12/21/2004

Steve Earle - "John Walker's blues"

Written from the perspective of John Walker Lindh, an American who converted to Islam and ended up fighting for the Taliban.
Earle doesn't condone the actions of Lindh, but feels that it could have happened to just about anyone growing up in America. When this was released, Earle's son was 20-years-old, about the same age as Lindh.
The chorus comes from a verse from the Qur'an, "I am a witness, there is no God but God."
The song created a great deal of controversy before it was even released. Based on the lyrics, some members of the media blasted it for sympathizing with Lindh, although that was not Earle's intention. The New York Post ran the headline: "Twisted ballad honors Tali-Rat."