Iris Dement gets it on with John Prine video

Singer Iris DeMent refuses to perform in protest against Iraq war

26 March 2003

US country music singer and songwriter Iris DeMent

announced to an audience in Madison, Wisconsin March 21

that she would not be performing while the US was pursuing

its war against Iraq. DeMent, who has recorded both fiercely

personal and socially critical songs, told the surprised crowd

of 600 at the Barrymore Theater that she had been agonizing

over the decision for hours in her dressing room. Her opening

act had already performed.

DeMent explained, "It would be trivializing the fact that my

tax dollars are causing great suffering, and sending a

message to the world that might is right."

Many in the theater stood and cheered her decision,

although some had traveled considerable distances to attend

the performance. Some audience members also refused to

take their money back, in a show of support for her stance.

A contributor to DeMent's web site discussion group explained

in greater detail the events of the evening:

"Iris came out to the center stage microphone and stood very

still while the crowd applauded loudly for her. When it quieted

down, she began to speak. Her voice was soft, yet audible,

as she began to talk in a somewhat shaky, but very sincere

voice. She confessed that she had been sitting in her dressing

room for hours, trying to make a difficult decision. In the end,

she said, she could only do ‘what is in my heart.' She informed

the audience that, because of the pain, destruction, brutality,

and suffering going on in our world today ... she was not able

to sing.

"Her voice became a little teary, as she went on to say that

she would feel like a hypocrite, singing as if everything was

right with the world. ... [She] immediately continued as she

had begun-trying to explain to the audience how she felt

about this war, and how the bombing attacks on Iraq, had

deeply affected her. The crowd grew very quiet, and she

went on to say that the tickets would all be refunded, and

that if anyone had any trouble at all getting their money back,

they should contact her directly through her web site. She

thanked everyone for coming, said ‘Goodnight,' and walked

off the stage. At this point, some audience members, myself

included, stood up and applauded."

The response of contributors to DeMent's web site was

overwhelmingly supportive, many of the emails coming from

individuals who had been present in Madison. "Your decision

to cancel the Madison concert was understood and respected

by our community," commented one. "Thank you for your

strength and your moral stance-we will keep listening!" said

another. "We applaud the courage of your convictions in not

performing," wrote a third.

A contributor from Wisconsin observed, "I was in attendance

at your Madison concert on March 21, 2003. I just wanted to

say, in case you might be dealing with any backlash for your

move to cancel, that there are many of us who appreciated

what you did out of respect for the trouble overseas and at

home. It was one of the most powerful political statements

I've ever witnessed, and you have definitely won my respect."

A few message writers expressed support for DeMent's

position on the war, but opposed her decision not to sing.

Once a wire service story on the incident reached the

national press, a few right-wing commentaries appeared.

One contributor to the discussion group, describing himself

as a "US Serviceman," commented, "You should be so

thankful to the soldiers, seamen, airmen, and marines that

are out there protecting your whiny, bleeding-heart liberal,

uninformed life! You are a disgrace to the US and you

should just leave. I'll be glad to buy you a one-way ticket to

Iraq for you if you need it."

He was answered by another contributor, who wrote, "Mr.

Serviceman, I am a veteran who spent over 2 years stationed

in Germany, and this campaign Bush JR has started on is

dead wrong.... Did you know that 10,000 Gulf War ONE

veterans have died since their return home, our government

for the longest time refused to acknowledge there was even

a Gulf War Syndrome, and that the Veteran's Administration

continues to keep getting money cut from them year after

year. Funny how we support our troops isn't it???"

On her 1996 CD, The Way I Should, DeMent included a

song, "Wasteland of the Free," that was sharply critical of

the social agenda being pursued by the political

establishment in the US. It condemned Christian evangelist

hypocrisy and corruption, the chasm between rich and poor

and the law and order mania that was resulting in the

incarceration of masses of young people. Referring to the

first Gulf war, DeMent sang, "We kill for oil then we throw

a party when we win / Some guy refuses to fight and we

call that a sin." It concludes: "While we sit gloating in our

greatness / Justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea /

And it feels like I'm living in the wasteland of the free."

DeMent came under fire from right-wing elements at that

time.

Iris DeMent was born in rural Arkansas, near Paragould, in

1961, the youngest of 14 children. After efforts by her father

and others to unionize a local factory failed, the family moved

to California. After high school she moved to Kansas City

and later to Nashville. DeMent released her first CD,

Infamous Angel, in 1992 and her second, My Life, in

1994.

She told the WSWS's Richard Phillips in 1998: "The more I

hear and learn about the world and all the injustice that

goes on-the poverty, the terrible things that happen-it makes

me realize that maybe I should begin writing more and more

about these subjects. This has got to be done so that more

people understand what we are really facing.

"The poor are treated like enemies and it's getting now that

you are almost considered a nut case if you speak out for

ordinary people. This is something that I worry about a lot."

See Also:

Iris DeMent: Songwriter steeped in the heritage of American country and traditional music

[18 April 1998]

"The poor are treated like enemies": An interview with Iris DeMent

[18 April 1998]

Iris DeMent song provokes intense debate

[12 March 1999]

[7 August 2002]