Rolling Stones: "Sweet Neo Con" causes uproar

Released today in the USA the Rolling Stones new CD "A Bigger Bang"

One track has caught the attention of the media and here are some of the lyrics

Sweet Neo Con

You ride around your white castle,
On your little white horse
You lie to your people,
and blame it on your war of course

You call yourself a Christian,
I call you a hypocrite
You call yourself a patriot,
well I think you’re full of shit

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?

You parade around in costume,
Expecting to be believed
But as the body bags stack up,
We believe we’ve been deceived

The horror you’ve unleashed,
Will backfire with more grief
When will you ever learn,
Sweet Neo Con, as the world burns?

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time to drop the bomb?

How come you’re so wrong?
My sweet neo-con,
where’s the money gone,
in the Pentagon.

It’s liberty for all,
democracy’s our style,
unless you are against us,
then it’s prison without trial.

Here is how one critic describes the track:
"The biggest surprise. We thought Mick was an old Thatcherite. But here he sticks it to Bush and co right between the eyes. ''You say you are a Christian , I think you are a hypocrite,'' he spits in the opening line to a tune a little like Dylan's "Masters Of War", while the chorus sneers, ''How come you're so wrong, my sweet neo-con.'' A Virgin spokeswoman in the US has already put out a panicky statement denying it's about Bush or anyone on the White House (can't risk upsetting Clear Channel, can we?). But if you believe that, you'll believe anything."

---------------------------

"I've got strong opinions,'' Jagger said. "I'm obviously very interested in the way that we conduct foreign policy in the West. It's one of my interests, if not passions. So obviously I have opinions about it.''

"There's been other social comment before from the Rolling Stones,'' Jagger said. "This one's a bit more direct. Perhaps it's the times we're living in. I was being more direct than metaphorical.

"I think right-wing commentators get fed up with pop singers getting involved with anything but pop singing. But artists have responsibilities too. Everyone has responsibilities. As long as you don't bang on about it every day - because people get pretty bored with that - I think comments from artists, whether they are painters or any kind of creative people, is part of what you do.''

Apart from "Sweet Neo Con'' there's another pointed anti-Iraq War jab on "A Bigger Bang.'' In "Dangerous Beauty,'' the Stones deal the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal with some very dark humor.

"Who you got there in that hood
You look so fancy in those photographs
With your rubber gloves on
But you're a favorite of the Chiefs of Staff . . .''

---------------------------