Jello Biafra

More intriguing is the story behind a number called “Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter.” “It’s about a guy in Florida who seized the Capitol building after breaking in an unguarded front door” during the Bush administration, explained Biafra. “[He] demanded to speak with, among other people, Chuck D, Timothy Leary, Ice Cube, Lemmy [Kilminster of Motorhead], and me. This is an actual story. [The police] panicked and surrounded the Capitol with SWAT teams and everything else, because they didn’t know if it was a whole group of people or just one, or whether the person was even armed. It turned out he wasn’t.”

While Biafra has not met Mr. Ledbetter, he said “I have spoken with him. He was lucky to get out of there alive. If it had happened now, I’m sure they would have just gone in there and blown the place up, or just done it Waco-style. He was institutionalized, and now he’s back out again walking the straight and narrow. But he sends me some odd anecdotes in the mail now and then.”

Added Biafra, “He was somebody who had had enough of the injustice in our world and chose to do something about it in very colorful fashion. I’ve been a long time fan of creative crime. The best part about this one is, it made a statement, it was a work of art, and not a single person got hurt.”