Steve Martin Talks About His Fourth Of July Song npr music: NORRIS: You’ve been working on thi

Steve Martin Talks About His Fourth Of July Song npr music: NORRIS: You’ve been working on thi

Steve Martin Talks About His Fourth Of July Song

npr music:

NORRIS: You’ve been working on this for a while, so I’m wondering, what was your reaction when Paul Revere rode into the news cycle recently when Sarah Palin spoke about his famous ride?

Mr. MARTIN: I try to stay out of the political scene, and I always think it’s never wise to ad lib when you’re talking, especially about facts.

You know, my wife used to be a fact-checker for the New Yorker magazine. So I’m always extremely cautious. For example, this song, I carefully or I’ll say pretty carefully fact-checked before I went out there with it.

NORRIS: It sounded like you developed a bit of communion with Paul Revere, you came to really respect him the more you got to know him.

Mr. MARTIN: He was not only Paul Revere, a silversmith. He was a rabble-rouser, too, as well as a patriot. And he’s a pretty tough guy.

(Soundbite of song, “Me and Paul Revere”)

THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS: (Singing) He told them that 100 men had spread the good alarm. You’d better head away from here, Fort Lexington is armed. Revere stood tall and fooled them all, told them what to do, and then let him go but sadly so, they took me with them, too.

NORRIS: What happened to Brown Beauty, because she notes that they let him go, but sadly so, they took me with them, too?

Mr. MARTIN: Yes, they – the British took the horse from Paul Revere and was never heard of again.