Not Ready To Make Nice...Do you know what this song is really about?

Sorry, but that is not what the song is about. It's all about the hate mail and crap the Dixie Chicks took after the statement they made about George W. Bush at a concert in London a few years back. They received a number of letters telling them to "shut up and sing" or they would be killed. You should check out their DVD called "Shut Up And Sing"...it's a documentary all about this subject.

That's a nice thought, but it couldn't be further from the truth. That song is about the reactions people had to Natalie's comments against the President.

Taking the Long Way was the first studio album released by the Dixie Chicks after controversy erupted over them in 2003 following a critical comment vocalist Natalie Maines made of the American President George W. Bush while singing in a concert in London, United Kingdom. The controversy and the band reaction to it is the major theme of some of the songs in the album, including "Not Ready to Make Nice."

The song, which was written by all of the three band members along with Dan Wilson, is a statement of how they feel over the controversy, the banning of their songs from country radio stations, and freedom of speech.

The band went on to the October 25 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote their album and the music video of the song was quickly shown. Host Winfrey shared sympathy with the band by commenting that before the invasion of Iraq she did an episode titled Is war the answer? and received hate mail as the result of that. While interviewing the band, Winfrey said the song is so well-written that you can not even tell it is about the controversy. Natalie said that she and the other writers wanted the song to have a universal interpretation. However, the final lines of the fourth verse, are about the death threats the band received during the 2003 Top of the World Tour:

"And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over."

Some other lines in the beginning of this same verse are about a scene featured in the documentary Shut Up and Sing (2006), in which a mother, who was protesting the Dixie Chicks at one of their concerts, is goading her young son to say "screw 'em!":

"It's a sad sad story
When a mother will teach her daughter
That she ought'a hate a perfect stranger."

In the song, "daughter" was used instead of "son" as a matter of poetic license.

I have seen the video and Know exactly what you are talking about. Maybe just those of us that have been abused, understand it or can relate to what they are really saying.

The Priest...And those comments about the death threats. That is what victims get when they speak out about the abuse. "Just Shut Up and go on, like it did't happen"

One day who ever is expressing what they have been through will speak up. Theya re just getting more sells right now, because they think it is about the Bush ordeal.

Pam

Regardless of the reasons for the Dixie Chics originally writing this song, I think it is great if others can heal from listening to it!

I don't think so- Its a nice thought- but its all about the Dixies themselves- Mostly Natalie- She made some comments about President Bush-- and then all the Drama with Toby Keith- People boycotted them-- Radio stations boycotted them- People took cd's in the streets and stomped on them- Freedom of speech? Sure-- but tact and class when you're a celebrtiy would be helpful.
Listen again to the song-- It screams the whole incident-

I have never heard that about this song, and I must agree with all of the others that it is not in fact what it is about. I was always drawn to the song because of the events that led to it. Still, the refrain of the song can be interpreted many different ways, including the pain after a failed love affair. I'm glad to know that it can be helpful on so many levels, because that makes the song even more meaningful to me.

Hi, Lavender, I totally see where you would get that. It is okay if the song speaks to you in that way. I see what you mean by the video I was a bit confused by the video even though I was well aware what the song was about! I couldnt' wait to hear that song. I didn't know what their first song would be after all that happened to them but I knew they would have to write about it. So when I heard there first song was going to play that day on the tv I waited. When I finally heard it I eroded with a standing ovation and felt so proud of them. But I have to admit that after i watched it a few times I thought if someone doesn't know what this song is about they could thing it was about abuse or something. Doesn't matter I am sure they would want people to get there own message from the words anyway and would think it is great that it speaks to you in that way.

Songs can be about anything we believe them to be. When you hear this song that mayb be what it means to you, but to others it means something else. That is one thing that is so awesome about music and writing. It may mean one thing to the person who originally wrote it, something different to the person who sings it, and something else to each person who listens to it.

It is an amazing and powerful thing.

Its not about child sexual abuse. Its about Natalie's struggle after she said something about being ashamed that the US president is from Texas. She received so many death threats after that.