wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Worst choices of songs due to mismatch of lyrics and politics:

“Born in the USA,” Reagan

"This Land is Your Land” - George H.W. Bush in 1988

Hey, correct your guest:

"Nine to Five" was released in 1980, not in the '70s.

Abba's big hits, including the ones he mentioned, were released in the mid-to-late '70's, not the early '70s.

If he's citing dates, why not be accurate, right?

"Think" by Franklin IS appropriate.
When I think about its message within the campaign of Barama, I replace Aretha with we, the electorate, who are singing/speaking to the present administration, whom we really want freedom from!

I tuned in late. Do the artists or labels have any choice in being used by candidates?

"Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac is my favorite campaign song because it has it all: instant recognition, a huge hook, and positive lyrics.

I also enjoy the story behind Dubya using the song "Still the One" by the band Orleans in the 2004 campaign. Apparently, the W campaign didn't clear the song completely and Orleans would not let them use it because he was against Bush's policies.

If I were running for office, I would use anything by Sousa due to its immediate association with patriotism and Americana.

What happened to original campaign songs written for a particular candidate? I know that pop songs are "recognizable" but there's a long history of folk songs using popular tunes of the day and *changing the lyrics* to fit the political message. If everything wasn't televised maybe we could get the WGA to swoop in and save us.

I always thought John Mellencamp's "Your Life is Now" would be a great campaign song.

Your father's days are lost to you.
This is your time now
To do what you will do.
Your life is now
In this undiscovered moment
Lift your head up above the crowd.
We could change the world
If you would only show us how
Your life is now.

Or even "Peaceful World". OK, I'm biased, I love Mellencamp....

The classic (mis-)use of a campaign song would be Ronald Reagan's use of Springsteen's "Born in the USA". Reagan's team thought: (renewed) pride in being American, Springsteen spoke of life's difficulties in the 80's, joblessness, Vietnam.

I wrote the last entry to fast- the video shows a man ( the lead singer) attacking women in the subway of Amsterdam. I am not sure if her campaign uses the song still- but the video you can see on youtube.
The video was made in the early eighties - and dovetails a dutch horror movie made by the same director called the Elevator ( De Lift).

Since no one seems to care about the actual lyrical meaning of their campaign songs why doesn't someone keep it real and go with Johnny Paycheck's Take this job and shove it. This would have to be better than Celine's airline commercial song.

Has anyone used CCR's "Fortunate Son"? In a Chevy commercial they use the part where John Fogarty sings "Some folks are born to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue..." but not the next verse where he sings "It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son. It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no".

The one that made me cringe in 2004 was "Let's Get Retarded," changed into "Let's Get It Started," by the Black-Eyed Peas. It was (and is) incredibly poor taste to play a song that had such a politically incorrect phrase as its original title, in my humble opinion.

I heard that HIllary Clinton is using
When the lady smiles
from the Golden Earring _ a dutch band-
when entering the campaign events
the song had a meaning that is explained in the video directed by Dick Maas
that shows a man with sick sexual fantasies
attacking them all. I am sure she does not know this.