July 11, 2018

"This was all the result of my psychiatrist, Willie Nelson, calling me at 3 O’clock in the morning as I was watching Matlock."

"He asked me what I was doing. And I said, 'Well, I’m watching Matlock.' And he said, 'Well, that is the surest sign of depression. Turn ‘em off, Kinky, turn Matlock off and start writing.' And this inspired me because Willie is older, and he took the time and the energy, as a lot of people don’t, to encourage somebody. And then these songs came very fast, most of ‘em based on a silent witness of some kind, written to a silent witness, a dog, or a missing cat, or a dead sweetheart. So I consider these my Matlock collection. And there’s some wisdom to what Willie said, too. We may all have a Matlock, but we may not realize what it is — but if we can turn it off, god knows what we can accomplish. I hadn’t written songs in forty years, and these sound like they were channeled in from Leonard Cohen, or early Kristofferson, or something like that. I think all of ‘em are tragic songs. Best writing I’ve ever done."

From "Kinky Friedman’s New Album “Circus of Life” Is Full of Surprises/The Texas songwriting legend says we ought to give Donald Trump a chance" (RealClear/Life).

What's the part about giving Trump a chance?

Looking back through history, I can only think of two figures that have been mocked more than Trump, and they are Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ. So I say, give him a chance. How about a reality president for a reality world? Of course, this doesn’t sit well with people in New York I’m working with on projects, but, y’know, I would just withhold judgment on Trump. And it looks to me like he’s getting things done, and some of ‘em are pretty good things. And the last guy was a f*ckin’ Forrest Gump.

Trump has already done one thing that the previous three Presidents looked in our eyes and told us they were gonna do — and they knew the whole time they were never gonna do – which is move that embassy. He did it. Every expert told him that would result in the apocalypse coming … he did that. And that’s a big thing to do. And he’s done other big things. Pulling out of the Iran deal took Pawn Shop-sized balls when everybody else was telling him what a horrible mistake that was. And … we’ll see. He may be the guy who does get Kim to come along with him, that very well might happen. I follow what Billy Joe Shaver says, which is, Remember that Jesus rode in on a jackass.

43 comments:

rhhardin said...

Obama was no Forrest Gump.

The movie was about good character, not stupidity.

rhhardin said...

I knew it was Kinky before I got to his name.

However, he over-hypes everything he does, so the new stuff probably stinks.

Financial blessings, he calls them.

SDaly said...

The Forrest Gump line was nice rhetoric. True, the more appropriate movie reference would be to "Being There", but that doesn't have the emotional punch (understanding, rhhardin, that you have no emotions). Also, you'd have to say either "Chauncey Gardner" or "Peter Sellers's character in Being There", and very few people would get the first, and the second is too awkward.

Lovernios said...

All we are saying
Is give Trump a chance...

Wince said...

Better yet: a ‘Trump is like Jesus and Lincoln’ tag!

rehajm said...

Pawn shop sized balls? Does he also have three of them?

gspencer said...

I`ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ZZ49iQDTQ

rehajm said...

Speaking of balls why do men continue to feel the need to disclose things like Of course, this doesn’t sit well with people in New York I’m working with on projects? We all know by now so disclosure can't be it. It sounds more like a hat tip to the political feelings of the douchebags.

Grow a pair.

rehajm said...

Or three..

Big Mike said...

All we are say-aying
Is give Trump a chance

Ann Althouse said...

Interesting to see Forrest Gump come up in that because there's a lot in the news lately about how Brett Kavanaugh is a Forrest Gump.

Ann Althouse said...

Grow a trio.

rhhardin said...

Imus has three testicles. It's not Guinness Records rare, but happens.

h said...

Change in carbon dioxide emissions between 2016 and 2017.

Trump’s America (Pruit's EPA) down 41.8 million tons
Rest of the world up 468.8 million tons

source: https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy/co2-emissions.html

Fernandinande said...

In this era of Trump my only Kinky Friedman song is a bunch of children singing "Kumbaya" while separated from their parents.

rhhardin said...
[Forrest Gump] was about good character, not stupidity.


Momma said it was a stupid movie about good luck.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Dr. Willie gave good advice.

I'm continually trying to get my teens to understand ~ this is against the dominant culture of their peers ~ that if they want to be happy and energized, they have to create things. Their version of Matlock is scrolling stupid Instagram stuff on their phones that they don't actually care about, but they're too lazy and bored to do anything else. (I'm more gentle when I talk to them about this btw.) When they stop mindlessly consuming pointless garbage and galvanize themselves to create things, they feel fantastic. This is true for everyone.

Bob Boyd said...

What's the worst thing a woman can hear after giving Willie Nelson a blow job?

I'm not Willie Nelson.

Etienne said...

Kinky is a Texas drunks best friend. He writes songs like "They ain't making Jews like Jesus anymore" and the Texans all whoop like they just slaughtered a pig for bacon.

rightguy said...

Kinky's "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore" has one of the best song titles ever.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

SDaly said... [hush]​[hide comment]
The Forrest Gump line was nice rhetoric. True, the more appropriate movie reference would be to "Being There", but that doesn't have the emotional punch (understanding, rhhardin, that you have no emotions). Also, you'd have to say either "Chauncey Gardner" or "Peter Sellers's character in Being There", and very few people would get the first, and the second is too awkward.

Do not equate Obama to either of those characters. Forrest Gump and Chauncey Gardner are well meaning innocents. Obama was never an innocent.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

When you have the balls to call your band The Texas Jew Boys then you can speak your mind like Kinky does. I'm gonna hunt these down later.

Limited blogger said...

Kinky's appearances on the Imus show were often great, sometimes tedious, always awkward.

Big Mike said...

Forrest Gump and Chauncey Gardner are well meaning innocents. Obama was never an innocent.

Nor was he ever well-meaning.

Bill Peschel said...

I recommend reading Kinky's series of mystery novels, featuring himself as a detective. Start with "A Case of Lone Star" and go from there. Funny, heartfelt, Kinkyesque mysteries.

traditionalguy said...

Trump has had his chance. And all he has produced is stable genius leadership in all areas while exposing the Media Industrial Complex for the totally corrupt fakes they have become .

But what has he done for us lately?

Comanche Voter said...

Ah the Kinkster nailed two thirds of the populace when he wrote the line (in his song Wild Man of Borneo) ". . . they come to see what they want to see, but they never come to know"

Well that describes all of the Democrats and maybe a quarter of the Republicans. That ought to get to 66% of the total population.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If he mouthed Hillary is a "bitch", it's over. That's illegal.

Bad Lieutenant said...


rhhardin said...
Imus has three testicles. It's not Guinness Records rare, but happens.

7/11/18, 7:58 AM

Imus SAYS he has tres huevos. Have you SEEN them?

cubanbob said...

Etienne said...
Kinky is a Texas drunks best friend. He writes songs like "They ain't making Jews like Jesus anymore" and the Texans all whoop like they just slaughtered a pig for bacon."

Don't forget the classic " Asshole from El Paso".

Yancey Ward said...

Friedman's music truly sucks the third ball, but I have always admired his style. Really, how can you hate a guy willing call his backing band The Texas Jewboys.

RichardJohnson said...

Kinky also had good relations with George W. Bush. I believe it had something to do with rescue dogs.

The Kinkster steps on too many toes to fit in with the progs. Kinky loves to offend; progs love to be offended. Though Kinky did say he was in favor of gay marriage: "I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us."

I voted for Kinky when he ran for governor.

"They ain't making Jews Like Jesus Any More" reminds me of Susie Rosen's Nose.

mezzrow said...

"...it's been a financial pleasure being here tonight." - Kinky Friedman, on tour

God bless Kinky. Sooie generous, that one.

dreams said...

"Obama was no Forrest Gump.

The movie was about good character, not stupidity."

Yeah, it seemed to me that for a challenged person, Forrest Gump made good decisions. I defy anyone to name a good decision Obama made regarding our country.

Jay Vogt said...

I like Kinky Friedman just fine. I think he had a show on Outlaw Country on Sirius XM when i had that.

He's fun to listen to, has some interesting insights and seems to have a big heart. But I can only listen for so long, because he's one of those guys that can't help but go out of his way to remind you how irreverent he is.

I'll give his new stuff a listen.

Henry said...

...Unlike Forrest Gump, Judge Kavanaugh is regarded on all sides as one of the most brilliant jurists of his generation.

LOL. How can professed journalists write like this? This is Monty Python material.

Interesting that one of Kavanaugh's Gump moments was co-writing the Starr report.

Given the questions that are probably headed [Kavanaugh's] way, though, we thought it worth parsing and annotating exactly what the Starr Report says.... And a quick disclaimer for anyone who has forgotten the late 1990s: This includes some graphic sexual references.

Sorry, but this is not going to rally the base now.

I would bet that Kethledge is a better ping pong player than Kavanaugh.

Lance said...

I defy anyone to name a good decision Obama made regarding our country.

Privatization of space launches.

But yeah, other than that, not much.

rhhardin said...

Something's Wrong with the Beaver was Kinky's best song.

rhhardin said...

Kinky can't hit the notes anymore.

Big Mike said...

@Dickin’Bimbos, that’s assuming you believe David Brock. I wouldn’t believe David Brock if said water is wet.

robother said...

Jews like Jesus? Hell, they ain't even making Jews like Kinky any more.

tim in vermont said...

Pawn shop sized balls? Does he also have three of them?

Yeah, he's got Hitler's too.

themightypuck said...

When I saw Matlock, I was disappointed this wasn't about Norm Macdonald who knows that the invocation of Matlock is inherently funny.