When I first heard this song I was appalled, but I didn't hear it as racist. I think you said it well, Guest:
"Toby Keith is, IMO, a dangerous man who has seriously confused the concept of justice with vengeance and vigilantism, and is getting rich singing about his hatred, his anger, and his uncontrollable desire for vengeance."

Lin, I think the (reasonable) concept --"A man had to answer for the wicked that he done." --
is OVERSHADOWED by the lyrics' connecting "Somebody stole a car" (or even "somebody's been abused," "We've got too much corruption, too much crime in the streets,"-- rather broad categories) with "It's time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground, Send 'em all to their maker..." The idea that having to answer for anything "wicked" means society (by mob action or by law) should "Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys, Hang them high in the street for all the people to see," that's not just about vigilantism, it's a horribly distorted concept of justice.

The idea that the "consequences" of all "bad deeds" should be the death penalty is (thankfully) NOT the "good ol' American way." It's annoyingly ironic when people like Toby Keith, who flaunt their "patriotism," demonstrate so little regard for our constitutional system of justice.


And Ebbie, yes, we often sing very politically incorrect folk songs that are and are in no way meant to represent our own value system -- just like performing as Lady MacBeth doesn't mean you advocate murder. But I wouldn't perform "Banks Of The Ohio" for a group of wife-batterers, and I think there are far too many country music fans out there who WILL take this song as sanctioning a very reactionary view of "justice." Let's execute car thieves and anyone who "abuses" someone else. The song says nothing about fines or prison or restitution, just "putting [the lawbreakers] in the ground."

This is the kind of thinking that spawned so many "mandatory minimum" sentences and makes real justice impossible in many court cases, not to mention overflowing our prisons with many non-violent offenders (including some whose "crimes" both Willie and Toby have probably also committed without getting prosecuted for them).