Marc Ribot & Ceramic Dog
Free Download
"Ain't Gonna Let Them Turn Us Round"
(aka Affordable Health Care Act Song)
"With caustic properties that could rival your favorite punk
record, 'Your Turn' will leave you exhausted. Your Turn is aimed at our times."
-John Carratt, PopMatters
New York, NY - Avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot and his band Ceramic Dog will offer a free download of the track, "Ain't Gonna Let Them Turn Us Round," from the album Your Turn (released April 2013 on Northern Spy), to symbolize his protest against the government shutdown, and against the Republican opposition to the Affordable Health Care Act. Fans can download the track at http://snd.sc/1g2Ml5I. Interviews and high-res photos are available upon request.
"Ain't Gonna Let Them Turn Us Round" is a protest ballad, and a call for neighbors to help one another out. As the final stanza says: "Pick a brother up if he falls down; and if our sister's sick; her health needs caring; ain't gonna let them turn me round."
The Affordable Health Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, was designed to take care of every American's health, regardless of their income. But has been branded as a form of socialism by conservative opponents, who would rather see a partial government shutdown than budge.
Ribot has personal experience with health care inequalities in America. He says: "I never thought that much about 'health care systems' until my daughter was born on England's National Health Service (NHS). My partner and I had been living in NYC, but lacked health insurance, and couldn't get any because pregnancy was a 'pre-existing condition.' The cost -- not including (pre-post natal care), at NYC hospitals was $16,000; we didn't have it. My partner was from England, and her mom lived in South London, so off we went."
Ribot continues, "Lewisham Hospital isn't in a rich area, and it wasn't as squeaky and new as some in the US, but the care was great: they had a better licensed mid-wives program than any I've seen. Both midwives, nurses, (and even the doctor!!!) visited us at home both before and after the birth. And it was all free.
The National Affordable Health Care Act is, unfortunately, no NHS. But I wonder if any of the Republicans ranting about 'socialism' have any idea of what it is that they're willing to blow up the economy in order to avoid. And so I wrote this little tune. (even libertarians can dig the rhythm section groove :-)"
