Country superstar Brad Paisley says the title track for his new album Love and War is meant to send a powerful message about how we need to do a better job of taking care of America’s veterans.
“Once I came up with the idea for that song, I had it in mind to do that with John Fogerty who was the voice of, musically, the Vietnam Era in some ways,” Paisley told Fox News in an interview. “We think back to what we got wrong during Vietnam, which was that if you weren’t for the war somehow you weren’t for the troops either.”
“And now we’re getting it right, that we understand that whether or not we agree or with any sort of conflict, that we honor these troops but we’re not doing it in the greater scheme of things when it comes to healthcare and the VA and the things that we need to improve,” Paisley said.
“Love and War” certainly addresses the highly publicized issues facing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, like the waiting lists veterans are placed on before they are granted for medical care and the inadequate treatment they ultimately receive.
Paisley sings:
“He was nineteen in ’68
After all this time
That broken boy is now a broken man
Waitin’ in a VA line
They say all is fair in Love and War
But that ain’t true, it’s wrong
They ship you out to die for us
Forget about you when you don’t”
The three-time Grammy winner says “Love and War” is ultimately a “protest song and it’s protesting the mistreatment of these guys that are heroes that are the reason that we have all of these things that we have in this country.”
The song features vocals from singer John Fogerty.
“I mean, let’s do better on this subject. I’d love for this song to be obsolete eventually,” the singer said. “Unfortunately I think we’re a ways away from that.”
Read the full interview here.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson
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