John Rich on 'Glenn Beck'

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," March 25, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: John Rich is a friend of mine. He's from "Big and Rich." He just released his solo album "Son of a Preacher Man." And you wrote to me -- when was it, four weeks ago or three weeks ago? Something like that?

JOHN RICH, MUSICIAN: Something like that. Four weeks, yes.

BECK: And you said, "Glenn, I've got this new song. You've got to hear it." And I listened to it and called you right back and said, "My gosh! This is - you are tapping right into what people are feeling."

RICH: Yes. I watch the news, and I remember when the story came out about the CEO of Merrill Lynch and he took $1.2 million to redecorate his office, including a $38,000 toilet.

BECK: Yes.

• Video: Watch Beck's interview

RICH: And I was watching that, and just to use your words, "blood shot out of my eyes" and I thought, you know what? This is most -- literally the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen and the most disrespectful. Why don't you just come to my house and slap me while you're at it?

BECK: Yes.

RICH: So as a songwriter, just to get it off my chest, I took a blank sheet of paper and started writing the lyrics to a song. And it says in the real world they're shutting us down while the bosses are taking bonus pay and jetting out of town.

BECK: Do you include Washington in that?

RICH: Absolutely. Democrats and Republicans.

• Video: Watch John Rich perform Shuttin' Detroit Down

BECK: Right.

RICH: They are all so ridiculous that they don't even have a clue how mad people are across this country right now.

BECK: They really don't.

RICH: This song of mine is exploding coast to coast. It's just not about Detroit. Detroit to me is just emblematic of hard working America. I come from Texas. Listen, Glenn, I grew up in a trailer park in west Texas, four kids in my family, never went to college. My dad is a small town preacher in a little church.

We went to the food bank every couple of months just to get by, paid our taxes, did our thing. Thanks to the fans, I've had a great career out there. When I turn on the television and see some of these jackasses spending my tax dollars like they are right now, I don't even think they even know what is coming.

And this song and the success of what this song is doing right now speaks exactly to what is going on.

• Read the lyrics to Shuttin' Detroit Down

BECK: What could they do to defuse this? Because I don't think they're going to.

RICH: Quit. First of all, I would like to see everybody in the Senate and the House relinquish their salaries, now!

BECK: Thank you.

RICH: Work for free.

BECK: Thank you.

• Check out behind the scenes pictures from Beck set

RICH: Are you working for me or not?

BECK: Yes.

RICH: You know what? How about work for free then?

BECK: You know, we just started this thing, the "912Project.com." And I asked people - and we're going to bring this up on television tomorrow. I asked people, I want a list of what you want to happen. Because it's time we narrow it down to 10 things. And that is one of them for me.

RICH: Work for free.

BECK: I'm not going to pay your benefits for the rest of your life. You serve one term and then you get benefits for life? You get part of your salary? Forget about it.

RICH: It's insane.

BECK: Come in and serve.

RICH: Let me tell you what else is insane. Have you ever gotten a car loan?

BECK: Yes.

RICH: Let's say you go to a used car lot and you buy a $10,000 car. You have to sign a stack of papers about that thick that says that "If you default on this loan, we're going to repossess your car, we're going to wreck your credit, we're going to put a lien against your checking account, boom, boom, boom. Are you sure that you want this car?"

And you say, "Yes, I'm sure." And you sign about 20 things. Yet our government, Timothy Geithner, sit there and gives $200 billion with no strings attached to AIG and then go, "Oh, I can't believe they bonused themselves." Are you crazy? Am I the only guy?

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