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SONGSPEAKshaking it like a polaroid picture |
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In every political season, the candidates inspire recording artists to record tributes (or try to cash in) to their chosen candidates. We at Songspeak picked 5 at random, and labeled them ‘top 5′ totally arbitrarily. 1,000 points for us! Here they are:
# 5: “Barack Obama” - Coco Tea
Back in March, reggae singer Coco Tea recorded this shout-out tribute to Barack Obama. Never did we realize just how catchy singing someone’s name repeatedly during the chorus could be.
#4: “Raisin’ McCain” - John Rich
John Rich, of popular country band Big & Rich, wrote this McCain rally song. He even performed this song at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
Tags: 2008 presidential election, amber lee ettinger, Barack Obama, big & rich, black eyed peas, coco tea, i got a crush, john legend, john mccain, john rich, moose shootin' mama, obama girl, parasailin', pat garrett, political songs, raisin' mccain, reggae, sarah palin, strausstown, will.i.am, yes we can
I can’t help but notice the songspeak site has had some banner ads for the McCain/Palin campaign lately. I can only imagine this is because we’ve had a few McCain and Palin related posts recently, but rest assured that we here at Songspeak in no way, shape, or form support the McCain/Palin ticket.
So it bothers me that ads for them are popping up on the site. Why should it look like we’re promoting someone that we don’t support, nor agree with? Worse yet, the ad looks like some sort of satire, repeating the “maverick” catchphrase over and over. This whole maverick idea is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen in politics, and reeks of pandering to the lowest common denominator. “Hey, Joe Six-Pack! We’re mavericks! We’re gonna shoot up Washington with change…YEE-HAAAWWWWWW!” The whole thing seems like one big (sad) joke. But it’s for real. Frightening. (Never mind that I don’t understand how a candidate like McCain that has served in the senate for 22 years can pretend that he’d be “change”).
Everyone knows that the ORIGINAL mavericks are the Ford Maverick, James Garner (who played Maverick in the TV series that ran from 1957 to 1962), Tom Cruise (who played Maverick in the 1986 hit movie Top Gun), and Mel Gibson (who played Maverick in the 1994 movie version of the TV series). And even though one is a car, and two of them are total whackjobs now, I’m confident that ANY of them would make a better Vice President (or President) than Sarah Palin. Especially the car.
Tags: 50s tv, 60s tv, 80s movies, 90s movies, ford maverick, james garner, joe six-pack, john mccain, lowest common denominator, maverick, mccain/palin, mel gibson, president, sarah palin, tom cruise, top gun, vice president, washington DC, whackjobs
John McCain’s campaign has been using the Foo Fighters song, “My Hero” at rallies without the band’s permission.
“It’s frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property. The saddest thing about this is that ‘My Hero’ was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song. We hope that the McCain campaign will do the right thing and stop using our song–and start asking artists’ permission in general!”
- Statement from Foo Fighter’s public relations firm, Nasty Little Man
This is not the first time this has happened, apparently.
The band Heart noticed that its song “Barracuda” was used for Sarah Palin events without permission.
John Mellencamp’s songs, “Our Country” and “Little Pink Houses” were used without permission.
Jackson Browne’s song “Running on Empty” was also used by the Republican party without consent. Jackson Browne has even filed suit against the party as well as the campaign, concerned that playing the song at an Ohio event implies his endorsement of McCain.
John Hall, a member of the 1970s group Orleans and now congressman, was unhappy with the campaign’s use of the Orleans song “Still The One” without his consent.
(more…)
Tags: barracuda, campaign, can't take my eyes off of you, congressman, consent, copyright, foo fighters, heart, infringement, intellectual property, jackson browne, john cougar mellencamp, john hall, john mccain, little pink houses, my hero, nasty little man, orleans, our country, rally, republican party, rocky theme song, running on empty, sarah palin, saturday night live, snl, still the one, to love honor and stalk, without permission
In 1984, long before Sarah Palin was John McCain’s vice presidential nominee, she (then Sarah Heath) entered into the Miss Alaska Pageant. She competed in a swimsuit competition of course. But more importantly, she showed off her musical prowess during the talent portion of the competition by playing the flute.
The announcer says: “She is an accomplished flautist who has been performing for ten years. She will be performing “The Homecoming” as written by Nathan Hardy…”
Here’s the video:
She didn’t win the competition.
Tags: 1984, alaska, blows, flautist, flute, governor, john mccain, miss alaska pageant, nathan hardy, nominee, sarah heath, sarah palin, swimsuit competition, talent competition, the homecoming, vice president, wasilla
John McCain was supposed to appear as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. However, because of the economic crisis this country is suffering (due to the absolute joke that is the Bush administration), McCain felt it necessary to cancel his appearance at the last minute.
This didn’t sit too well with David Letterman, and he railed on John McCain like there was no tomorrow. He chided him for suspending his campaign, he criticized him for not having Sarah Palin take his place while he took care of business in Washington, DC. He even showed live footage of McCain being interviewed by Katie Couric, while he was supposed to be on his way back to Washington. Letterman and Keith Olbermann hammed it up while watching the footage.
Take a look at the tongue lashing Letterman unleashed last night:
Tags: 00s tv, bush administration, CBS, dave letterman, david letterman, economic crisis, john mccain, katie couric, keith olbermann, late show with david letterman, letterman criticizes mccain, mccain cancels appearance, mccain criticism, mccain late show appearance, mccain suspends campaign, paul shaffer, sarah palin, tongue lashing, washington DC
Avast! The week’s past is ye a memory. As we hoist our anchors and set sail for days cometh, let’s recall the waters of the past. Aye, she’s a wiery one. Won’t you scrape th’barnacles of our tired rudders, matey?
What do you want to do tonight, Brain?
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season premiere
Come on now try and understand… the way I feel, I’m the Orkin Man
Sizzle & Stir with the Celebrities!
Interview with R. Kelly a real pisser
A permanent lapse of Richard Wright from Pink Floyd
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live
And of course our interview with Mr. Andre N. Jones
Tags: amy poehler, cadbury, dark side of the moon, drumming, gorilla, hillary clinton, it's always sunny in philadelphia, Mr. T, pink floyd, pinky and the brain, r. kelly, richard wright, sarah palin, saturday night live, snl, the orkin man, tina fey
Brilliantly played by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, this season of Saturday Night Live opened over this past weekend with a bang. Fey played John McCain’s vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. Poehler played Hillary Clinton.
Here’s a transcript:
FEY AS PALIN: “Good evening, my fellow Americans. I was so excited when I was told Senator Clinton and I would be addressing you tonight.”
POEHLER AS CLINTON: “And I was told I would be addressing you alone.”
FEY AS PALIN: “Now I know it must be a little bit strange for all of you to see the two of us together. What with me being John McCain’s running mate.”
POEHLER AS CLINTON: “And me being a fervent supporter of Senator Barack Obama — as evidenced by this button.”
FEY AS PALIN: “But tonight we are crossing party lines to address the now very ugly role that sexism is playing in the campaign.”
POEHLER AS CLINTON: “An issue which I am frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about.”
(more…)
Tags: 00s tv, 2008 presidential election, amy poehler, flerg, flirj, flurg, hillary clinton, john mccain, parody, politics, sarah palin, satire, saturday night live, season premiere, sexism, snl, tina fey, vice president
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