NEW YORK (AP) ¿ Though Janet Reno is credited as the executive producer of "Song of America'', a three-disc boxed set that chronicles the history of the United States in song, she is quick to downplay her role.

"I had the easy way," Reno, the former US attorney general, told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

But while her nephew-in-law, producer Ed Pettersen, may have done a lot of the heavy lifting on "Song of America'', which features new interpretations of seminal songs like "Dixie's Land" and "The Times They Are A Changin''', the set reflects Reno's vision.

Through 50 songs, reinterpreted by artists including John Mellencamp, the Black Crowes, Martha Wainwright and Devendra Banhart, the story of America and the different challenges it has faced, from war to racism to the Depression, is retold for today's audiences.

Though Reno, 69, is slowed these days by Parkinson's disease, she was forceful and passionate when she spoke to The Associated Press about "Song of America'', which has been about a decade in the making.

You've been working on this project for a while. What inspired you to do this project?

My niece was visiting with her husband, Ed Pettersen. Ed played two pieces that he had help compose, or composed himself, that talked about various parts of American history and I said, "Ed, why don't you write a song of America, a history of America?" He went after it, and it was just amazing to see what he did. ... They attracted artists who were willing to spend their time and give their time to perform and create a piece for the project, which I think is just tremendous, and when you hear the dedication in the songs, you can understand why I'm so impressed with the people who participated in this effort.

You could have just gotten archival recordings of these songs. What made you want to give them a new interpretation?

That was Ed's doing with his other colleagues who contributed so significantly to this project. They wanted something that represented a real sense of the song and what is involved. We found for example, a new version of "Dixie" could illuminate the fact that you've got to have "Dixie" as part of a project like this if you're going to tell the history of America because that is one of the essential pieces of our history ¿ one that we're not proud of. But at the same time, we have an opportunity to find out how "Dixie" came about ... All of it can provide detail that we may not be familiar with, new approaches to both the song and the study of the history, to ensure that we learn all we can from history. But the basic reason why I think these songs are going to make a difference is that that they show that they are constantly new and changing ideas, and it is important to keep up with what has happened. It is important to inspire people. If you are defeated and you accept defeat and just wallow in it, you're not going to do very well, but if you pick yourself up, and motivated and inspired by song, you move forward. Song can be a vast, vast motivator.

What were some of the more inspiring songs to you in your life?

"John Brown's Body" is one of the songs that has meant so much to me, and this particular recording is just exceptional. It's a beautiful piece. That with the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" are two songs that spell out what the war was about, and what we tried to do here is divide it into segments of united we stand, divided we fall. If America can come together with its history explained as in these songs, we have a better chance of moving ahead for the future.

A lot of times, when people retell history they do it with an agenda. How do you keep it nonpartisan?

Songs are going to appeal to people and what they are interested in. And if we can tell the story of the challenges that lie ahead, if we can forecast what we are going to have to deal with, we can do it in a clearer, more objective way if we are motivated by song that is not diminished by bickering between people. And if the strength of the song can come out above partisan politics, the song is going to have a much clearer, resonant message for all concerned.

What do you hope this CD can accomplish?

I think they can learn more about their country, I think they can be inspired by what they hear, from some of these songs. They can remember when they are facing adversity that people were able to overcome terrible situations in their life and in the history of our country. When you think about it, the Depression, which this project talks about in clear detail, was such a dark cloud over this nation. I remember my mother's stories of the Depression. If my mother could carry a tune she would have composed one of these songs that talks about the Depression, because it was so much a part of her life. And then to come out of the Depression into the Second World War, into the greatest war we have ever had, and to face the challenge of the atomic bomb, ever present after that war, gives us a sense of the challenge we face. But it's also there to say, "Look, we did it, we can overcome, we can get past this time in our history."

Do you ever wish you were back in Washington?

Reno: I look at Washington as the most wonderful experience. People ask me why I let myself get cussed at, fussed at, and figuratively beaten around the ears for almost eight years, and I say it's the greatest opportunity that anybody can have to try and use the law the right way to make America freer and safer and to give more people equal opportunity. Public service is a wonderful, wonderful calling and I miss it, but it's important that we constantly have new people coming in as we have new songs, or identify new songs to give us fresh perspective on an issue, and we don't get stuck in the mud of partisan bickering, and come together, united, in an effort to preserve what we love about America.