High School Band investigated for Playing Dylan
 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=247437&page=1

While im not to keen on the comment about crack on college kids, this seems like classic case of kids being more willing to go aginst the families.

Please post CONTENT, not just LINKS!!

School Talent Show Draws Secret ServiceColorado Band Singing Dylan Song Seen as Threatening President Bush

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 12, 2004 — Parents and students say they are outraged and offended by a proposed band name and song scheduled for a high school talent show in Boulder this evening, but members of the band, named Coalition of the Willing, said the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.

The students told ABC News affiliate KMGH-TV in Denver they are performing Bob Dylan's song "Masters of War" during the Boulder High School Talent Exposé because they are Dylan fans. They said they want to express their views and show off their musical abilities.

But some students and adults who heard the band rehearse called a radio talk show Thursday morning, saying the song the band sang ended with a call for President Bush to die.

Threatening the president is a federal crime, so the Secret Service was called to the school to investigate.

Students in the band said they're just singing the lyrics and not inciting anyone to do anything.

The 1963 song ends with the lyrics: "You might say that I'm young. You might say I'm unlearned, but there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you, even Jesus would never forgive what you do … And I hope that you die and your death'll come soon. I will follow your casket in the pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed. And I'll stand o'er your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead."

'We Were Just Singing'


The students told KMGH they never threatened the president and never changed the lyrics to the song.

"It's just Bob Dylan's song. We were just singing Bob Dylan's song … If you think it has to do with Bush that's because you're drawing your own conclusions. We never conveyed that Bush was the person we were talking about," said Allysse Wojtanek-Watson, a singer for the band.

"She never said anything about killing Bush … It's crazy, it's chaos. We have nothing in there it says about killing Bush," band leader Forest Engstrom told KMGH.

The principal of the school said he stands behind the students.

I think it's pretty awesome these kids are willing to sing that song, I don't get why people are causing so much trouble for them though. I'm glad the principal is behind them.

We better hurry and stop them; before long they'll be forming their own opinions and questioning authority. We can't have THAT.

I like their principle(s), from what's in that article about him/them.

Ah, the People's Republic of Boulder strikes again!

They should be investigated for bad taste, chosing Dylan...

How dare they question anything this government has done or is preparing to do? Fall in line. Achtung, I said fall in line now...

We don't need no education...

Don't like Dylan at all either, even though I am aware of his "cause" and his music and all that. But what these students did is totally righteous! :thumbsup:

Good thing I live in CT. They'd be all over my ass for cranking Black Sabbath - War Pigs the other day

:hmm:

What the kids and the principal are doing is laudable. Maybe if enough people follow suit the day won't come when people who buck authority like this just disappear from their homes in the dark of the night.

Let's post the lyrics, for all of you who are not Bob Dylan familiar:

"Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead"

i heard of this on the radio and thought about posting about it myself...this is just wrong that ppl thought that it was a threat to the president...i mean come on...where in the hell is the words about a president or anything like that?

i am glad the principal stayed behind his kids about this!

Should've gone with Subterranean Homesick Blues. A much better Dylan song.

well i see they renamed themselves they started out being called the taliband

wow what a jumpy country you all have over there! altough i suppose that Australia is becoming a little like that in some sections of society ..... boring bastards!

Actually... you can say whatever you want in a song :D

It is the beginning, my friends; the end is come and we are at it's center. The dust shall rise up to claim us, our screams choked out by the drone of the destruction we have wrought.



Not really, but since Boulder, Colorado feels like being dramatic, why can't I?

I'll give you a tenday, or maybe a fortnight to retract your statement, being such a fallacious and hideous statement that it should ne'er be uttered from the mouth or fingers of a human being.

:D

So lets see here, a song recorded when either Kennedy or Johnson was president, before Vietnam or any gulf war, and being played by a group of high school kids, is now a threat on the presidents life. Hmmm....has Mr. Dylan been charged with the threat for writing and performing the song? Has any radio station who played song since its recording been charged with threatening any of the previous 8 presidents? This is just another attempt to censor someone who's views may not be the same as the majority. I think any attempt to stop them from playing this song is both a load of crap and a violation of the 1st amendment.

Damn, call the thought police!

Blown out of proportion indeed. This is just representative of the crackdown on dissent that comes with an atmosphere of fear and repression.

Do these people who are complaining not see the irony here?

Freedom for Iraqis!!! But not for those pesky liberals in the U.S. Shut up and get in line!

This makes me so angry.

USA - land of the free...
oh wait..

carefull what you say junior.

I dont really understand it, expressint the wish that someone would die isnt the same as a threat to kill them anyway.

This line cought my attention:

Is not the point of education to teach students to think on there own, independent of anyone else political, moral, of ethical beliefs? One much be about to think for themselves and be diligent and critical of all things.

Never underestimate how determined some people are at being offended.

I don't think that's been the point of education for a long time. Learn what everyone else learns, don't cause any trouble, dress like everybody else and maybe, maybe, in the end, we will have beaten all this non-conformity stuff out of you enough to land a decent job. Isn't that what you want? A decent job, house with a mortgage, good credit, nice car and a family?

I hear tales of colleges back in the 60's and 70's and am flabbergasted. We could never get away with such stuff where I'm at. We tried holding a rally to get people to vote; shot down. A group tried hold a rally about the war; shot down. The local Baptist group held a prayer rally in early September to honor those that died from terrorist attacks and soldiers in the war; Okay.


Good for these kids and good for those that read this and listen.

I just happened the other day to listen to an old pete seeger cassette tape that i picked up at a yard sale. it had 'masters of war ' on it,also it had a song called 'little boxes' which was banned from airplay in the 60s. and i got to thinking about just how dylans song would be accepted in todays climate . imho its just a song ,powerful and emotion stirring, but at the end of the day ,just a song.

So it is now an act of terror to play music that protests war?

well yeah. Look at what John Ashcroft, the former Attorney General said last week

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...shcroft_judges


Anyone who speaks out is the enemy because WE were attacked. its those guys over there that are bad, not us.

It needs to be pointed out that all threats against the President are taken seriously by the Secret Service - imagine the scandal if they ignored one seemingly false report that ended up being true and it led to an actual assassination attempt.

That being said, someone obviously had to report this band to the authorities to get them involved. I find it ridiculous that someone would see a few angsty students singing a Dylan song as a serious threat. What a waste of time for the feds as well for the students that someone thought they should be investigated because of their rebelliousness.

Unfortunately, it is too old to be archived on-line, but there was a great article in my university's magazine about a guy who put an off-hand remark about President Reagan's assassination attempt in an editorial in our school paper, saying he wished the guy had done a better job shooting. This fucked up his life permanently, he still (5-10 years ago at the time of the article) was having trouble getting a good job.

Its the devil's music I tells ya. [/sarcasm]

just another brick in the wall...

Today Bob Dylan, tomorrow Cat Stevens. Stop them before it's too late.

hahaha yea god forbid!