Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Presidential Music

If you had to pick your Democratic presidential candidate by the music they play at their events, who are you going with:

- Clinton's official campaign theme song is Celine Dion's “You and I (Were Meant to Fly)," which was originally used as a 2004 ad for Air Canada.... She also has used BTO's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" and "Right Here, Right Now" by whoever did that one in the 90s...

- Edwards likes to play John Mellencamp's "This is Our Country," which was originally released as a Ford ad campaign theme song at the same time it came out on JM's CD.

- Kucinich uses an instrumental version of "America the Beautiful." God love the Boy Wonder. He is my folks' representative in Congress and he stands for many very good things, but dag, could he be any less hip?

- Chris Dodd apparently does have a little soul in him. He likes to play, "Get Ready" by the Temptations.

- Joe Biden has used John Fogerty's "Centerfield." Isn't that about a guy who's sitting on the bench but itching to play... Charlie Brown, anyone? Strange choice.

- Bill Richardson has played, "Lean On Me" and "Baby I Love Your Way," performed by Fuerza Juvenil. OK. OK. Not bad. I'd like to hear that version of BILYW...

- Mike Gravel uses John Lennon's "Power to the People." If he weren't so wierd and if this weren't a little too obvious, I'd like this call...

- When we saw Obama recently, they played Ben Harper's tune "Better Way." The sound of the song harkens back to The Beatles, "Tomorrow never Knows," with an Indian-type groove... It is kind of a swirling, rising, plaintive, meditative, prayer, mantra, plea, with righteous lyrics. I've also read that Obama uses Aretha Franklin's "Think!" Moreover, he has been quoted, "I'm old school, so generally, I'm more of a jazz guy, a Miles Davis, a John Coltrane guy, more of a Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder kind of guy. But having said that, I'm current enough that on my iPod I've got a little bit of Jay-Z. I've got a little Beyonce."

Here's the order for me, based on the music. It's really no contest in my ear:
Obama
Dodd
Gravel
Richardson
Kucinich
Edwards
Biden
Clinton

What's your preference? And, if you could choose the theme song for any of the candidates, what would you select?

2 comments:

  1. I go with Mike Gravel, then Dodd.

    I'm still waiting for a candidate to use the Chi-Lites (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People.

    TJ

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  2. ... or, similarly, the O'Jays, "Give the People What They Want."

    And, given all the silliness about Obama's identity, how about Billy Paul's "Am I Black Enough For You?"

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