VIDEO: Dixie Chicks Return with “Gaslighter”

A promotional image of the Dixie Chicks.

The Dixie Chicks are back!

It’s been a long time since the Dixie Chicks really made the news. Seventeen years after some on-stage remarks about the U.S. invasion of Iraq sent the band’s commercial success into a tailspin, the female trio is back with a new single, “Gaslighter”.

The Dixie Chicks’ professional arc is an interesting example of music, politics, and gender prejudice colliding. Founded in 1989, the group has won some 13 Grammy Awards, garnered a Top 10 hit on the U.S. pop chart, and worked its way over much of the Billboard Top 100. A highly visible and much-praised appearance in the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon concert raising funds for victims of the September 11 brought them to a special point of the national consciousness in 2001. Two years later, however, everything and nothing changed.

The infamous Dixie Chicks boycott – including national blacklisting by media networks and venue managers – illustrates how the Internet has created an echo chamber amplifying all sorts of remarks, thoughts, and prejudices. In January 2003, the Bush administration was conducting a public relations campaign to try and generate support for invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam Hussein. The idea was deeply unpopular, both domestically and abroad; U.S. polls showed that almost two thirds of Americans opposed an invasion. Global opposition was also high, with coordinated anti-war rallies on February 15, 2003 – one protest in Rome drawing 3 million people and making its way into the Guinness Book of Records. Then, on March 10, 2003, the Dixie Chicks played a concert at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London.

With a U.S. invasion of Iraq looming – bombing began 9 days later – lead vocalist and guitarist Natalie Maines said, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” Two days later, part of the remark appeared in a newspaper review of the context – and one of the most infamous boycotts of the 21st century began.

From the media and popular uproar that followed, you might think that the Shepherd’s Bush Empire was a large stadium. It’s not – it’s a 2,000-seat theatre, about three-quarters the size of the Orpheum in Minneapolis. It seats a grand total of 1/10 the capacity of Target Center, and most of the crowd were undoubtably British nationals. Within a few days, however, the remark was reported in U.S. newspapers, on the radio, and on television. Thousands of people called radio stations to complain about the Dixie Chicks’ music being played, and two DJs were even suspended for programming their music. The effects were still resonating in 2006, when the band had a new Top 10 album, yet couldn’t book concerts in some major U.S. cities because local radio stations refused to carry advertising buys to promote the tour. “Not a sexist thing – just people deciding not to buy their records.”

Then there’s “Gaslighting”.

Gaslighter, denier
Doin’ anything to get your ass farther
Gaslighter, big timer
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father

Verse 1
We moved to California and we followed your dreams
I believed in the promises you made to me
Swore that night ’til death do us part
But you lie-lie-lie-lie-lied
Hollywood welcomed you with open doors
No matter what they gave you, you still wanted more
Acting all above it when our friends divorced
What a lie-lie-lie-lie-lie
You’re such a

Chorus
Gaslighter, denier.
Doin’ anything to get your ass farther.
Gaslighter, big timer,
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father.
Gaslighter, you broke me.
You’re sorry, but where’s my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar.

Verse 2
You thought I wouldn’t see it if you put it in my face
Give you all my money, you’ll gladly walk away
You think it’s justifiable, I think it’s pretty cruel
And you know you lie best when you lie to you
‘Cause, boy, you know exactly what you did on my boat
And, boy, that’s exactly why you ain’t comin’ home
Save your tired stories for your new someone else
‘Cause they’re lie-lie-lie-lie-lies
Look out, you little

Chorus
Gaslighter, denier.
Doin’ anything to get your ass farther (Ooh).
Gaslighter, big timer,
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father.
Gaslighter, you broke me.
You’re sorry, but where’s my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar.

Verse 3
Just had to start a fire, had to start a fire,
Couldn’t take yourself on a road a little higher,
Had to burn it up, had to tear it down.
Tried to say I’m crazy, babe, we know I’m not crazy, that’s you.
Gaslighting,
You’re a li-li-li-liar.
Oh, honey, that’s you,
Gaslighting.
You made your bed and then your bed caught fire.

Bridge
Gaslighter, I’m your mirror.
Standin’ right here until you can see how you broke me.
Yeah, I’m broken.
You’re still sorry, and there’s still no apology.

Chorus
Gaslighter, denier (Yeah).
Doin’ anything to get your ass farther (Ooh).
Gaslighter, big timer,
Repeating all of the mistakes of your father (Gaslighter).
Gaslighter, you broke me.
You’re sorry, but where’s my apology?
Gaslighter, you liar.

About
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Amy Donahue

Amy Donahue is a staff reviewer at the Twin Cities Arts Reader. She interned with the magazine during the summer of 2017, served as a guest contributor while studying abroad in Europe that fall, and has moved up to regular old reviewing. She served as interim Editor-in-Chief in 2023.

She admits to being at least 50% terrified of contemporary German opera.