National Football League

Williams says ignorance led to comments

Published Oct. 11, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Hank Williams Jr. said insufficient schooling was to blame for his comments that appeared to compare President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, appearing on "The View" Tuesday to dish on the fracas that eventually lead to his firing from ESPN.

"I didn't go to Harvard, I'm not smart enough to know the difference," he said on the ABC talk show, when asked if he understood why his comments were so controversial.

"Yeah, sure [it was a bad idea] but I told you I'm not smart enough," he added, dressed in a New York Yankees jersey and appearing at ease with the five co-hosts of the show.

Last week on "FOX & Friends," Williams was asked his opinion about the June "Golf Summit" in which Obama teed off with Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich.

"It would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu," Williams said Oct. 3 on the morning show, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Williams, whose song served as the musical intro for ESPN's "Monday Night Football," said his comments were "misunderstood" but the cable sports network pulled the song and later announced they were officially parting ways with the country star.

His trademark tune, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night," earned the Emmy for best composed theme from 1991 to 1994.

"That's their freedom of speech," the Grammy winner said on "The View" about ESPN's move, but he clarified that it was in fact his decision to cut ties with the network.

"That night [Tuesday]. I told my manager, you can tell ESPN 'adios,'" he added.

In the aftermath of the hoopla surrounding his morning show chat, Williams penned a song to share his political views and call on his fans to boycott both "FOX & Friends" and ESPN.

"This country sure as hell been goin' down the drain ... We know who to blame, United Socialist States of America," he declares in the single "Keep the Change."

"So 'FOX & Friends' wanna put me down, ask for my opinions then twist it all around," he sings.

"You can keep 'FOX & Friends' and ESPN outta your homes," he adds.

Williams, 62, said his new single has been an instant hit, getting over 100,000 downloads since it was released Monday afternoon.

But according to Billboard magazine, the singer actually wrote the song in 2009, after the election of Obama, and just modified the words to incorporate the recent controversy.