TennCare song on UT radio upsets disenrollees

TennCare song on UT radio upsets disenrollees

January 6, 2006

By AMELIA GRAHAM
6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A song being played on state-funded radio that pokes fun at people who abuse TennCare is coming under fire.

The song is "TennCare Buzz." The lyrics are, "I don't use dope. I don't smoke LSD. I gots an uncle that's on disability. He don't work, I ain't sure what he does. I just thank God he shares his TennCare buzz...I love my TennCare buzz."

Becky Clevenger was on TennCare for nearly 12 years before the governor slashed benefits. When she heard the song on the radio it upset her. "It's not a joke; this is a simple song. TennCare is serious. There are people dying."

Clevenger says, "Everybody getting TennCare is getting the TennCare buzz? And my medicine makes me normal. I don't get no buzz."

The song is frequently played by student disc jockeys at the University of Tennessee radio station, 90.3FM The Rock.

The song was written and recorded locally by Todd Steed. He defends the song. "By no means was it intended to make light and we definitely have a lot of compassion for people that get knocked off and need it and deserve it."

Steed says he wrote the song three years ago. "The song was just a story about a human being that was caught in an unfortunate situation."

Becky Clevenger maintains the song makes light of what's a very dark situation for many people. "I don't like it. I seen too many people dying for somebody to be singing that in a happy way; it hurts."

"TennCare Buzz" is one of the most popular local songs at 90.3FM The Rock. The radio station's general manager, Benny Smith, says the song and Todd Steed's music will continue to get played.

But Smith does have some advice. "Don't take Todd Steed too seriously. I mean, he's serious about what he does. He loves his music. He's passionate about his music. His fans are the same about his music but you have to kind of sit back and take it with a grain of salt. Like I said, Todd uses a lot of sarcasm, a lot of tongue and cheek in his song writing."

As the buzz about the song continues, Steed is working on his next album, tackling the tough subject of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.