I think that's an interesting interpretation of the song, and I admire you for having that viewpoint. I've had friends who say, "I'm not going to a red state. I'm not going to play in a red state." And I think, what are you talking about? Like my show in Kansas. I enjoyed it so much. I go to Texas and I always enjoy it. I've described it as missionary work. Go out and bring your viewpoint. It takes guts to live outside of the urban megalopolises, which you do. You're doing missionary work by living your every day life and saying I'm not moving. That takes great courage, and I think that folks like you are quite possibly making the biggest difference out there. Good for you!
Thank you. We would appreciate all the help we can get. I would say to those people who say they don't want to play in the red states that those are the places that need you. There are people there who need to hear you, who need to have somebody come in who shares their viewpoint when they are otherwise a minority.
I couldn't agree more. That's what Kansas was about. I played in Manhattan and Moundridge. There were two people who were just disgusted. They were really upset about this song. What can you do? There were about a hundred other people there who really wanted to hear it and were happy to hear it. You have to be willing to tolerate some dissent to say what it is you have to say.
What's your upcoming schedule like? Are you traveling a lot or are you taking a bit of a break?
I'm a performer who tours constantly and records occasionally. When the songs all belong together, then I'll make a record. I'm gone from home quite a bit. That's a way of life you have to get used to if you want to do this. The up side is that you really do see the whole country and come to appreciate the charm of all different kinds of landscapes and people. I think that being a performing songwriter enabled me to write this song and make it believable and effective because it's a viewpoint you have to adopt to be a touring songwriter.
I see musicians who insulate themselves from the rest of the world and you have to wonder how they know what's going on to write about it.
Article comments
1 - Tracy
GREAT interview here with Susan Werner. I absolutely LOVE her music, particularly the jazzy songs and the new gospel-y songs. I love that y'all got into a discussion about religion in America; it's really cool to hear where she's coming from on these new tunes. I'm a recent divinity school graduate and while my faith means a great deal to me, I fluctuate between a kind of seriousness and earnestness and a kind of subversive desire to shake things up a bit. ;o) A healthy skepticism and doubt, if you will, combined with a deep sense of faithfulness. This is what I love about Susan's new songs in this genre, and I think they're really going to resonate with a LOT of folks in the church around the country, probably more than she realizes. Most of the folks I know from the types of churches I've been involved in have just this kind of perspective... a wilingness to laugh at oneself and be critical of something while still being loyal to it. It's nice to have some music that expresses that complexity of thought and emotion.
Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this and wanted to thank you for taking the time to write it and share it! :o)
Grace and peace,
Tracy