“When I think of politics or what politics has become, it’s so far from anything you can actually do in terms of songs. For me, if I bring up an issue that could be seen as political, I’m bringing it up for the reason that I see some kind of human element in there – that’s what makes the story interesting for me,” clarifies Fisher from British Columbia. “I’ve never thought that music in itself could change policy or it could really sway people – really, you’re preaching to the choir when you’re writing a song that has a political bent.
“But, if you go after the human element of it – like [the song] “Lay Down (Ballad of Roberto Alpizar.” It doesn’t really take a side, it just says that maybe this passed, and there should’ve been some more discussion,” he continues when speaking of the song that tells the tale of a man who was murdered by an air marshal in a Miami Airport. “Maybe it wasn’t about right or wrong, maybe it’s about the greater picture – maybe it’s about democracy and human lives and how we treat people with mental disabilities. There’s a million different ways you could go, so I think the important thing is to tell the story and try to open up a different perspective. I don’t think songs as political statements really work.”
From a news article:
“When I think of politics or what politics has become, it’s so far from anything you can actually do in terms of songs. For me, if I bring up an issue that could be seen as political, I’m bringing it up for the reason that I see some kind of human element in there – that’s what makes the story interesting for me,” clarifies Fisher from British Columbia. “I’ve never thought that music in itself could change policy or it could really sway people – really, you’re preaching to the choir when you’re writing a song that has a political bent.
“But, if you go after the human element of it – like [the song] “Lay Down (Ballad of Roberto Alpizar.” It doesn’t really take a side, it just says that maybe this passed, and there should’ve been some more discussion,” he continues when speaking of the song that tells the tale of a man who was murdered by an air marshal in a Miami Airport. “Maybe it wasn’t about right or wrong, maybe it’s about the greater picture – maybe it’s about democracy and human lives and how we treat people with mental disabilities. There’s a million different ways you could go, so I think the important thing is to tell the story and try to open up a different perspective. I don’t think songs as political statements really work.”
http://www.pulseniagara.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3924