Well, they had me worried for a few minutes there. Still sanity appears to have preveiled in the USA and so, to celebrate Obama's rightful return to the White House... and a world without the horror of President Mitt... here's eight songs about American presidents... and two about former top members of White House staff.
10. Pink - Dear Mr. President
Written for George, could just as easily have applied to Mitt...
9. Mercury Rev - Lincoln's Eyes
Haunting.
8. Steve Earle - Condi, Condi
OK, so Condoleezza Rice was never actually president... but she couldn't have done a worse job than her boss.
7. Ry Cooder - J. Edgar
Ry Cooder has a pig named after the former FBI Chief.
6. Bright Eyes - When The President Talks To God
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?
5. Action Spectacular - Bill Clinton
Well, I hope it was the best sex of all time
Because tomorrow, Mr. Clinton, we're all gonna die!
See, it's not only Republican presidents who get bad press from songwriters.
4. Billy Bragg - Bush War Blues
It is mostly Republicans though. Here Billy updates Leadbelly with his reaction to the US "liberation" of Iraq...
If you’re worried about Iraq
I’ll tell you this one thing I’m certain
This war is gonna make
The whole world safe for Haliburton
And it's not just Dubya who gets a kicking...
Cute little smile
Curly hair
It’s George Bush’s poodle
Goddamn Tony Blair
3. Manic Street Preachers - The Love Of Richard Nixon
What if Watergate never happened?
2. Okkervil River - The President's Dead
A song that's hugely evocative of November 22nd, 1963, even though none of the band in question were alive back then.
1. The Wedding Present - Kennedy
So good, Kippers named his blog after it.
Have you lost your love of life?
Those get my vote... but which one leaves you with a hanging chad?
Brilliant Number One choice Rol - going to see TWP next week and am very excited about it.
ReplyDeleteSteward's enquiry on J. Edgar though - never president, was he? Long-time boss of the FBI, he headed up their investigation into the assassination of Kennedy, but that's about as close as he came, wasn't it?
My bad - I don't claim to be a historian!
DeleteCorrection made, No-Prize on its way. Enjoy TWP - great live band.
Marvellous result...
ReplyDeleteThe election or the Top Ten?
DeleteXTC once more - Here Comes President Kill Again.
ReplyDeleteThough, in this case, hopefully not.
Nah, that'd be the other guy.
DeleteYay! No President Romney - what a relief!
ReplyDeleteA couple of Neil Young songs spring to mind (although your no.10 choice sprang to mind first):
'Campaigner' ('Our secret's safe and still well kept, where even Richard Nixon has got soul.')
and
'Let's Impeach the President' ('...for lying, and misleading our country into war.')
Ah, yes, I should have considered Mr. Young. Never shy when it comes to speaking his mind.
DeleteYes, can't argue with that list at all! who was it that did President Gas? The Psychedelic Furs, I think. Mind you "the Gasman", as they used to call him, was only in office for a very short period, while Gerald Ford went for a wee.
ReplyDelete