In Honor of Flag Day “Don’t Burn That Flag, Don’t Make Me Kick Your Butt” [AUDIO]

It's Flag Day 2011.

In recent years on Flag Day, it's become somewhat of a tradition on KFYO's morning program, Lubbock's First News,  to play a song about the flag that I wrote way back in 1989.  Here's the story behind the song.

In the summer of 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that flag-burning is protected free speech. As I recall, the case was the result of a flag-burning incident at the Republican convention in Dallas in 1984. In response, I wrote and recorded a song called "Don't Burn That Flag, Don't Make Me Kick Your Butt."  The title accurately described, then and now, my reaction to flag-burners. At first, I recorded the song using the alias Jim Bob, because at first, I wasn't sure it would be well-received.

At the time I lived in Abilene, but the song was recorded here in Lubbock, at Don Caldwell's Studio. I mailed copies of the song to dozens of radio stations across the country, and eventually the song ended up on a national radio program, the Dr. Demento Show, which featured weird, unusual and humorous songs. Eventually, the song made it to Demento's  Top 5, along with songs by Weird Al Yankovic and others.

The best part of the my 15 minutes of music fame was two live performances of the song -- as an opening act for a George Jones concert in Abilene, and performing the song at before a veterans group at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene.

Regarding the Supreme Court decision, I think it's classic example of the Supreme Court misinterpreting the Constitution. The First Amendment specifically protects two forms of communication -- speech and the press. If the authors of the Constitution intended to include every possible form of expression, the authors would have simply written "freedom of expression," or "freedom of communication."

Getting back to the music,  the song is part of this blog. Enjoy!