Thanks, Alan. I'd written something and my browser crashed, then Mudcat went down, then my power went out.

It's a razor's edge a writer of such songs must walk. If they do it right, they have something rare and pointed. If they miss, the results are too messy and painful to listen to and are just embarrassing. Sometimes it's the song, but sometimes it's just the way it's performed that makes people squirm.

Tom Paxton is one I know of who can write a song about anything. Why he's able to do is interesting to think about. He never portrays people as entirely evil or entirely good. Anybody who portrays the murderer or pedophile as someone who couldn't be your next-door neighbor or your cousin, is just leading the mob to grab their farm implements and go burn the monster's castle down. It's the easy, mindless way to go about writing a song. Writing one that acknowledges and understands the humanity of such a criminal is walking that dangerous edge, because all some people want is a song that can focus their anger and hatred. THAT song is probably going to be a hit on the country charts, but it's going to lack the respect of those who can see through the 'rah-rah' stuff, and it's safety. It's easier to tell people what they want and expect to hear than it is to make them think and challenge their beliefs. Maybe it's because such songwriters risk disapproval, but I think the biggest risk is that those who challenge others must first challenge themselves and what they believe. They must ask themselvesm "Am I REALLY right? What if I'm not?" Many egos can't deal with that.