James McMurtry - Cheney's Toy

[SargentAnus]

Great f*in song. I many not always agree with James' politics, but his songwriting genius can't be denied. Take it easy, man.

[Urdalibertine]

The rhythm of this song as it goes from lyric to lyric,stays pretty much the same throughout the song.

[creedona]

James McMurtry is a unique songwriter of our times an artist who can paint an intrinsic picture using lyrics , a very rare talent. His latest album Just Us Kids is a work of art.

[cmacwyo]

thank you so much for your insightful and articulate comment.

[urinalbushrat]

I think people forget that the military is the ultimate extension of a governments(read politicians) foreign policy.

One of the reasons cited the army is "over there" is the defence of our liberties and freedoms and one of those freedoms is the right of ordinary citizens to criticise a government whose actions are in fact in dire need of criticism at the very least.

[mindlane]

wow groover. you're so groovy for knowing how old the song is.

[IMEZ2GETRU4ME]

The point of the song is that Cheney was the real president and Bush was just his puppet on Cheney's stage. Plain, simple and to the point. Good song!

[jbalir245]

settle settle

[toddymac]

Cheney's Toy is (was) G.W. Bush, not the soldiers..unfortunately, it's the soldiers that are paying the price.

[roxannejane101]

Thank you!

[cjohansen7]

I'm not sure American soldiers would like to be thought of as "Cheney's toy". These men and women protect us while we sleep. Show some respect.

[NOTFUCKEDULL]

your a idiot buddy.. serves them right for invading a country like this. thanks the gov. there all just the gov's pons.

[cjohansen7]

I'm an idiot? You haven't learned proper grammar yet. Go to back to school or maybe read a book once in a while.

Soldiers don't have the luxury of deciding what wars to fight. That is the job of politicians. There job is to protect you and me, which is what they are doing right now and it is what they have done in the past. And you know what? They're pretty fucking good at it.

[jbalir245]

oh cock

[95topaz]

I think "Cheney's toy" is a reference to Bush, more than to the soldiers. This video muddies that a bit.

[cmacwyo]

thanks for your thoughtful comments.

[smeegma]

Video sucks. Note to idiot producers:

Thanks to videos FROM Iraq you know what soldiers look like, so fucking shave your actors when they are in uniform and fit them with proper gear.

On second thought, disregard. Dolts..

[Maxables]

Won't someone please upload the song 'just us kids' ?

[right2read]

God I love this guy James McMurtry. How'd I miss 'em?

[PorterRP9]

Mcmurtry is one of my favorite artists and most of his songs have a very personal to me and most of the country but a song like this just kinda makes you wanna kill yourself..he must have had a bad night when this song was written.

[xxxfiretear]

No wonder if he had a bad night thinking about the US invation of Iraq.

the song is very warren zevon-like

[rw434]

Truly one of the lamest songs of this or any other generation.

McMurtry is a talented guy but he writes like an impassioned college freshman who is transitioning from emo to politically motivated because he took some hack lefty prof's class for the first time.

Keep the faith boys and girls. LOL

[thamuddler]

ok then, a lame song for a lame pointless war. im with you on that then. but i hope your comment about mcmurty's writing applies only to this song. surely u like his other stuff...

[fishcrazzy]

screw oil, give me air, water,and food.great song,bro

[o0OWEINERSO0o]

How will do you expect to stay warm?

DOWN THE MAN!!! *hits bong*

[thamuddler]

you need oil to stay warm? i bet youre the kind of guy that freezes his ass off when his heater goes out, not owning a proper sleeping bag. but i agree, most of America will curl up and die if the lights go out for 2 weeks.

[Lineman58]

you do NOT need oil to stay warm

[MadtownAlec]

The Cree, Inuit, and Dene managed to stay warm in or near the arctic circle - they came up with the brilliant strategy of putting more clothes on.

[fauxtaux]

social commentary at it's best. thanks mcmurtry and thanks for posting.

[cragsmonster]

just heard this o my radio and i think this may be up amongst the top antiestablishment songs of the year

very reminiscent of lou reeds material

[LordAtrocities]

The wasn't about oil, if it was we'd have the oil now. This war was about making the rich richer off the blood of young soldiers and the suffering of their families. Dumbsfield and Cheney played Bush and the US population like a fine instrument. War for principles is one thing, a war to fatten your pocket book is something else entirely.

[headachehaver]

I don't disagree with you, except to note that the oil wouldn't necessarily go directly to the people. It took longer than they anticipated, but the oil fields of Iraq are currently being leased to the fascist corporations.

[LordAtrocities]

Can't argue with that.

[Lineman58]

WHY THE FUCK IS THIS VIDEO FLAGGED

[grumpyoldsoandso]

I was wondering why, too: it only shows a fictional soldier doing what real soldiers are doing, intercut with live footage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing inappropriate there. I came to the conclusion that there is someone out there who doesn't want American children to see this video because it might dissuade them from joining the Armed Forces as soon as they are old enough. Only a suggestion from an old Limey, mind...

[wildshovel]

Can't understand why this video was controversial.

During the VietNam war, I remember eating dinner with my parents and watching our soldiers being blown apart on the 6 o'clock news.

Something is lost when the public is so insulated from the reality of war.

[roxannejane101]

It is so cool how we have free speech and can put out stuff like this. We are like puppets Cheney.

[GGSalt]

Thanks for the reply. I don't want to sound too negative - I do like the video and I l-o-v-e the song!

I understand the narrative thread about the soldier. I just think it would have been more powerful if you had included some footage of Bush and Cheney at certain places. Some of the lyrics which are clearly aimed at Bush might be seen as disrespectful to the troops if misconstrued as directed at them ("You're no longer your daddy's boy", "make your mama proud", "smile for the cameras", etc).

[GGSalt]

I think you missed the point of the song. Cheney's toy is George W Bush. The video may give the mistaken impression that the song is about the troops.

[cmacwyo]

Yes, Bush is Cheney's toy, but our troops are also "toys" to our current administration. US Soldiers are being played with and abused in this war. There is a narrative thread in the song about a soldier who comes back from Iraq damaged. My point was to look at the war from a soldier's ground-level perspective, not as glorified American war propaganda. My intent is to humanize the horror and abuse of our troops.

[GGSalt]

BTW, go McMurty's mspace page - he's running a "Cheney's Toy Video Contest." You should enter!

[Ashencrowe]

Whoever flagged this is either a hardcore wingnut, or an overly-squeemish wuss. Either way, they have no capacity to handle reality.

[icewater75074]

Obama never voted on the war.

[wigner]

uhhh dudes i think this song is about dubya. are you listening or just lookin at the pictures?

[emgscot51]

Thanks for pointing that out. I listened more closely. You're right on all counts.

[diogeron]

What is even more disgusting is that Bush, Cheney and McSame try to pin the "unpatriotic" label on people like Obama who had the cojones, foresight and judgment to oppose this stupid war from the outset. I guess if you think patriotism consists only of slapping a cheap flag pin on that was made in China, that makes sense. Of course, some of us like to use our prefrontal cortext instead of just the "lizard brain" when making decisions.

[karlk9]

Very perspicacious observation diogeron! Obama had the stones to stand up people who would have us fighting for Haliburton, Wall St., and keeping Sadam from switching Iraq oil from the dollar to the Euro - just like that new "demon" in Iran now wants to do.

[Psychedalien]

Great video!!!!!!

[Brawk]

Coming soon to a neighbourhood near you...

5*****

[miketheday]

Manoman..Great tune! 5***** & a new favorite for me!

My good cousin was just deployed. My heart is heavy for him.

Get US out of Iraq!

[nameofthepen]

We torture and murder Iraq.

Israel tortures and murders Palestine.

Why is England not doing it's part? Maybe they should get up off their arses and handle Iran?

Yeah, the whole world can get destroyed. :/

Fabulous video. Fived and faved.

[yippierb]

Jack Bull created Iran and most of the "middle East" with its phoney boarders. They also installed one tribe over another. We/They Standard Oil /Shell/BP drilled the holes we should keep the oil and fuck the bedouin bastards. Let em herd goats in the desert. Does anyone notice that all Arab and Mid Asian Christians(Catholics) get wiped out in all this shit beginning with the British/Zionist Israli homeland.

[zizizzi]

Beautiful song... Thanks.

How much more of this are we going to take???

[WaltonJordan]

Yeah... What you said.

[alysseumwarrior]

Impactfull. This is the war as it really is: A dirty destruction of youth. The poor pawns of corporate interest are sent to death by lobbyist marching up to capital hill dressed up in Armani suits; uniformed in a neat little row.

[mutt36]

dick cheney is a punk ass bitch

[breathgh]

If any of y'all are upset by what you think might be "Unpatriotic" in McMurtry's message, please just watch 2 Frontline Public TV docs titled  "CHENEY'S WAR" and "BUSH'S WAR" and you'll wake up to the fact that you've been duped by Cheney, Bush and McCain! I hope James McMurtry writes another song about their WMDS, Deployed by the MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL-PHARMA- CEUTICAL-PETROCHEMICAL Machine! I think James should get a metal for Patriotism and Saving Lives by not being Cheney's or McCain's Toy!

[raffifeghali]

Very nice song! Interesting video! Keep up the good work :)

[tantounk]

This video is so freakin' awesome... Watched it 3 times already... Great ending.. Love the scenes of James singing, they make everything distorted and fragmented compared to the harsh reality in full motion...