TITLE: Freedom From The NRA
DATE: February 2013
LOCATION: Wanted S & P Studio … Toronto
MUSICIANS:
Percussion … Al Cross
Vocals … Bob Burrows
SONGWRITER: Bob Burrows
RECORDING PERSONNEL:
Recording Engineer: Scott Campbell
Mixing Engineer: Scott Campbell
Producer: Bob Burrows
NOTES:
I wrote this song in response to the response of the American Congress to Barrack Obama’s effort to create legislation to require background checks for prospective buyers at gun shows, that was supported by 85% of Americans yet was still defeated in the Senate because of lobbying by the NRA … after the massacre of twenty 5 and 6 year olds and six of their teachers at Sandy Hook P.S.
Unfortunately this horrendous event has been followed by a great many other similar massacres of all sorts of totally innocent human beings in the USA.
Because the song was written so long ago the lyric is somewhat dated at this time.
But the central theme of the song still has merit and validity in that the NRA still exercises enormous control over any debate or discussion of this topic in government because they fund campaigns for a great many politicians in that flawed country, who then vote as instructed on any efforts to improve the situation.
It seems to me that the only way to change this circumstance would be to circumvent the control that the NRA exercises over politicians they own by holding a national referendum to ask the American people directly what they want.
I believe that the results of such a plebiscite would be surprising and that the average American would support reasonable gun laws, but no one ever asks them.
Contrary to the myth many have of gun loving and gun toting Yankees, Americans likely want what we all want … safer streets for their kids and their families.
This recording was a duet between myself and our drummer Al Cross who did not play on a traditional drum kit but used found objects around the studio … like a cardboard box we discovered in the back … bass drum … and a toy tambourine!