Texas Sheriff’s Office Tells Fiona Apple: ‘Just Shut Up and Sing’

A sheriff’s office in Texas is firing back at Fiona Apple after she went on a rant against the authorities there during a concert in Houston, two days after the singer was arrested for possession of hashish.

Rusty Fleming, a spokesman for the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday issued a response to Apple in a statement: “Just shut up and sing.”

PHOTOS: VMAs 2012: Best and Worst Moments

Last week, the “Criminal” singer-songwriter’s bus was stopped in the town of Sierra Blanca, where police discovered the hash as well as a small amount of marijuana. Apple, 35, was then taken to Hudspeth County Jail, where, she told concertgoers at her Friday show, she didn’t have a great experience.

In a verbose, rambling monologue at her Friday concert — video of which was posted on TMZ — told the audience that she wanted to apologize to “the guy who runs the jail,” whom she dubbed “a real decent guy,” for “being attitude-y and saying that I didn’t trust him. Because I didn’t then but by the end of the day I did.”

She then criticized four other jail employees, accusing them of treating her badly and doing things that were “probably illegal.”

“There are four of you out there, and I want you to know that I heard everything you did, I wrote it all down with your names and everything you did and said, stupidly thinking that I couldn’t hear or see you,” she said, adding: “I then ripped the paper up, but not before I encoded it.”

CONCERT REVIEW: Fiona Apple at the Palladium

In his statement Monday, Fleming suggested that Apple call the state attorney general if she had a legal complaint.

“We’ll give her the number if she needs that,” the statement read, as quoted by CNN.

In her remarks, Apple also stated that she was keeping what she knows in a pair of metaphorical “lockboxes” and threatened, “I’ll make you f–king famous, anytime you want, and I’ll open up those boxes.”

Responded Fleming: “First, Honey, I’m already more famous than you, I don’t need your help. However, it would appear that you need mine. Two weeks ago nobody in the country cared about what you had to say. Now that you’ve been arrested it appears your entire career has been jump-started. Don’t worry, Sweetie, I won’t bill you.”

STORY: Fiona Apple Arrested in Texas

In June, Apple released her fourth full-length studio album (full title: The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Words Will Ever Do) to positive reviews. She embarked on a national tour afterward.

Erin Carlson contributed to this report.