So yeah, the Dixie Chicks wiped up at the Grammy’s, but they were careful to let their lyrics do the talking, for the most part. Each of their five wins came with the refrain of “Not Ready to Make Nice,” their song about singer Natalie Maines’ we’re-ashamed-Bush-is-from-Texas comment in 2003. Maines treaded lightly during their acceptance speeches, but did manage this: “In the words of the great Simpsons, ‘ha ha.'” That, and her “I think people are using their freedom of speech here tonight and we get the message” comment were all the political juice we got. Oh, and Joan Baez asking everyone to “listen carefully to the lyrics” when she introduced their performance.
It sort of seemed like the Chicks were feted for their prescience. I mean, they said what few were willing to back when this war started, so
tonight was kind of like a you-told-us-so-and-got-slammed-for-it nod from the mainstream music world.
As for their core country roots, the band had lots of trouble packing stadiums on their latest tour and didn’t even score a single nomination at November’s Country Music Awards. Their base, perhaps, remains unforgiving.
