The Easygoing Patriot

The McCain campaign used your song "Running on Empty" in an anti-Obama ad until you sued them. What does the song actually mean for you?
"Running on Empty" is about going forward even though your reasons for going there have changed. The short-hand meaning of running without anything in your tank, despite being completely depleted — everybody understands that. But it's actually a joyous song, about having faith in where you're going.

You have been dedicated to fighting nuclear energy since the No Nukes concerts in New York in 1979. How big is your carbon imprint?
I don't know how to measure it. I have a house that is totally off the grid: It runs on wind and solar power. The biggest thing that uses electricity is my studio, and we're trying to figure out how to fix that. Jack Johnson has a studio that is totally solar, but it's digital. Tubes like electricity.

From the beginning of my involvement with nuclear issues, I felt I should find out as much as possible about the alternatives we were proposing. This country should be leading the world in these technologies. Even if you want to argue for the need of a strong military that runs on oil — I don't agree, but if that's what you believe — you ought to see the point in conserving. Our true wealth is in our ingenuity to innovate, to respond to challenges. And that was our legacy — until recently.

On the new album, in "Giving That Heaven Away," you sing, "I'm gonna go down singing." Is that defiance, frustration or acceptance?
It's defiance. And it's acceptance, too. It's not frustration. We're all going down. We're only here for a little while, and you've got to use your time for what matters. One great thing about making music: You get to leave a record of where you've been and how you felt at the time. I used to want to keep a journal. I had this outrageous experience in the desert, all by myself, psychedelics. I tried to write the journal entry. I couldn't. This is my version of keeping a record. And you see the people who hear it. Last night [in Philadelphia], I was singing "Giving That Heaven Away." I looked out, and there's this really big guy, by himself. And he's singing. I was so happy. The song works, for whoever hears it. It's not just about me, or someone imagining they're me. Everybody's been to that place, in the soul. That's what I want to achieve. That's what you can do with a guitar.

[From Issue 1063 — October 16, 2008]

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• Review: Time the Conquerer