quite a few. In one way or another, all of my songs written since 9/11 are influenced by 9/11. On 9/11 I wrote "International Terrorists," about the U.S. military, mostly. Later in the month I wrote "The Dying Firefighter," which i think is my best effort on the subject to date. Those both appear on the CD, "Living in These Times," as well as on my website for free download, along with all of my recordings, which can be found under "audio and video on-line" on www.davidrovics.com. On my 2002 release, "hang a flag in the window," there are many 9/11-related songs. (I’m looking at the liner notes on my website to remind me of which ones.) It kind of depends on how you define something that's about 9/11. Assuming it relates not only to the actual event in New York City, but also to the so-called "war on terror" and the various invasions of sovereign countries that have happened in the past few years, most of my stuff is related. Here’s a brief summary From my CD "Hang a Flag": "The Next Attack" is about the next time the U.S. is attacked by terrorists. The title track is about Bush's war on terror generally, and his obsession with flags and blinding us all with hyper-patriotism as much as he can. "The Village Where Nothing Happened" is about the annihilation of a village in Afghanistan. "Bomb Ourselves" is about what we should do, logically, if we're to fight countries that sponsor terrorism. "Song for Basra," written pre-9/11, is one of many songs I wrote about the genocidal sanctions suffered by the people of Iraq thanks to our government (and the British). "One Night in Greece" is another look at 9/10 (actually 9/10) from a particular perspective. "By The Time They Nuke DC" is about how I hope we'll stop bombing the world before they really need "the bomb" and use it on us. From my CD, "Return," released last fall (2003): "After the Revolution" focuses on Bush and Kissinger getting arrested and the world being liberated, an end to both state and non-state terrorists (with no empire to fight, there will be no one fighting it). "Resistance" also focuses on 9/11, but is generally about how there will always be those struggling against injustice as long as injustice continues. "Reichstag Fire" is about how 9/11 is being used as an excuse to bomb the rest of the world and pursue "U.S. national interests" (corporate interests, that is) militarily and economically and in every other way possible. It also raises the question of who did what when, which the Bush Administration obviously doesn't want us to know. Every war the U.S. has ever been in was started with some kind of excuse, whether it was a manufactured one (usually) or not (sometimes). "Promised Land" is about 9/11 from the imagined perspective of Mohammed Atta. From my 2004 CD release, "Songs for Mahmud": "Operation Iraqi Liberation" is about OIL. "The Face of Victory" is about a soldier returning from iraq. "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" is about that. "Evening News" is about how the media is warped (and focuses partly on 9/11). "Moron" is about George W. Bush. "The War is Over" is about bush's speech on the aircraft carrier. So, there's some of them, anyway. F911: What do you think of the anti-Michael Moore groups that were created to censor the film? David: The anti-Michael Moore groups are just a bunch of rich people who are afraid of getting burned by the reality Michael Moore is bringing to our attention so gracefully. I think they're scared, and they have reason to be. They’re scared of the truth. They only survive through their control of the press, ultimately. But we must continue to try to get the truth out there, and that partly means, of course, supporting Michael Moore and his important efforts. F911: How does “Reichstag Fire” relate to Fahrenheit 911? David: Of course, hopefully people can listen to the song on my website and find out what it's about that way, that's definitely best. But assuming you (reader) has heard it... the verses are describing the various inconsistencies and strange coincidences around 9/11 reporting and Bush's reactions to it, etc. Most of the information was gotten through mass media sources I found on various websites related to the 9/11 skeptics movement. (Some of whom are totally wacked, others are spot on.) I think I wrote it in January, 2003. I was just thinking about the burning of the German Reichstag that Hitler used as an excuse to start rounding up communists, Jews, etc., and about our own Lusitanian, Alamo, Gulf of Tonkin, etc., that we used as excuses to start all of our own wars of aggression, wars of empire. F911: Are your songs available for digital download? David: I make them all available for free download in the audio and video section of http://www.davidrovics.com -- or just go directly to http://www.soundclick.com/davidrovics. spread the word! F911: How can people donate to you online? David: There’s a link for doing that in the audio and video section of my website or in the "message" section on Soundclick. Or on Paypal they can just donate using my email address, drovics@ aol.com (I know I should get a new ISP). People should feel free to contact me via that email, too. Check out all of David Rovics' CDs on CD Baby at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/davidrovics

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