This sound essay starts in 1745 with the bagpipers of the Jacobite Rebellion and winds its way through the standoff with the Branch Davidians in Waco and into US Psychological Operations in Iraq. I tried to formulate the piece as a sort of 'theatre of the mind' tour through these three historical moments. I was inspired to put this thing together after reading an incredible essay by Maryland Institute College of Art historian Kerr Houston. The essay is entitled "Start Walking Boots: Music as a Weapon in Iraq and Beyond." I aired my radio essay as an intro to a subsequent interview with Houston about his research, which covers a lot of other related historical moments. I think the radio feature is a nice stand-alone think-piece, but if you're the host of a long-form talk program and you really want to do it up, you could get in touch with Houston for a live follow-up interview, maybe take some callers. He's a really nice guy, and he knows this subject thoroughly. Just send me an email and I'll put you in touch with him. One warning: You'll probably never want to listen to Nancy Sinatra again after hearing this! (This piece aired originally 03.18.05 on WYPR's weekly arts program, The Signal.)