對在日本沒有第四台可以看，又住在田裡收聽不到廣播的我而言，每年的葛萊美音樂獎是我吸取流行音樂趨勢的重要管道。
而今年2月第49屆葛萊美獎的最大贏家，是來自德州的鄉村樂團Dixie Chicks。這個團體「大爆冷門」的囊括年度專輯、年度唱片、年度歌曲、最佳鄉村合唱或團體、最佳鄉村專輯等重要獎項，引起相當大的爭議。
我認識這個樂團是因為電影【落跑新娘】裡輕快好聽的主題曲【Ready To Run】（
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeelPftQUEQ），說真的，有眼不識泰山的我，當初以為這只是剛出道的偶像樂團。到去年偶然聽到【You Were Mine】（
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFTVGP4lVZ0），我也還只是愣愣以為：「哇～她們長大了耶！」
事實上Dixie Chicks從98年推出首張專輯【Wide Open Space】後，即以不停改寫鄉村音樂史之姿連年征服美國鄉村及流行音樂排行榜，也是各大音樂獎的常勝軍，在美國屬於超重量級的天團。
不過因為主唱Natlie Maine在2003年的倫敦演唱會上公然批評了當年準備出兵伊拉克的小布希，引發向來保守勢力居眾的美國鄉村樂界一陣軒然大波，發起拒買活動，影響力甚鉅的電台也宣布禁播她們的歌曲，甚至有人開著堆土機壓碎她們的CD以表憤怒。不過Dixie Chicks的回應是不道歉不妥協，並拍了上面那張照片反擊，一貫強調言論自由。
而在葛萊美獎上大放異彩的【Taking The Long Way】專輯，就是她們在風波後推出的首張作品，其中獲得年度最佳歌曲的【Not Ready To Make Nice】更是充滿對事件的抗議，也因此讓她們的獲獎多少都染上了政治色彩，才會引發爭議。跟蔡依林打敗張惠妹拿到金曲獎最佳女歌手時的爭議，在意義上是不太一樣的。(呃...這說明似乎有點多餘？)
不管如何，【Not Ready To Make Nice】這首歌還真是蠻好聽的。
Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I’m not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I’m still waiting
I’m through, with doubt,
There’s nothing left for me to figure out,
I’ve paid a price, and I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice,
I’m not ready to back down,
I’m still mad as hell
And I don’t have time
To go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is
You think I should
I know you said
Why can’t you just get over it,
It turned my whole world around
and I kind of like it
I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don’t mind saying,
It’s a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I’m not ready to make nice,
I’m not ready to back down,
I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time
To go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is
You think I should
I’m not ready to make nice,
I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time
To go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is
You think I should
What it is you think I should...ooh...
Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I’m not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I’m still waiting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwc5YSAc-7g
另外推薦【TOP OF THE WORLD】
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrNkuQUhh3A
至於為什麼標題叫「南方小雞」？是因為Dixie Chicks的中文譯名有兩種，一個是台灣用的【狄克西】，另一個是對岸用的【南方小雞】。不知為什麼，「南方小雞」超對我的味，我是說認真的。這才富有鄉村音樂精神！
嗯…大家看我一直發文，就知道我論文真的寫得超不順…。
