Todd Snider, the endearingly eccentric East Nashville folksinger, has never shied away from the important issues of the day. Politically outspoken and with an acute eye for the absurdities of modern life, Snider has skewered everyone from Seattle grunge bands to Congress. So it’s somewhat surprising that his upcoming release, Peace Queer, is his first politically-themed record. Peace Queer is largely a reaction to the Iraq War, though Snider manages to imbue the collection with his trademark combination of levity and humanity. When we interviewed Snider recently via email, he replied, as is his custom, with bewildering, stream-of-consciousness answers. And, in deference to the artist, we’ve printed his answers below with only minimal editing for clarity. It may seem like rambling, but there’s some serious wisdom to be found in Snider’s words as he spoke to us about guitar lessons with Keith Richards, getting robbed by Tony Bennett, joint ventures with Michael Moore, and whatever else came to mind.

Crawdaddy!: Well, last time we spoke—or, more accurately, exchanged e-mails—we were talking about your East Nashville neighborhood. How’s everyone in East Nashville these days? You’re a politically savvy bunch, so I assume you’re all keeping a close eye on the election, eh?

Todd Snider:
our neighbor got so drunk at a party
that she gave her guitar to some guy
and the next day when she woke up still drunk
and couldn’t find or remember where she put her guitar
she quickly deduced that her friend down the street had stolen it and sold it
so she went outside, and peeled off in her car
about a hundred yards right into the big tree
in front of said neighbor’s house
breaking almost every bone in her body
and waking up everybody.
it’s been the talk of our street all summer

and then yesterday at the car wash tony bennett stole 60 dollars
from me after swearing up and down that he wouldnt.
i was and am disgruntled over it. 
it was a flagrant breach of trust on his part.
fuck him.

Crawdaddy!: I assume that the title of “Mission Accomplished (Because You Gotta Have Faith)”, one of the tracks off your new record, is inspired by the current President. What are peace-loving, pot-smoking protest singers going to do when W. is finally gone? He seems to provide a lot of grade-A fodder for lyricists. 

Todd Snider:
as god is my witness mission accomplished was inspired by billy white shoes johnson
but i do think without a war heeler in office certain folk singers and to an even greater degree
peace queers and folk nazis
often do and will have to revert back to spelling out different ways to get beer
and or just listing record collections and cute shit like that. 
also we’ve always got the children to ask about too.
you know “what about the children” songs

Crawdaddy!: For someone with a true gift for crystallizing the ridiculous (”Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” immediately comes to mind), what are your thoughts on McCain’s VP pick, the former Alaskan beauty queen? Does the madness even surprise you anymore?

Todd Snider:
for starters i think all politicians and jocks are entertainers like me
and i always try to empathize with set list and sound check issues.
but with that said
the ones who fill their set list with creationy, anti-queer, anti abortion-
riffs…always bum me out
and make me wanna yell “free bird.”

Crawdaddy!: Speaking of politics, it looks like your latest offering, Peace Queer, is your most overtly political record yet. Why now? I mean, sure, things are bad. But they’ve been bad for a while, right?

Todd Snider:
i have said before and no one believes me but i was forced to make this record
against my will by an international league of peace queers who abducted me and ironically
beat me unmercifully, they demanded i make this record as payback for all 
the years they said “beer run” had set back the movement. 
they demanded i write songs for them but i already had the songs so
i had to pretend to write. but really i just used a bunch of the shit that
i thought was too political for the good album i’m working on
but seriously folks this ep of mine will save the world
but only if you buy it. so please. this isn’t about me.
it’s about the children.