POLITICS, RELIGION AND HER (Byron Hill & Tony Martin) Recorded by Sammy Kershaw, Mercury Records, 1996     This was the first song Tony Martin and I wrote together.  We met at the urging of Mike Sebastian, who then worked for MCA Music over at the old offices on 17th Avenue.  It was Tony's title.  I got out my guitar and in no time a melody and some words rolled onto the tape.  We finished it in about 45 minutes.  It was like the song just fell into our laps. Another "early lunch day"!  We both knew right then that it would be a hit for someone.  The Sammy Kershaw record was great, and his video was even better. Our original lyric had the line "let's talk about fast cars", but Sammy changed it to "let's talk about NASCARs".  Tony and I have written a small but very strong catalog together.  Tony is one of those writers who never writes anything down during the writing process.  I notice this every time we write together because it reminds me so much of another great writer I knew and wrote some with, Roger Bowling.   [LISTEN TO A SAMPLE OF SAMMY KERSHAW'S VERSION]   POLITICS, RELIGION AND HER (Hill/Martin)   HEY OLE BUDDY HOW YOU BEEN NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED HERE ON MY END NO I DON'T THINK SHE'S COMING BACK WE’D BETTER NOT GET INTO THAT   LET'S TALK ABOUT BASEBALL LET’S TALK A LITTLE SMALL TALK THERE'S GOTTA BE A GOOD JOKE THAT YOU'VE HEARD LET'S TALK ABOUT FAST CARS OLD HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STARS LET'S TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD BUT POLITICS, RELIGION AND HER   POLITICS CAN START A FIGHT RELIGION'S HARD TO KNOW WHO'S RIGHT AND ONE MORE TOPIC I WON'T TOUCH THAT ONE'S HER, IT HURTS TOO MUCH   (REPEAT CHORUS)   POLITICS, RELIGION AND HER   © 1996 Brother Bart Music (ASCAP)/Songs Of Peer, Ltd./Universal-MCA Music Publishing, A division of Universal Studios (ASCAP)/Mosaic Music (BMI)/Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI). Used by Permission. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.