In 1960, the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy featured the favored track “High Hopes,” with specially-written lyrics sung by Frank Sinatra:
Ok E Double-N E D Y
Jack’s the nation’s favourite man
Everyone needs to again Jack
Jack is heading in the right direction
‘Cause he is acquired excessive hopes
He’s acquired excessive hopes
Nineteen Sixty’s the 12 months for his excessive hopes
The proper music can set a candidate other than the pack, and that is why it has been a part of the American political panorama since Day One. University of Michigan music historical past professor Mark Clague says campaign music goes again to the founding of our nation, “back to the time of George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Really even predates the time when we had broad, popular elections, when it really was the Electoral College. Music was still a part of the discourse, and it was a way to bring passion into politics.”
Talk about ardour: The 2024 election has grow to be a Battle of the Bands, beginning with Kid Rock on the Republican National Convention in July:
And a couple of weeks later, the Democrats turned their roll name right into a dance occasion, led by DJ Cassidy:
A catchy track is usually a campaign’s calling card, a free advert that performs indefinitely. Take Bill Clinton with Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,” or Ronald Reagan with Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” That track took on particular that means within the days after 9/11.
Greenwood mentioned he wrote it for all Americans, and initially he didn’t need it used as a part of any political campaign: “No, that bothered me at first. The Democratic Party had called me in 1984 and wanted me to perform ‘U.S.A.’ at their convention in San Francisco, and I said no. I declined. The Republicans also called me for their convention in Dallas; I also declined.”
But when President Reagan requested Greenwood to sing it in 1988, he did, and it is since grow to be a Republican anthem.
Lee Greenwood sings “God Bless the U.S.A.” on the 1988 Republican National Convention:
Greenwood additionally sang it on the RNC this previous summer time.
So, if a Democrat requested him to make use of his track, would he allow them to? “If that question came, I’d have to consider that,” mentioned Greenwood. “This is the fourth or fifth Republican president I’ve sang for. But I’ve sang for ten presidents, including Presidents Obama and Clinton and Carter and Nixon and Bush. And so, if another president on the Democratic Party wants to use ‘God Bless U.S.A.,’ I don’t know that it’d be wise, but I’d have to consider that.”
Vice President Kamala Harris has her personal musician pals, most notably Beyoncé, who’s allowed Harris to make use of the track “Freedom” in her campaign.
The Harris campaign’s advert “We Choose Freedom,” that includes the Beyoncé track “Freedom”:
But what occurs when a musician does not need their music used? Dozens of artists, from ABBA to The Rolling Stones, have mentioned “no” to the Trump campaign.
The Issac Hayes family objected to the usage of “Hold On, I’m Comin'” by the Trump campaign, and final week a choose in Atlanta granted a preliminary injunction barring them from using it.
And Celine Dion pushed again when the Trump campaign used the “Titanic” film theme, “My Heart Will Go On,” saying, “Really, that song?”
Lawrence Iser is a music copyright lawyer in Los Angeles who efficiently sued John McCain’s campaign over the usage of Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty.” “If they’ve been told not to use it, but then they continue to use it, then that’s actually copyright infringement,” mentioned Iser. “And it is actionable. It’s actionable in Federal Court. So, you’ll be able to sue.
“So, if you are a political candidate, those candidates need to respect the Constitutional right of a musician or a songwriter to just say no to the use of their song in a political campaign,” Iser mentioned.
Music could not change voters’ minds, however it will probably undoubtedly make them sway. “It’s having that chorus that sort of sticks in your brain that doesn’t let you forget it,” mentioned Clague. “And so, that’s part of music’s power in a way that, you know, a stump speech is never gonna pull off.”
For extra information:
Story produced by John D’Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.
