David Crosby says musicians should sing about politics, but make people “boogie.”
The singer-songwriter reveals that his song Somebody Other Than You – which features on his fifth solo album Lighthouse – is about war, big business and corruption in the US government.
He tells UCR: “There are these politicians in Washington who are run by the corporations, because corporations gave them the money to get elected, and they send our kids off to war. Now they and the corporation that owns them couldn’t give a shit about the death, about the guy who got his shoulder blown off.
“To them, that’s just the cost of doing business. That’s just keeping the quarterly report good. They don’t care. I do.
“I’m deeply offended by the fact that these politicians send your kids and not theirs. I think that that’s pretty evident in the song. But you can’t do a steady diet of this stuff.”
- Steel Panther to release 360-degree live concert stream
- Bruce Dickinson helps shaves heads for cancer charity
- Ex-Lostprophets paedophile frontman’s Twitter is now active
- Nightwish’s Floor Jansen to appear onstage with Ayreon
Crosby continues: “Look, our main job is to make you boogie. Our main job is to take you on a little emotional voyage, give you windows into stuff. Occasionally our job is to go back to our troubadour times and be the town crier and say, ‘Hey, it’s 11:30 and this isn’t okay. You’ve just selected somebody that’s going to nearly destroy the country. Aren’t you watching?’
“A steady diet of that means you’ve got no people listening. It is a small part of our job, though. All of those things are stuff that we’re trying to do, but the basic thing is that the songs have to be great.
“I only have a certain amount of time here and these songs are going to last way longer than I am. So I craft them to be the absolute best that I can get them. Everybody’s got their own way of looking at their life and their work. That’s the way I look at mine.”
Graham Nash reported earlier this year he’d consider getting back together with Crosby – despite the pair becoming embroiled in a war of words in the past. But Crosby said he’s not looking for a reunion with his former Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmates.
David Crosby tour dates 2016
Nov 22: Stuart Lyric Theatre, FL
Nov 26: Melbourne King Center For The Performing Arts, FL
Nov 27: Clearwater Capitol Theater, FL
Nov 29: Charlotte McGlohan Theatre at Spirit Square, NC
Dec 01: Morgantown West Virginia University, WV
Dec 02: Greensboro Carolina Theatre, NC
Dec 04: Roanoke Jefferson Center, VA
Dec 05: Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Center, TN
Dec 07: Wilmington Cape Fear Community College, NC
Dec 09: Glenside Keswick Theatre, PA
Dec 10: Ridgefield Playhouse, CT
Dec 12: Boston Wilbur Theatre, MA
Dec 13: Tarrytown Music Hall, NY
Dec 15: New York Town Hall, NY
