The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that's all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they are flown in the next war
-Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend is angry with Michael Moore for being a bit of a bad sport since Townshend refused to allow Moore to use "Won't Get Fooled Again" in his "Fahrenheit 9/11" film. I can't help but think, after reading all about the situation, that Pete Townshend is a rather confused soul. He was supportive of the war on Iraq at its beginning and now he states he's not so sure anymore. He says "Won't Get Fooled Again" is not an "unconditionally anti-war song" and he was "90% sure" the song was not right for the film.(I'm 99.99% convinced he was wrong).
I guess it must be true that it's not an unconditionally anti-war tune, since the song's writer is telling us that himself. (Besides, I know that the hypnotized never lie). I've got to tell you, that song was the song I recall best when I was coming of age. It became my personal anthem. Honestly, it's one of my favorite songs of all time. I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard it...coming through on a transistor radio while I was sitting on the front steps of my grandparents' tenement building. It hit me like a bolt of adolescent lightning. Mr. Townshend quickly made it into my top ten list of the greatest rock stars- ever.
If this marvelously blood-boiling song didn't demonstrate how we are herded from war to war and forever shall be herded, then I guess maybe I never understood the song at all.
Was I the one who was confused?
Or has Mr. Townshend become the new confused? How could he ever have supported the war in Iraq? Why can't he feel free to say Blair hooking up with Bush on Iraq was the worst thing that has happened to the UK in centuries?
I used to see Mr. Townshend smash a lot of guitars. Perhaps the lure of kiddie porn assuaged the rock-n-roll anger and helped him forget a sometimes-ugly world where the powerful reign and the powerless have no voice. (I know, I know..he only used his credit card to "see what was on" the kiddie-porn site.)
I'm really disappointed to hear Mr. Townshend speak today. And he's so very angry with Mr. Moore. Why?
I never thought, after hearing the song that changed my life, that he would "meet the new boss" with such muddled resign. Perhaps he should closely listen to the words he wrote so long ago.
The opening day box office receipts for "Fahrenheit 9/11" broke the British record for a documentary, according to the Daily Telegraph of London.
Never..and I mean never in my life did I expect to come to the realization that a dumpy fellow with a baseball hat and a camera would come along to change the world more effectively than the tremendously talented rock star with the inspiring lyrics and the guitar he would promise to smash in order to punctuate his point.
"This is certainly no way for Pete to show his anger, and frankly it is very embarrassing for him to behave in this manner, as he is the greatest rock star who ever lived."
— filmmaker Michael Moore