Sometimes I get hate mail. They are upset I have an opinion that is different than theirs and I must to pay by reading hysterical curses and bad spelling. A volunteer at a Folk Festival once told me I might get beat up for the name I chose for my band that time. I was then inventing different names for my backing band at each gig. That night we were billed as Bob Wiseman and the Bryan Adam Retirement Fund. I’ve enjoyed many songs that stemmed from being upset, even suggest it to students, who say they can’t write. I say what upsets you? It’s easy to write about what gets you emotional, easy as a threatening comment on Youtube. I can understand being upset about the roof leaking or termites but why should non-physical ideas require a physical threat? Do various opinions about the theory of communism or global warming or Rupals’ best episode, merit going apeshit and a physical attack? They want the other to experience pain as if hurting someone’s body resolves the cacophony in their imagination, so much hostility between us human beings, so useful to put it in art rather than fisticuffs. Dylan’s Positively 4th Street, Gil Scott-Heron’s Whitey On The Moon, Nina Simone’s Mississippi Goddamn and Ceelo Green or Harry Nilsson’s Fuck You. All awesome and utilizing anger as key ingredient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"