Campaign Songs
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop, it'll soon be here
It'll be here better than before
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone
—Fleetwood Mac, Don’t Stop (Bill Clinton’s 92 campaign song)
The political commercials are almost over. The end is in sight. Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow! To help you get to the finish line, we’re dedicating this edition of the Swap to the only thing that can make politics enjoyable right now - campaign songs.
If you were running for President, what would your campaign song be? Adam, Kody, and Mat answer this question, and our Bonus Track guest, an American history scholar, provides a quick history lesson on campaign songs and ranks his top five.
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (Kody)
My word. This song. All is right in the world when the wedding DJ queues this one up. Don’t Stop Believin’ would 100% be my campaign song. I’d walk right out there and lead the crowd in a call and response…
Who are we singing about? JUST A SMALL-TOWN GIRL
Where’s she living? LIVING IN A LONELY WORLD
Where’s she going? SHE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE
Who else is this song about? JUST A CITY BOY
Where’s he from? BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH DETROIT (sure to get that UAW vote with this one)
Where’s he going? HE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE
We’d sing the words don’t stop believin’ for a while and then I’d hit that air guitar solo. GAME. SET. MATCH. All the joy. All the feels. Absolutely no substance. Sound familiar?
“Don’t Wanna Fight” by Alabama Shakes (Mat)
I’ve always heard that all politics are local, but it seems like the opposite is true lately: all politics are national. If I were running for office I would try to buck that trend. My campaign theme song would have to have something with some Alabama roots. On top of that, I think I’d be tired of the vitriol and mudslinging of the campaign trail. What better to hit those themes than singing the refrain “I don’t wanna fight no more” with a band from Alabama? Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to win this imaginary election, but at least we’ll have good tunes.
Hog Calling Contest by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (Adam)
“When the fat lady sings till she's blue in the face
What if the rat eats the king cobra?
Does that mean the turtles win the race?
When pigs fly (When pigs fly)”
Politics aren’t really my thing. I actually try to avoid most news to keep my mind clear. The idea of running for office is so far-fetched it’s like waiting for pigs to fly! Speaking of which, King Gizzard’s latest album plays with that idea, and it’s fantastic from beginning to end. Enjoy!
Bonus Track: Campaign Theme Songs by Thomas Kidd
Presidential campaigns before the 1930s sometimes had songs associated with them, but we probably didn’t have a “modern” campaign theme song until 1932’s “Happy Days Are Here Again.” That song was adopted by the Franklin Roosevelt campaign amidst the Great Depression and his blowout win over President Herbert Hoover. Since the 1960s, most major campaigns have either adopted a song, or produced their own song about the candidate (e.g. 1968’s “Nixon’s the One”).
The best campaign theme songs have simply been good or catchy tunes, but also made a point related to the candidate or his opponent. In light of this, here are my top 5 presidential theme songs (with no regard to how much I liked the candidate):
5. “America,” by Neil Diamond, Michael Dukakis campaign, 1988
OK, anything by Neil Diamond has a bit of a “cheese” factor, but this is a great campaign theme which tapped into Dukakis’s emphasis on the American immigrant experience.
4. “The Rising,” by Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama campaign, 2008
One of the best songs musically used by a campaign, this was originally written about the 9/11 attacks and recovery, and drew on themes of American pride and resilience.
3. “Wave on Wave,” by Pat Green, George W. Bush campaign, 2000
Another great song, it helped Bush emphasize his Texas roots and echoed Bush’s own born-again experience.
2. “Don’t Stop,” by Fleetwood Mac, Bill Clinton campaign, 1992
A brilliant choice that became deeply connected to the ethos of the Clinton campaign. And the tune’s baseline is just perfect for revving up a campaign audience!
1. “Fortunate Son,” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Kerry campaign, 2004
Maybe the best choice ever made by the otherwise dismal Kerry campaign against George W. Bush. “Fortunate Son” is my favorite song musically used by a campaign, but this antiwar classic was also an ideal selection for Kerry to emphasize his service in Vietnam, versus Bush’s controversial home-front placement in the Air National Guard.
Thomas S. Kidd is a history professor who teaches courses on colonial America, the American Revolution, and American religious history. He has authored numerous books and has written for publications like the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Kidd also loves good music! His first concert was Van Halen in 1986 and his favorite artist to listen to while writing is Charlie Parker.
Send us your campaign songs. We’d love to hear from you. Also, if you need a good 2024 campaign soundtrack, Jessica Reed Kraus has you covered.
-TheMusicSwap
“All I Ever Wonder” by St. Paul & The Broken Bones is a great one for expressing exasperation at the seemingly permanent divisions in this country: “i can’t tell what side I’m on/I can’t tell what’s right or wrong/we ain’t ever gonna sing one song”
“A More Perfect Union” by Titus Andronicus is just an amazing song that rocks hard and quotes Lincoln and William Lloyd Garrison. “Tramps like us, baby, we were born to die.”