'Reason To Believe': Joe Scarborough Releases Powerful Antiwar Song

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

For all the similarities between America's war in Vietnam and those in Iraq and Afghanistan, this past decade's wars have not yielded the singular pop-cultural response that the earlier quagmire did. A decade after the September 11 terrorist attacks, even as thousands of American soldiers have lost their lives overseas, fueling a level of public antiwar sentiment not seen in a generation, there is still no anthem that speaks to this era, that defines it. Joe Scarborough aims to change that.

The host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and former Florida congressman, Scarborough is no John Mellencamp and he's certainly not the Dixie Chicks -- he's a Republican, after all. Yet the host, also a songwriter and Beatles fan, told The Huffington Post that his new song, "Reason to Believe," has a purpose that would have resonated with earlier critics of Vietnam. "It's critical that we remember the heroes of 9/11 and those who are still fighting in an endless war," Scarborough said. "They need to come home. It's time."

The music video, released by Sony Records and put together by JAM, the production company of Scarborough and his MSNBC cohost, Mika Brzezinski, opens with a woman answering the phone in her house and getting word that someone -- presumably her husband and the father of the young girl shown next to her -- was killed in the twin towers. "In the flash of an hour / Watching dreams fall from towers / All I once knew came tumbling down," Scarborough sings. About halfway through the video, the focus shifts from the terrorist attacks to the march to war.

The catchy tune and Americana visuals can't hide the searing lyrics as Scarborough laments the bloodshed of the last 10 years: "In an endless war / Tell me please how many more have to die / Before my sweet boy comes home." Though his face never appears in the video, Scarborough's song resonates partly because he's the one sending the message. It says something about the antiwar canon of this generation that a conservative has been one of the most vocal critics of America's wars.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/reason-to-believe-joe-scarborough-song_n_953335.html

[Ian David]

1. Joe Scum can still suck it. n/t

[No Elephants]

12. +1 Suddenly, he's anti-war? Yeah, riiiiiight.

[PurgedVoter]

27. Joe, the sell out poster child.

As far as Joe goes, I'm Not Ready to Make Nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pojL_35QlSI&ob=av2e&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

When the Dixie Chicks where introducing the song, Traveling Soldier,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLBgmbXBOb8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

they said, "Just so you know, we're on the good side with y'all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

So if you want to hear the actual first big influential protest of what Bush and the Neocons started, Traveling Soldier is the one to listen to. I'm Not Ready to Make Nice, was based on the reactions to the introduction to this song.

Just so you know, I am proud that the Dixie Chicks came from Texas!

Joe pounded the Dixie Chicks for this,

http://www.politicaldaily.org/link.asp?ID=475224&Title=Joe%20Scarborough:%20Glenn%20Beck%20Now%20Worse%20Than%20the%20Dixie%20Chicks

So Joe's protest comes quite a bit late and at his own great convenience. Joe has some serious apologizing for helping drum up these wars and helping to castigate protesters before his anti-war cred counts as anything but pandering.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. I could only sit through about 30 seconds.

But part of the problem is that I can't stand typical country music.

[CBGLuthier]

3. Dylan Weeps with Envy

:-)

[UpInArms]

4. hmmmm.... I seem to recall that he and Michael Savage

said that all of us who were in the streets in October 2002 - protesting against the war that was coming - needed to be rounded up and killed for treason.

:puke:

gawd, how I hate hypocrites

RIP Lori Klaustis

[russspeakeasy]

13. That was right after his DUI was thrown out.

:evilgrin: Joe the scab is a total waste of skin.

[Bragi]

5. Neill Young had a great anti-war album

"Living with War"

http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/

I like all the songs on it.

The title song "Living with War" is one of his best ever.

[Atman]

14. Neil has always been anti-war. Joe was pro war now trying to make a buck off it.

I saw the the opening night of CSNY's reunion tour where the played most of Living With War...awesome show!

[Bragi]

18. I wish I'd seen the concert

I bought the album about 12 minuets after it was released, but found myself away when he toured into my town (Ottawa.)

And yes, he has been antiwar and politically progressive and outspoken almost his entire career. He's a remarkable guy.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

29. And Merle Haggard too.

He wrote it in 2003: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evw-vjclHg0

Merle Haggard

That's the News

Suddenly it's over, the war is fin'lly done.
Soldiers in the desert sand, still clingin' to a gun.
No-one is the winner an' everyone must lose.
Suddenly the war is over: that's the news.

Suddenly celebrity is somethin' back in style.
Back to runnin' tabloid for a while.
Pain's almost everywhere, the whole world's got the blues.
Suddenly the war is over: that's the news.

That's the news, that's the news.
That's the ever-lovin', blessed, headline news.
Someone's missin;' in Modesto, an' it's sad about the clues.
Suddenly the war is over: that's the news.

Instrumental break.

Suddenly the cost of war is somethin' out of sight.
Lost a lotta heroes in the fight.
Politicians do all the talkin': soldiers pay the dues.
Suddenly the war is over, that's the news.

That's the news, that's the news.
That's the ever-lovin', blessed, headline news.
Politicians do all the talkin': soldiers pay the dues.
Suddenly the war is over, that's the news.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

30. Another anti-Iraq war song from Merle Haggard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDoYsBAyFb0

Merle Haggard

America First

Why don't we liberate these United States,
We're the ones that need it worst.
Let the rest of the world help us for a change,
And let's rebuild America first.

Our highways an' bridges are fallin' apart:
Who's blessed an' who has been cursed?
There's things to be done all over the world,
But let's rebuild America first.

Who's on the Hill and who's watchin' the valley?
An' who's in charge of it all?
God bless the army an' God bless our liberty,
And dadgum the rest of it all.

Yeah, men in position are backin' away:
Freedom is stuck in reverse.
Let's get out of Iraq an' get back on the track,
And let's rebuild America first.

Why don't we liberate these United States,
We're the ones who need it the most.
You think I'm blowin smoke? Boys it ain't no joke.
I make twenty trips a year from coast to coast.

[meegbear]

6. Look out Rebecca Black

[Atman]

7. It wasn't "powerful." it was HORRIBLE.

I was dumbfounded. It was amateurish and cheesy. Painful to watch, but not for the reasons Joe thinks.

[Ragrum]

11. boggles the mind and tedious

jees louise...but still glad someone...anyone is saying get the heck out. DoD is the largest government entity in the world and will not let itself shrink.

[shireen]

15. had to quit listening 1/2 way through

you're so right. it was horrible! Your description, "amateurish and cheesy," was spot-on!

[adhd_what_huh]

8. He stole the melody from LOOK ON THE SUNNYSIDE

[peace13]

9. Joe...one of the biggest sellers of W and his war now tries to clear his own conscience! n/t

[No Elephants]

10. Is he trying to clear his own conscience or sink Obama? Mika said he wrote this ten years ago.

But SUPPOSEDLY only just finished it.

All the years Bush was in Iraq didn't prompt Joe to release this?

I don't trust him, even to be clearing his conscience.

[Botany]

19. bingo

[peace13]

28. My eyes!!! n/t

[rfranklin]

16. I think it's just a crass attempt to make a buck...

I prefer Tim Hardin: "Knowing that you lied straight faced while I cried...."

[Garion_55]

17. i tried to listen to it

but it sounded too cheery and upbeat a song to remember 3000 people killed. and the song just sucked.

glad im not the only one who thought it was garbage.

[inna]

20. LOL! the title alone was sufficient to crack me up! i didn't listen, of course. :)

[florida08]

21. this is antiwar nowadays?

Lame at best..capitulating at worse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCCR2huE2m8">Coven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPcHieRUcxo">Poison

[shotten99]

22. Insincere and hollow words

[rurallib]

23. Wonder how much Joey the Scar paid for that dribble on HuffPo?

Next Joey will lament the loss of his intern with
"How Did She Die So Young?"

I can only hope there is some way for Joey to lose his ass on this venture.

[inna]

24. on the other hand... anti-war public statements deserve support, no matter

who is voicing them.

no idea if Joe the dead intern (etc. etc.) is bullshitting or not; kudos to him for voicing the issue (one of the two or three most critical issues of our time), anyway.

[immoderate]

25. A little sour.

Sing-songy.


--imm

[YvonneCa]

26. When was he a critic? All I remember was him jumping on Bush's bandwagon...

...and supporting everything he did for eight years. NOW, he's 'anti-war' ???????

Give me a break. Please.

[indypaul]

31. Have no time for "morning joke" and certainly

no time or money for any CD he cares to release.

[go west young man]

32. The real "Reason To Believe". Rod Stewart and Ron Wood performing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz-Zn481L1g&feature=related

And this gem from Rod. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRIfPW_Vyb4&feature=related "Have You Ever Seen The Rain"

Righty Bush promoters like Scarborough can never feel the emotion and warmth that those who
truly stood against war feel. That warmth is captured in the great anti war songs of the left. It's a chemical thing. Righties
crave it and envy it but never touch it and I believe that is one of the reason's they despise the left so much. Joe was pro
Bush and spoke against the protesters in the run up to Iraq. Sony Records could be releasing much better music by
real anti war artists/protesters.

[Honeycombe8]

33. Didn't Rod Stewart have a song "Reason to Believe" years ago? nt