AMERICAN

KID ROCK IS NOT KNOWN FOR BEING POLITE, HUMBLE, OR POLITICALLY CORRECT. What he is known for are painfully

honest, sometimes-shocking sharp-tongued lyrics grinding against gritty guitars and old-school rap licks that get fists pumping and crowds

surfing. His songs are crass and bold, catchy and anthemic, and feature an amalgamation of genres, styles, and influences. His newest

song, “Warrior,” written specifically for the National Guard, has the same Southern-fried feel as his older works, but the poignant lyrics

are too heartfelt to dismiss as just another rock song. A National Guardsman recently met with the “Bawitdaba” balladeer to talk about

songwriting, the making of his newest video, and what it means to serve one’s country.

National Guard: Tell me a little bit about what “ I’ll never leave another behind the National Guard means to you. _{I will never accept defeat}

I’m a soldier in war

Civilian in peace”

— Kid Rock, “Warrior”

Kid Rock: What’s it mean to me? It means

another way of someone giving a great deal

of service to their country—maybe a more

modern-day approach is being able to be a

civilian and help out when needed.

was just no other way to scream what I believe

in my heart. There are a couple of things we

even toned down a bit, because they said

“Whoa! You can’t say that on this thing,” and

I said, “Well, you hired Kid Rock—that’s what

you get!” You get the truth, and nothing else.

National Guard: How do you feel about the young men and women who are doing that?

National Guard: Do you have any kind of message you’d like to send out to the National Guard troops?

Kid Rock: There needs to be a new word created to say “thank you,” because it is really the ultimate commitment. I can’t speak highly enough about it or how much respect I have for anybody who puts their time and their heart into the military.

Kid Rock: I think it goes without saying that I don’t get behind things that my heart isn’t into. You don’t see me out peddling this or that—it’s not what I do. I’ve done a beer commercial, ’cause I like to

drink beer. And I’m doing this video for the National Guard be cause it’s something my heart’s clos e to, something I believe in.

Kid Rock: Of course. First, I’d say thank you, and second, I’d say, “Keep on Kid Rockin’ in

the free world!” ★

National Guard: What was it like being in front of the troops in Iraq?

PHO TOGRAPHS B Y SRSC

Kid Rock: It’s just an incredible feeling. I mean, I’m there to show my support and just to offer any little service or talent that I can, to bring them a little slice of home to take their minds off things. You really count your blessings. To be able to live back home and enjoy the fruits of their labor every day is just incredible.

National Guard: Tell us about the new video.

National Guard: Tell us about “Warrior.”

Kid Rock: The song is an old track. It started as a song called “Jackson, Mississippi,” which I’d had a groove for for a long time, since my first major-label album. When the National Guard approached me about doing this, I read some things about the Guard, some poems, some mottoes—and there

SEE KID ROCK PERFORM WARRIOR AT NATIONALGUARDWARRIOR.COM