Only Fox News could come up with a headline proclaiming to have an exclusive by publishing the lyrics of a pop song:

Neil Young: Exclusive 'Impeach the President' Lyrics

Why would anyone be surprised by Neil Young's three-minute hate against George Bush? For that matter, why would anyone care? Because it's the most explosive development on the music scene since the Rolling Stones' "Sweet Neo-Con"? Memo to Fox News: Young has spent his career writing song lyrics that provoke and annoy, with a singing voice to match. Even his best song, the fun "Rocking In The Free World", suffers from his typically banal protest lyrics. "Impeach The President" doesn't even have wit going for it.

Young's greatest contribution to rock and roll as a solo artist was "Southern Man", an insufferably whiny song that painted all white males below the Mason-Dixon Line as racists and lynchers. The song itself wasn't the contribution, but what it inspired -- the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd rocker "Sweet Home Alabama", with its delicious guitar hook and its direct slap back at the sanctimonious Young:

Well, I heard Mister Young sang about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
Southern men don't need him around anyhow

Maybe another band will pick up Young's challenge again.

UPDATE: I had not yet seen Chris Muir's excellent cartoon this morning when I posted this, but I reloaded the home page when I read Mike Wallster's comment.

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