Sidetracked

It must be tough being a Republican running for office these days.

Because, as a candidate, you want to be introduced with a song that gets the crowd excited. Yet most entertainers — especially musicians — are liberal. And they tend to get peeved when they learn a conservative is using their song.

The latest example is Jackson Browne, who sued the McCain campaign and the Republican party in Ohio for using his song “Running on Empty” in a campaign ad. Browne, who was once arrested for protesting the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo County, is well-known for his liberal beliefs, so perhaps the McCain camp should have known better.

In fact, whoever is in charge of McCain’s music might want to check ahead of time to see who’s a liberal and who’s conservative. Because McCain has also had complaints from John Mellencamp (”Pink Houses,” “Our Country”), Orleans (”Still the One”) and ABBA (”Take a Chance On Me”) for using their songs in campaign events.

Orleans was a particularly poor choice given that one of its former members is now a Democrat in Congress.

Of course, McCain isn’t the first Republican to run into problems with music. During the Reagan-Mondale race in 1984, Bruce Springsteen made it clear that he didn’t want the Reagan camp to use his song “Born in the U.S.A.”

Note to candidates: Just because a song has “U.S.A.” in it, doesn’t mean it’s patriotic.

Before McCain used “Pink Houses,” Mellencamp asked the George W. Bush camp to stop using ”R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A.” during campaign stops, saying he was an ardent Democrat. Sting (”Brand New Day”) and Tom Petty (”I Won’t Back Down”) also had a beef with Bush. And more recently, Boston founder Tom Scholtz complained when Republican Mike Huckabee used “More Than a Feeling,” saying Huckabee was “the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for.”

This time around, Obama has plenty of songs to chose from. Stevie Wonder, U2 and Aretha Franklin are all okay with him using their music. But what’s McCain going to do?

The obvious choice would be “Cat Scratch Fever” by Ted Nugent, probably the best known conservative rocker. But lyirically it probably doesn’t work. And the irascible Nugent isn’t really someone a candidate wants to associate with. 

 Burt Bacharach is reportedly a McCain supporter, but “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” might fuel talk about McCain being forgetful. “What the World Needs Now Is Love” is probably a little too soft, and “That’s What Friends Are For” is just a little too . . . weenie.

Toby Keith’s “Angry American” is a bit too angry. Besides, Keith has maintained that he considers himself a Democrat. McCain can always count on Lee Greenwood’s “Proud To Be An American,” but that’s sort of been done before.

Republican Bruce Willis can sing a cover of “Young Blood,” which he did on his “Return of Bruno” album from the 80s, but that just doesn’t seem like a good fit.

So I’m going to go with “Rhythm is Gonna Get You” by Republican Gloria Estefan. Except — wait — she supported Hillary Clinton?

Oh well. There’s always John Philip Sousa.  If nothing else, we know he can’t complain.  

Posted on August 18th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: Music