A clip from the article:
But the most searing moment, on a song called "Sweet Neo Con," isn't personal but political. "You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite/You call yourself a patriot, well I think you're full of s—t." "It is direct," Jagger says with a laugh. "Keith said [he breaks into a dead-on Keith imitation], 'It's not really metaphorical.' I think he's a bit worried because he lives in the U.S." Jagger smiles. "But I don't."
Naturally, there will be reprisals against the Stones, I'm sure, and I'm sure a) they don't care and b) they probably wouldn't care even if they were planning another album in the future.
It's nice to see that artists are finally getting political again after decades of trying to earn the almighty dollar on our backs.
More here from Katrina van den Heuvel of The Nation. Turns out, Fran Curtis, the Stones publicist, was forced to rush a press release out disavowing the link between the song and anybody in the Bush administration, meaning there's more in the lyrics than have been released. Anybody wanna guess if this gets cut from the US release?
Wouldn't want to piss off Clear Channel, which has greatly benefitted from the Bush laissez-faire FCC appointments...also, I wonder if Mick will be gutsy enough to grab some of his tarnised street cred back by performing the song live on an NFL broadcast
UPDATE
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Rolling Stones' upcoming album contains a song seemingly critical of President Bush, but Mick Jagger denies it's directed at him, according to the syndicated TV show "Extra."
"It is not really aimed at anyone," Jagger said on the entertainment-news show's Wednesday edition. "It's not aimed, personally aimed, at President Bush. It wouldn't be called 'Sweet Neo Con' if it was."
The song is from the new album, "A Bigger Bang," set for release September 6.
There is no mention of Bush or Iraq. But it does refer to military contractor Halliburton, which was formerly run by Vice President Cheney and has been awarded key Iraq contracts, and the rising price of gasoline.
"How come you're so wrong? My sweet neo-con, where's the money gone, in the Pentagon," goes one refrain.
The song also includes the line: "It's liberty for all, democracy's our style, unless you are against us, then it's prison without trial." (ed: emphasis added)
"It is certainly very critical of certain policies of the administration, but so what! Lots of people are critical," Jagger told "Extra."
A representative for the Stones said the group had no further comment about the song.
Draw your own conclusions on who this song is about. Clear Channel calling? Mick was very clear that, while it's not aimed personally at Bush (the man), it is aimed squarely at Bush the President. Mick is being coy, naturally, but he's not denying the song's intent. There are some who think he shouldn't even back this far off, but hell, it's his life and I suspect at some point in the future (say next year) he'll admit it was about Bush. After the album's slipped off the charts again.
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