La La La

Campaign songs may not do much in the way of swaying my vote, but they can imbue campaigns with a little flava flava.* Like those catchy classic rock songs they play over car commercials, a good campaign song will make people pay attention. Often times candidates pick their songs based on the message they're hoping to convey. The interesting times are when they neglect to read the lyrics and take the full meaning of the song into account.** What's your favorite campaign song you've heard this year, or in years past? Of if you're not a fan of any of them, what are your suggestions for the candidates' campaigns?

* Except if your campaign song is "You and I" by Celine Dion.
** Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business" is not about takin' care of business: "We love to work at nothing all day." Whoops.

1:58 PM ET | 01-29-2008 | permalink

 

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I have a few suggestions -

Rudy Giuliani: "One" by Three Dog Night or "The Wanderer" by Dion

Mitt Romney: "Modern Major General" by Gilbert and Sullivan

Barack Obama: "I Can See Clearly Now"

Hillary Clinton: "Ride of the Valkyries"

John McCain: "Rock the Casbah" by the Clash

Sent by Jerry Cordaro | 3:00 PM ET | 01-29-2008

My 12 year old has been working on a report about how music effects or reflects social changes. The other night we were working on the end of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The song that he chose to use an example of the feelings of the time was "The Winds of Change" by the Scorpions. It is a song of hope that I believe rings true even now as there seems to be a new sense of optimism and hope arising out the current election. I would suggest it for Obama.

Sent by Jan Soderberg | 3:08 PM ET | 01-29-2008

I would choose Leonard Cohen's "Democracy" as a campaign song for Barack Obama.

Sent by Ann | 3:36 PM ET | 01-29-2008

People seem to choose songs by one catch phrase or title, rather than by the overall song or energy/attitude of it. I'd suggest Barack Obama use "Ace" by Always Searching. It's an upbeat song about a modern soldier, but not a politically biased war song, as such.

Sent by Lisa | 4:21 PM ET | 01-29-2008

Who can take a sunrise
Sprinkle it in dew
Cover it in chocolate
and a miracle or two?

Obama man
Obama man can
Obama man can cause he mixes it with love
and makes the world taste good.

Who can take a rainbow
Wrap it in a sigh
Soak it in the sun
and make a straw'bry lemon pie?

Children: Obama man?
Bill: Obama man!
Obama man can cause he mixes it with love
and make the world taste good....

Sent by dave | 5:07 PM ET | 01-29-2008

This was a great program! After listening, i realized how a song of mine entitled "A Change in the Weather" would be great for Barack Obama's campaign. To listen: www.myspace.com/trapperschoeppband

Sent by Trapper Schoepp | 11:53 PM ET | 01-29-2008

Rudy Giuliani: "911 is a Joke" by Public Enemy

Sent by Keith Walter | 11:10 AM ET | 01-30-2008

Hillary's choices are a little baffling, and McCain doesn't see to get it. Here's the Songfacts breakdown of the campaign songs:
http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/01/rating-campaign-music.html

Sent by Ndugu | 12:34 PM ET | 02-01-2008

With Super Tuesday coming up, I feel the need to change my suggestion for Mitt Romney. He should take the Capitol Steps 2000 spoof song, "Who'll Stop McCain?" (to the tune of CCR's "Who'll Stop the Rain")

Sent by Jerry Cordaro | 4:41 PM ET | 02-04-2008

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