BLOG: State of disunion
What your campaign song says about you
By Lauren Harrell, Behind the Scences, Blogs
November 2, 2007 | 10 a.m.
In 1999, a young, up-and-coming Texan by the name of George W. Bush put in his bid to become president of the United States of America. Like many politicians, young George picked a campaign song that would sum him up to the world, a song that would let the world know who he is and where he stands. Finding a song that portrayed all the things he stood for wasn’t easy, but finally he picked Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down." In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. If there were one word I would use to describe our president, "stubborn" would be it. If only we would’ve taken the hint.
This time around, maybe the nation will be more aware. With a fresh crop of new candidates vying for the presidency, we have a new chance to examine campaign songs and determine what lies ahead for each candidate. In a revolutionary turn of events, Hillary Clinton allowed ordinary citizens to vote for her campaign song for 2008. The nation weighed in, and the results were a little frightening; “You and I” by Celine Dion got the most votes. It's not exactly the typical, uber-patriotic song most candidates go for, and it's hard to envision a more isolated demographic than Celine Dion’s fan base. While many presidential candidates (i.e. Hillary's husband) have used music to entice younger voters, I don’t think many young voters will be impressed. Although it has its merits and does provide some inspiration, certain lyrics like, “Sailing like a bird high on the wings of love/ Take me higher than all the stars above/ I’m burning, yearning/ Gently turning round and round” conjure up images that I would rather never entered my mind. Really, Hillary? Celine Dion? Really?
Choosing a more patriotic anthem is always a safe bet. Although John Edwards has yet to pick an official campaign song for the 2008 race, he has in the past proved himself to be a John Mellencamp fan. His 2004 song was “Small Town,” and at the debate earlier this year, he walked out to “Our Country.” As far as campaign songs go, you can’t get much better than Mellencamp, who embodies the American dream. He is a small town boy from Indiana who made a career for himself with his patriotic and upbeat songs. You can’t help but feel a little proud when you listen to his music. Whether it’s just a ploy to distract Midwestern America from his expensive taste in haircuts or it really best exemplifies his values, you can’t go wrong with a little John Mellencamp.
Barack Obama, however, has chosen a different route. Despite what you might think, he also has a campaign song, and it's not “I Got a Crush on Obama,” which has made its way around YouTube. Obama has opted for a simpler, more direct song. Ben Harper’s “A Better Way” simply states for what Obama stands. “Take your face out of your hands/ And clear your eyes/ You have a right to your dreams/ And don't be denied/ I believe in a better way.” Although it may not fire up crowds the way Mellencamp could, it certainly suits Obama’s style: cool and simple.
For many candidates, the selection of a campaign song hasn’t started yet. Hopefully the candidates this year will learn from others’ mistakes. For example, in 1984, Ronald Reagan used Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” until Bruce asked him to stop, due to the satiric nature of the song. On the other hand, there’s Ross Perot, who picked “Crazy” by Patsy Cline in 1992. A word to the wise: don’t pick a campaign song with a negative adjective in the title -- especially one that is often used to describe you. To all the Republicans and Democrats who have yet to pick a song, good luck, and remember maybe to read through the song once before you pick it.
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