FOLKS, MY FIRST GUESTS ARE A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
BIOGRAPHER AND A GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING COUNTRY SUPERSTAR
WHO'VE WRITTEN A NEW BOOK CALLED "SONGS OF AMERICA."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," JON MEACHAM AND TIM
McGRAW.
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: AND THANK YOU FOR WEARING THE HAT.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, COME ON.
IT'S MY GIG, YOU KNOW,.
>> Stephen: DO YOU FEEL NAKED WITHOUT THAT THING?
>> ONLY WHEN I'M NAKED.
I HAVE WORN THE HAT NAKED BEFORE.
>> Stephen: I BET, I BET.
>> IT'S REQUESTED BY MY WIFE SOMETIMES.
>> Stephen: FAITH ENJOYS THAT?
>> SHE WANT MEAS TO PULL IT LOW SO SHE CAN'T SEE MY FACE.
>> Stephen: SO IT COULD BE ANYBODY?
DO GO ON, PLEASE.
PLEASE, FINISH THAT STORY.
WE WILL GET SUPER BOWL RATINGS IF YOU JUST FINISH THAT STORY.
>> THAT'S OKAY.
I I THINK TONIGHT IT'S OFF NOW ANYWAY.
>> STEVEN AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET OURS AT BROOKS BROTHERS.
>> BROOKS BROTHERS COWBOY HATS-- THAT'S A NEW LINE FOR YOU.
>> Stephen: IT IS.
I ACTUALLY GET MY NAKEDNESS FROM BROOKS BROTHERS.
JUST MY SKIN IS PLEATED.
YOU'VE COME TOGETHER FOR A VERY INTERESTING PROJECT.
IT'S "SONGS OF AMERICA."
AND THIS IS PATRIOTISM, PROTEST, AND THE MUSIC THAT MADE A
NATION.
WHAT-- WHAT'S THE-- WHAT'S THE MESSAGE OF THIS BOOK?
WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN CREATING THIS SONG-- THIS BOOK ABOUT
SONGS WITH JON?
>> WELL, THE THING THEY LEARNED MORE THAN ANYTHING IS THERE'S
ALWAYS HOPE.
THERE'S ALWAYS OPTIMISM IN THE MUSIC THAT WE--
( APPLAUSE )
THAT WE'VE HEARD OVER THE AGES.
AND DISCOVERED SOME-- WE REFERENCES PROBABLY 160 SONGS OR
SO IN THIS BOOK.
AND YOU DIVE BACK IN, ALL THE WAY TO THE "LIBERTY" SONG.
AND THE PRECENT VIEW OF WHAT HE HAD THAT THIS COUNTRY COULD
BECOME AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND SEEING THE ARC OF THE VONGWRITER DEVELOP IN OUR
COUNTRY FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES-- EIGHT YEARS, 1768, 18
YEARS BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS WRITTEN, AND
SEEING HOW IT DEVELOPED PLACING LYRICS OVER EXISTING USUALLY
BRITISH MELODIES AT THE TIME.
EXACTLY.
>> PATRIOTIC PLAGIARISM.
>> EXACTLY.
AND YOU GET TO THE SONGS OF THE 60s AND THE PROTEST MUSIC AND
OUR MIEWRS AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS AND YOU GET TO THOSE
SONGS AND YOU START SEEING A DIRECT CORRELATION BACK TO THE
ORIGINAL SONGS.
>> Stephen: I LOVE THE IDEA OF PATRIOTIC MUSIC OVER BRITISH
SONGS.
WHAT IS THE SONG THAT GOD SAVE-- >> "MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE IS
JUST "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" WITH OUR LYRICS ON IT.
WHICH IS AN INTERESTING BIRD TO BE FLIPPING.
THE GENTLEST POSSIBLE BIRD TO BE FLIPPING.
DO EACH OF YOU HAVE AN EARLIEST PATRIOTIC SONG THAT YOU
REMEMBER?
>> IT'S FUNNY, MINE IS "MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE."
I WENT TO AN EPISCOPAL SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH.
AND IF I HEAR "MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE" I GO BACK TO I'M FOUR
YEARS OLD.
WE DID CHEMICAL FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
THERE WAS SOME AMBIENT REALITY.
AND IT WAS ABOUT SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY.
AND YOU TAKE THAT LANGUAGE, HOW DID DR. KING END THE SERMON AT
THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON?
SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY.
LET IT RING FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE.
IT'S A LINE THAT GOES THROUGHOUT OUR CULTURE.
SO MUCH OF THIS, SO MUCH OF THESE IDEAS ARE ENDURING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT OUR BEST WHEN WE TRY TO LIVE UP TO WHAT
JEFFERSON WROTE, THAT WE'RE ALL CREATED EQUAL.
AND WE DON'T BUILD MONUMENTS TO PEOPLE WHO BUILD WALLS AND SHUT
DOORS.
WE BUILT BUILDMONUMENTS TO PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEM DOWN AND
OPEN THEM, RIGHT?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
THE TWO WINGS THAT ENABLE US TO TAKE FLIGHT.
WE CELEBRATE AND WE ALSO CRITIQUE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLED TO DO.
THAT'S WHAT REASON WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE ARENA AGAINST
PASSION.
AND WE NEED MORE REASON NOW.
THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS, ONE OF THE REASONS IS WE HAVE TO
FIND A WAY TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND-- >> AND NOT DEMONIZE EACH OTHER.
>> AND WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE ALL THE TIME, RIGHT?
I MEAN, NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, THE OTHER SIDE YOU'RE GOING TO
THINK THEY'RE WRONG, AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT I THINK AMERICA HAPPENS WHEN YOU THINK ON THAT TENTH TIME,
HUH, MAYBE THEY HAVE KIND OF A POINT.
AND THAT'S A PLACE WE HAVE TO GET TO.
>> Stephen: TIM, DO YOU HAVE A MOST-- FAVORITE, OR WHAT
PATRIOTIC SONG IS MOST BEAUTIFUL TO YOU?
>> "THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC" IS SOMETHING THAT
REALLY MOVES ME, AND IT TAKES ME BACK, TO, JOSH, SECOND GRADE IN
LOUISIANA GROWING UP AND MY MOM TAKING ME TO THE LOCAL MEGDED
ONIST CHURCH TO TRY OUT FOR A PLAY AND THEY ASKED ME TO SING A
SONG, AND THE SONG I KNEW WAS "BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC"
AND I GOT THE SONG OF WINTHROP PERU.
HERE I AM ON YOUR SHOW SITTING WITH THIS GUY TALKING ABOUT
PATRIOTIC SONGS.
>> IT'S ALL BEEN DOWNHILL.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> IT TOOK A LEFT TURN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, BUT I'M TRYING TO
CORRECT THE SHIP NOW.
>> Stephen: DO EITHER OF YOU THINK WHAT IS THE SONG THAT YOU
LEARNED ABOUT IN CREATION OF THIS BOOK OR THAT YOU'VE KNOWN
YOUR WHOLE LIFE THAT IS MOST APPLICABLE TO AMERICA TODAY?
WHAT IS A PATRIOTIC SONG THAT YOU THINK THAT EVERYBODY COULD
AGREE ON, THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE MOVED BY, COME TOGETHER
AROUND?
>> THIS MAY NOT SURPRISE YOU COMING FROM TWO 1010ANS-- ME,
I'M A NATIVE.
HE HAD TO MOVE UP FROM LOUISIANA.
>> Stephen: LAT LET HIM ACROSS THE BORDER?
>> THEY LET ME UP.
>> THERE WAS ELECTRICITY, HARD-BACKED BOOKS.
>> SEE WHAT I HAVE TO TOLERATE HERE?
>> Stephen: WOW!
>> "WHAT'S THIS?
WATER!
IT COMES OUT OF A FAUCET."
>> HE REALLY IS A NICE GUY.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT IT'S "RAGGED OLD FLAG."
IT'S JOHNNY CASH WHO-- AND WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT IT IS IT'S
SENTIMENTAL FOR A WHILE-- THE FLAG'S BEEN THROUGH TIT WAS
SHOT, IT'S BEEN THROUGH SHILO.
HE DID IT IN 1974, OF COURSE NIXON'S RESIGNATION, VIETNAM,
AND TALKS ABOUT HOW THE FLAG HAS BEEN SCANDALALIZED AND
DISRESPECTED.
AND YOU THINK, WAIT, IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE PROTESTERS, OR
IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO LIED US THROUGH VIETNAM AND
LIED US THROUGH WATERGATE?
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THAT SONG IS YOU CAN PROJECT
WHICHEVER PERSPECTIVE YOU ARE.
AND ONE OF MY BIG BELIEFS IS HISTORY HAS THE CAPACITY TO
CREATE A MORE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> BECAUSE IT GIVES US CONTEXT.
IT GIVES US A SENSE OF PROPORTION.
AND YOU CAN OPEN THE APERTURE.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT, YOU LOVE TRADITION-- ALLEGEDLY.
IF YOU'RE ON THE LEFT, YOU LOVE DATA AND REASON.
SO HISTORY'S THE ONE THING THAT ENABLES US TO COME TOGETHER I
THINK.
>> AND MUSIC HAS A WAY OF OPENING THOSE WINDOWS TO SEE IT
IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT, I THINK, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE MUSIC
THAT'S BEEN A PART OF CREATING OUR NATION.
WE TEND TO LOOK AT HISTORICAL FIGURES AS SOMETHING IN OUR PAST
AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING IN THE
PRESENT.
AND MUSIC SORT OF LETS YOU THINK WHAT THEY WERE THINKING AT THE
TIME, WHAT THE POPULATION WAS THINKING, WHAT ARTISTS WERE
THINKING, AND ART DRIVES US FORWARD.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE WELL KNOWN-- TO CHANGE THE STBT FOR A
MOMENT-- YOU ARE WELL KNOWN OF SHOWING PICTURES OF YOURSELF
WITH FISH WITH NO SHIRT ON.
I JUST WANTED TO SHAWR THAT WITH THE AUDIENCE.
>> THAT'S MEACHAM.
>> Stephen: ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT MEACHAM.
THAT'S NOT MEACHAM.
THIS IS MEACHAM.
( LAUGHTER )
EVEN.
WELL, LISTEN, TIM-- >> HE WON'T SENDA A PICTURE.
>> Stephen: YOU SIGN IT, AND GIVE IT TO HIM.
JON, SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
"SONGS OF AMERICA" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
BUY IT FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY.
JON MEACHAM AND TIM MCGRAW, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE STAR OF "MEN IN BLACK
INTERNATIONAL," TESSA THOMPSON.