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Bombs Over Baghdad
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 14, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 14, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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Robert Hillburn of the L.A. Times finds the phenomenon of people latching onto songs as anthems (when the songs were never meant to be that in the first place) fascinating, the current example being Outkast's Bombs Over Baghdad.
"OutKast's Big Boi was more than a little surprised when tennis pro Jennifer Capriati requested recently that "Bombs" be played as a sign of support for the troops in Iraq as she took the court for a match...The problem is Big Boi was strongly opposed to the U.S. invading Iraq without United Nations support and he never intended the song as a pro-war exercise." However, Big Boi does say:
We explain a song when people ask, but we can't control how they feel about it. In our case, fans know where we stand pretty much. I talk to them in the street all the time. I really think Bush should have gone through the United Nations before going over there. But once the fighting starts, everything changes. You have guys over there with families here, and you have to support the troops and pray for them. So, if the song helps them keep their spirits up, I don't have a problem with that.
Nicely said, Big Boi. Gothamist prefers Bombs Over Baghdad over the crappy pro-war songs that are being churned out by country music. Check out the BOB lyrics. Even the Beastie Boys anti-war (maybe it's really pro-peace) is only okay.
Other songs Hillburn discusses: Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land, Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. , U2's One, and Bob Dylan's Masters of War.
Tagged
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beastie boys
big boi
bob dylan
bruce springsteen
bush
country music
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iraq
Jennifer Capriati
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Music
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u2
united nations
war
woody guthrie
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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