Eric Clapton Sparks Backlash for New Anti-Lockdown Song With Van Morrison

[babylonsister]

Eric Clapton Sparks Backlash for New Anti-Lockdown Song With Van Morrison
The two musicians are frustrated with the loss of live music, but Twitter is frustrated with their history of racism and disregard of the danger of COVID-19
Jeremy Fuster | November 27, 2020 @ 10:45 AM Last Updated: November 27, 2020 @ 10:54 AM


In his ongoing musical protest against the closures forced by COVID-19, Van Morrison has employed the help of Eric Clapton with a new song aimed to raise funds to support musicians that are struggling financially because of the pandemic. But the song has prompted a backlash against the classic rock stars for their history of right-wing and sometimes racist comments.

Morrison’s new collaboration with Clapton, titled “Stand and Deliver,” is the fourth anti-lockdown song the star has released since the start of the pandemic, joining songs with more blunt titles like “Born to Be Free,” “As I Walked Out” and “No More Lockdown,” which the artist says he created to protest closures ordered by the British government.

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But news of the song was met with backlash on Twitter, with people accusing Clapton and Morrison of disregarding the deaths inflicted by the virus on poorer communities. Jeffrey St. Clair, editor for left-wing news and commentary site CounterPunch, said that news of the song “Confirms everything I’ve ever thought about Clapton, a musician who has spent his entire career appropriating black music and now records his first ‘protest’ song against meager restrictions to slow a disease that is ravaging black communities.”

“What the f–k is wrong with these rich assholes?” asked The Mountain Goats, the band behind the pandemic anthem “This Year.” “I ask this as a Van Morrison fan.”

more...

https://www.thewrap.com/eric-clapton-sparks-backlash-for-new-anti-lockdown-song-with-van-morrison/

[hlthe2b]

1. Damn, Clapton...

and both, monied or not, are certainly at much higher risk of complications.

[Rebl2]

44. Well

Maybe he will get it. Then he’ll be singing a different tune

[TheBlackAdder]

80. He might have to change his name to Wheezer. (Oh, that's already taken.)

[DownriverDem]

45. Disgusting

So sick and tired of selfish folks no matter who they are. The deniers really piss me off. I've been unfriended because I have said that go ahead and get Covid and perhaps die. We just don't care. Folks yelled saying you have to care. My reply was they don't care why should I?

[CentralMass]

2. Well that is unfortunate.

[luv2fly]

3. In the category of things I wish I didnt know

First Van and now Clapton... ugh.

[Ferrets are Cool]

31. Me too

[Blues Heron]

4. Some people need to keep their yaps shut and concentrate on their guitar

these two yobbos fit that bill.

[MyOwnPeace]

40. Er...........

Does anybody remember how upset some people got when Trump and FAUX SPEWS told Colin Kaepernick to just shut up and play gui....er, football?

Just askin'......

[Blues Heron]

42. cool story bro

[Roy Rolling]

56. Whataboutism

Nobody’s saying that, they’re are saying STFU Eric and Van, I don’t care if you ever play again. You’re dead to me”.

Quite different than your analogy.

[MyOwnPeace]

58. Actually, it is the PERFECT analogy..........

it is simply about the first amendment. They should be aloud to play, whether it is football OR music.

You don't have to watch - or listen.....

[Yeehah]

60. No, it's not

It's also about right or wrong.

[muriel_volestrangler]

63. No; there is no one trying to stop them playing music. Your analogy fails.

Kaepernick was prevented from playing.

Morrison and Clapton are complaining about public health measures; load of people are complaining about their bullshit. See the difference?

No, of course this is not "about the first amendment". There is no US government drive to stop Morrison or Clapton from saying this (while Trump wanted Kaepernick silenced, he didn't actually use government power to try and do so, so no one invoked the 1st amendment then either). There isn't a UK government drive either, for that matter, even though we don't have a 1st amendment. Private people are telling the idiots (eg Morrison calling the public health measures "fascist" ) to Shut The Fuck Up, with their dangerous bullshit.

indeed. Maybe you should think about the situation, what the first amendment is, and what happened with Kaepernick, before declaring your own analogy "PERFECT". What did you think it was, a phone call to Ukraine?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

78. Ha!

What did you think it was, a phone call to Ukraine?

[Yeehah]

59. People standing up for civil rights and free speech

are not the same as people opposing public health measures.

Your logic, reasoning and smilies FAIL.

[treestar]

65. And the Dixie Chicks

though they gave an opinion about Bush.

Denying science is another matter.

[kcr]

84. Oh, yeah. Totally the same.

[BannonsLiver]

89. Remind me again

Was his kneeling a public health risk?

[Towlie]

52. Actors, directors, musicians, sport stars, comedians, famous people lacking relevant credentials...

 
?

[argyl]

5. If he's got this free time from not touring maybe he could learn a few new licks.

Something he hasn't bothered with in 40+ years.

[Owl]

20. I find Clapton's playing boring and uninspired.

[BigOleDummy]

47. As

As do I. Actually I haven't really liked much of his stuff since Blind Faith. Ok..... Layla was a great album but otherwise? I've ALWAYS thought he was overrated as a guitarist.

[Ligyron]

86. Dwayne Alman saved that album.

Clapton was stumbling around Ft Lauderdale drunk on his ass back then.

[Alacritous Crier]

50. I always have.

[treestar]

66. Has plenty of money too, it's not really going to hurt him

He could retire and could have for years.

If he is doing it for younger musicians, that's not as bad, but he's still wrong about the Covid measures. We can help those people, and he can, but it should not be by letting the disease go wild.

[robleb]

6. Freedom of speech and expression...

are wonderful rights. But so is the freedom not to buy music or not go to concerts.

[bluedye33139]

7. The white supremacist stuff was horrific

I'm surprised people love him so much, but I suspect that people who love him don't really care that he wants black people to be removed from any space he moves through.

[lunasun]

49. ++ they both have had longtime history that doesn't affect their mostly White fan base so no

concerns vs concerts
but oops !Covid might hit their crowd
Think about who might join them in protest -the kind of people listening to these old rockers will be likely be much older too , which puts them at risk

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

8. Damn. I knew Clapton was an asshole,

but didn't know a out Morrison. Well, if they both get a bad case of COVID, maybe they will STFU.

[Mike 03]

10. Clapton really comes off as a pretentious, self-worshipping asshole in

one chapter of Carol Ann Harris's memoir, Storms, about Fleetwood Mac in the 70s and 80s.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

13. Same with Pattie Boyd's book, Wonderful Tonight. And this was a book by

somepne who loved him. She didn't intend to make him look bad, but it came through to me.

Same with what I read in a biography of Clapton, possibly Slowhand by Phillip Norman, or it might even have been Clapton's autobiography,. It's been a while since I read any of them, but my distinct impression of him was just as you say. Also, in addition to him being a self-aggrandizing jerk, he comes across as a super needy & possessive/jealous type, with a very fragile ego.

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. From my personal experience with addicts

even if they have been sober for years, they are incredibly self centered. The world revolves around them and their needs. Show me an addict, I'll show you a narcissist.

[dsc]

41. wow trying to imagine a post that attacked any other people who suffered from an illness

in this way not being thought of as the utter bigotry that it is. For the record 20 years sober and I don't think the world revolves around me.

[TexasBushwhacker]

57. Congratulations on your sobriety

As I said "from my personal experience". My brother, father, grandparents and friends that are or were addicts/ex-addicts never dealt with the issues that made them reach for their substance of choice in the first place. One of those issues is self-centeredness. AA calls them dry drunks. Did you use a 12 step program or something else to get sober? Perhaps the key to your success.

[Mike 03]

9. And nice of them to repurpose the title of a much beloved movie

while they are at it.

[Shermann]

11. I'm seeing a few problems with the reporting on this

I accept that Morrison is against lockdowns, as evidenced by his song "No More Lockdown". I accept that Clapton supports at least some of what Morrison is doing. However, there is clearly an effort here to support live musicians in other ways as well. But the media is reporting that the duet "Stand and Deliver" is an anti-lockdown song. I believe this is an overreach.

Clapton's statement is as follows:

“We must stand up and be counted because we need to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music might never recover.”

He also called the dearth of live events due to lockdown restrictions “deeply upsetting.” Which it is.

However, I don't believe "anti-lockdown" is the best characterization of that vague statement by Clapton.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Agreed!

I think it's quite possible the Clapton was only contributing to struggling musicians.
The anti-government nonsense espoused by Morrison might be tangential to what Clapton was attempting to do.

[catbyte]

51. Clapton has said some despicable things. I remember a tirade at a concert around 1976.

When he got backlash about it and his support of skinheads in the UK, he blamed it on his alcoholism. Booze doesn't turn you into a racist; it only loosens your tongue to spew what you really think. I remember my late husband being seriously bummed out about it in the mid-1980s. I've never forgotten it. Here's an actual quote from one of his concerts at the time:



https://www.newsweek.com/clapton-morrison-lockdown-single-1550863

[Martin Eden]

55. Amazed and appalled Clapton said that, drunk or not

Given his immersion in the blues, acquaintance with so many black artists, and world tours, holding onto such racism is truly despicable.

Perhaps Mr. Clapton has evolved since 1976. I can't criticize his latest endeavor to help musicians impacted by pandemic shutdowns, unless it's also a push for irresponsible super spreader events.

[Crunchy Frog]

68. Jeezus. How did I not know about that? It's hard to enjoy anything anymore.

Why are so many cultural icons such assholes?

[ProfessorGAC]

70. And?

What does that have to do with this topic?
This is really silly.
Two posters trying to prove I should hate Clapton over this event, with no evidence there was any malice.
I'm not even defending it. Yet, I'm being read chapter & verse about other bad stuff, not connected to my post.
But, I'm not going to condemn without knowing there was a dark motive.
The simplest motive of helping struggling musicians is not an impossibility.
I'm done. I don't even find this story important.

[JonLP24]

75. I think it would help struggling musicians if we got the pandemic under control

I don't think the anti-lockdown people understand the economic risks they are talking about will happen the longer this pandemic goes on.

This pandemic completely ruined the Pac 12 season they should have never started the season. Athletes at this stage need to develop & gain experience and Trump's mishandling ruined a lot of people's year.

[Blue_true]

71. And people kept going to his concerts and buying his music after that? Wow. nt

[Rice4VP]

81. 1976, really? I wasn't even born then

I know him from the early 90s and his song with Babyface, the song about his son that died.

[muriel_volestrangler]

67. Van Morrison is not the only effort in the world to keep live music afloat

but Clapton has specifically chosen to work with him about it, and said "There are many of us who support Van and his endeavours to save live music, he is an inspiration."

So no, I don't think we can dismiss this as "tangential".

[ProfessorGAC]

69. I Think It Meets The Definition

It could be all about live music & the people who depend on performing it.
Since Morrison has other agenda items that are the root of his protest, someone supporting that one element is tangential to the political aspect.
If you have the certitude to presume that Clapton is all in on the rest of Morrison's agenda, be my guest.
But, there's nothing in any of the articles about that confirming this goes beyond helping struggling musicians.
I don't do condemnation hunts.

[USALiberal]

22. He is worried about his bottom line, nothing else. nt

[lunasun]

54. 💰💰💰+ also wants fans once again cheering him on live is wanted I suppose unless he is cashed out

Then probably nothing else
Oops it’s early but damn I just sounded like I was talking about
Trump
😳

[Ferrets are Cool]

32. While he has long since apologized for this, it is still a part of his past.

Clapton declared that Britain must stop itself from becoming a “black colony,” and said “England is for white people, man.”

“I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country,” Clapton declared. “Listen to me, man! I think we should vote for Enoch Powell. Enoch’s our man. I think Enoch’s right, I think we should send them all back. Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out. Get the wogs out. Get the coons out. Keep Britain white. I used to be into dope, now I’m into racism. It’s much heavier, man. Fucking wogs, man. Fucking Saudis taking over London. Bastard wogs. Britain is becoming overcrowded and Enoch will stop it and send them all back. The black wogs and coons and Arabs and fucking Jamaicans and fucking… don’t belong here, we don’t want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any black wogs and coons living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man. We are a white country. I don’t want fucking wogs living next to me with their standards. This is Great Britain, a white country. What is happening to us, for fuck’s sake?”

People can change. I sincerely hope he has.

[Turin_C3PO]

34. Jesus,

somehow I had missed that quote and I’m a Clapton fan (or was). That’s flat out open, raw bigotry there. I’m glad he apologized and I hope that hate isn’t still in his heart but now I view him through a totally different lens. Very disappointing.

[Ferrets are Cool]

36. Yeah, that's some pretty raw shit.

[TexasBushwhacker]

39. And pretty surprising considering his career

has been playing blues based rock. Would Clapton be a guitar god he hadn't been influenced by Robert Johnson and other black musicians?

[SharonClark]

48. Long quote but where's the source?

[Blue_true]

72. Someone posted a Newsweek link above.

According to that, the words were spoken at a 1976 concert of his.

[Patterson]

76. Of course, live music will recover.

[theaocp]

12. If you have to ask what is wrong with rich assholes...

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

14. They've never been the brightest candles on the altars of equality,

social consciousness, and outside the box thinking.

Their lyrics are general self-absorbed 1950's schlock, with more blatant sexual content permitted.

Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Foo Fighters, Albert Einstein, etc...they just ain't.

And that would be ok, if their stunted Trump like consciousnesses, combined with their celebrity, didn't cause them to write songs with the intent of encouraging other idiots like themselves to go out and kill innocent people.

Rebels without a clue are always dangerous to innocent people.

[Loki Liesmith]

15. More Twitter call out culture nonsense.

“History of Racism” lol ok.

Do we have to police every bad opinion out there?

[marble falls]

26. So what's your take on Ted Nugent? It's not right or wrong, it's a matter of degrees?

[Ferrets are Cool]

33. I hear crickets

[marble falls]

46. And they're all chirping "Stand and Deliver".

[Turin_C3PO]

37. Have you seen

the Clapton quote that’s posted above? If that’s not racism, I don’t know what is.

[amb123]

16. Clapton & Morrison have gone full Trump

Morrison might as well rename his song "Brown-Eyed Girl" to "Dead Brown Girl"

What's the use of bringing back live music if there's no one to hear it because they've all been killed By COVID? Jackasses!

[Goodheart]

18. Eric Clapton: most overrated musician in rock/pop history

His songs are the most vapid shit ever.

[BannonsLiver]

90. Could not agree more

I like Cream okay but I’ve always found Clapton dreary and formulaic.

[Goodheart]

91. "Tears in Heaven" fifth grade lyrics with a sixth grade tune

[North Shore Chicago]

19. Come on guys!

Give them a break, they obviously need to reline their pools on their 4th, 5th and 6th home.

[lark]

21. Love Calpton's music, the person not so much.

Van Morrison is an ass and always has been. I had the misfortune to be dragged to one of his shows 25 years ago and it devolved into him fighting with the audience, he's a total jackass and this isn't surprising one bit. It was easily the worst concert I've ever attended.

Who cares what these self-serving asses think. Boo hoo.

[Blue_true]

73. It is wonderful that you have the privilege to like Clapton's music but not

the person. Given the things he has said and likely believes, I don’t like either.

If a Black artist ever publicly, or even privately and it got out, verbally run down Whites, Chinese or any other non-Black group of people with race steeped hatred, there would be absolutely any way that I would continue to appreciate that person’s music. The conduct and likely the hardened race-based hatred shown would be enough for me to forget that person ever existed and my only instinct would be to fight anything that person was involved with.

[Pobeka]

23. Isn't it ironic? The way to opening up is thru a 4 week lockdown keyhole.

No, let's instead keep this quasi-lockdown-public-in-fear mode going as long as possible and guarantee musicians won't be getting live shows for up to another year.

Dumbasses.

[NoMoreRepugs]

24. Seriously, who gives a crap what they think??

[barbtries]

25. godammit.

2 of my favorites, especially Van Morrison.

i remind myself that Ezra Pound was a fascist and that doesn't mean he wasn't a brilliant poet.

i'll pass on listening to the new song however.

[ClusterFreak]

27. Well Clapton is the type of guy who moved on the wife of one of his supposed best friends.

Patti Harrison, George's wife. George of the Beatles. Google the history, it's pretty bizarre and sleazy really.

[Dukkha]

28. They went full Lars Ulrich

Ul·rich (verb) to feign victim-hood from economic hardship when one's personal wealth far exceeds the customer base that contributed to it. Also see "divorced from reality".

[Iris]

29. Disappointing

[samsingh]

30. i'm very disappointed in eric clapton. What an idiot.

[Blue_true]

74. You weren't disappointed with his racist diatribe at a concert in the 70s? nt

[samsingh]

77. i wasn't aware of it. i would have been bothered by that. I just felt for Clapton because his son

died and he seemed to have a difficult life.

[Blue_true]

79. You "would have been bothered" by his racist language if you had been aware of it?

I would have been finished with him. He is not a good person, he essentially had minimal contact with his child leading up to the kid falling to his death - afterward he made a song about love that he didn’t show the child in life.

[samsingh]

85. yes bothered was not strong enough. I looked up what he said and he would have been dead to me

he is now.

[Rice4VP]

82. Is this outrage about something he said in the 70s for real?

This is like republicans still hating Jane Fonda for stuff that she did in the 70s. Sorry, it’s not rational

[Blue_true]

87. The two don't compare.

Fonda’s actions were driven by concern for humanity. Clapton’s words were pure unfiltered hate. Fonda hasn’t changed her humanitarian beliefs and I seriously doubt that Clapton really has changed his hateful beliefs.

[bagimin]

38. Guess they're not as big John Prine

fans as am I.

[marmar]

43. Eric Clapton has always struck me as being very socially tonedeaf.

[TexasBushwhacker]

53. If they wanted to write songs to raise money for struggling musicians

that would be great, but to be anti-lockdown is disingenuous. As long as the pandemic is raging, live music venues will struggle or close because PEOPLE ARE STAYING HOME. I love nothing more than to go out to the local clubs to enjoy live music from local/regional bands. But even if clubs were open right now, I won't go because I want to protect my health and my friends feel the same way. The best thing to help non-wealthy musicians right now, other than cash assistance, is a vaccine.

Another musician that's bitching is David Crosby. He actually said "I might lose my house!". What is a 79 year old liver transplant recipient doing with a mortgage?

[Bengus81]

61. Those two aren't exactly spring chickens. They get covid and it could be Layla--six feet down.

[treestar]

64. Non famous up and coming musicians

are likely to be among the most hard hit. But denying reality isn't going to help them.

They can do a lot online, too.

[Elwood P Dowd]

83. Guess I can't enjoy playing "Layla" or "Moondance" anytime soon. These two assholes

and their Trumpian behavior will forever be in my mind to distract me from enjoying their music.

[BannonsLiver]

88. I have a song dedication for both

While it doesn’t address the issue of lockdowns, it’s close enough.