GRAHAM NASH SAYS 1971 ANTI-WAR SONG STILL RELEVANT

Graham Nash says that singing anti-war songs that still ring true over 35 years after being written feels strange. Nash, who is on tour in Australia with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, told theage.com.au the bittersweet situation he's faced with: "Here's what's going on. It's a thrill as a writer to have people really love your music, especially after so long. But it's sad that I had as much passion singing 'Military Madness' at rehearsal this afternoon as I did 35 years ago when I wrote it, because it's happening today all around us and it's getting worse."

"Military Madness" was featured on Nash's debut solo album, 1971's Songs For Beginners.

He went on to say, "You must understand, we have always maintained that we are only two or three links, sometimes four links (counting Neil Young), in a music chain stretching back a thousand years of minstrels, going from town to town, telling everybody that the emperor has no clothes -- or that George Bush is screwed."

Nash thinks that his political consciousness was formed by being born during World War II in Manchester, England: "I have to think it was drilled into me during the end of World War II. England was bombarded... (but) if you can laugh, and still find something to feel good about after that... well, that's what was drilled into me as a kid."

Nash was asked how he feels about some fans staying away from the group's shows due to their overtly political messages and decidedly anti-Bush sentiment: "So? They don't get to see a great show. I think the majority of them are on our side of the fence. They love us being human beings. They love us being involved in life. They love us shouting off our mouth and providing another viewpoint. They love this band. Most people will be there by the hundreds of thousands. There are some people that might be put off by this music and choose not to go and that's entirely their right."



As always, comments are welcome.