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Music Suggestions to Help the Terminally Unhip


By Juanita - Posted on 20 October 2008

We need help from someone far hipper than we are. We are putting together a CD of music to play at the election night victory party.

Here's what we have so far --- Both of Will I Am's Barack Obama tunes ("We are the people we have been waiting for" and "Yes we can"), Sheryl Crowe's "Change Will Do You Good," Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed and Delivered, Tina Turner's "Simply the Best," Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Sweet Home Chicago," Queen's "We will rock you," Obama Girl's "I've Got a Crush on Obama," and a couple of raps.

If you have suggestions, let us know. We'll try to have a special prize for the people who make suggestions we use.

Here's to the babies in a brand new world
Here's to the beauty of the stars
Here's to the travellers on the open road
Here's to the dreamers in the bars

Here's to the teachers in the crowded rooms
Here's to the workers in the fields
Here's to the preachers of the sacred words
Here's to the drivers at the wheel

Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin
Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin, let the day begin

Here's to the winners of the human race
Here's to the losers in the game
Here's to the soldiers of the bitter war
Here's to the wall that bears their names

Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin
Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Let the day begin, let the day begin, let the day start

Here's to the doctors and their healing work
Here's to the loved ones in their care
Here's to the strangers on the streets tonight
Here's to the lonely everywhere

Here's to the wisdom from the mouths of babes
Here's to the lions in the cage
Here's to the struggles of the silent war
Here's to the closing of the age.

Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin
Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Let the day begin

Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Let the day begin
Here's to you my little loves with blessings from above
Now let the day begin, let the day begin, let the day start

These aren't very celebratory, I guess, but definitely populist-progressive... My votes:

Johnny Cash/Man in Black

"I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times...
I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.
And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.
Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black."

Public Enemy/Fight the Power

"Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be...
I'm black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
Let's get this party started right
Right on, c'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be..."

That song they always play in stadiums, We Will Rock You or whatever its called. I t would make a nice intro to result updates.

Might I suggest:

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

Dave in LaVerne, CA

I mean, the man's going to lose! How 'bout some music for him? I think Goin' Down by Springsteen or Turn to Stone by ELO might be good. What do you think?

For a little more edge, why not Green Day's American Idiot? I know it may be a bit much for some but I love the title track's words, as wells as Holiday and September.

Well, this is Texas, so you're required by law to have some Bob Wills and Willie Nelson.

--
Regards,

Murkuhn

What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye

Possible songs:

Born to Run - Emmylou Harris

End of the Line - Traveling Wilburys

Teach your children - CSNY

Breadline Blues - New Lost City Ramblers

FDR is back again - New Lost City Ramblers

Electrified Donkey - Johnny Horton

Una Paloma Blanca - various

Walk of Life - Dire Straits

Whole Lotta Shakin' - Jerry Lee Lewis

Jim Dandy (to the rescue) - ? (from 1957)

mb

From their album, Taking the Long Way:

I Hope
sung by the Dixie Chicks

Sunday morning, I heard the preacher say
Thou shall not kill
I don't wanna, hear nothing else, about killing
And that it's God's will
Our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They're gonna be like us
So let's learn from our history
And do it differently

CHORUS:
I hope
For more love, more joy and laughter
I hope
We'll have more than we'll ever need
I hope
We'll have more happy ever afters
I hope
We can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
I hope, I hope

Oh Rosie, her man he gets too rough
That all she can say, is he's a good man
He don't mean no harm
He was just brought up that way
But our children are watching us
They put their trust in us
They're gonna be like us
It's okay for us to disagree
We can work it out lovingly

I hope
For more love, more joy and laughter
I hope
You'll have more than you'll ever need
I hope
You'll have more happy ever afters
I hope
You can all live more fearlessly
And you can lose all the pain and misery
I hope, I hope

There must be a way to change what's going on
No I don't have all the answers

I hope
For more love, more joy and laughter
I hope
You'll have more than you'll ever need
I hope
There'll be more happy ever afters
I hope
We can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all our pain and misery
I hope, I hope

I hope
I hope
I hope

The knuckle-draggers are trying to say that Obama wasn't born in USA, so what better song than Bruce Springsteen's
"BORN IN THE USA". I have it on CD if needed.
WJH

How about Paul Simon's Gone At Last? First thing that popped into my mind.

If I think of more today,I'll send them along. Fenway Fran

Update:I found the lyrics to help the judging. Note third verse.
Words & music by Paul Simon

The night was black, the roads were icy
Snow was fallin', drifts were high
And I was weary, from my driving
And I stopped to rest for a while
I sat down at a truck stop
I was thinking about my past
I've had a long streak of bad luck
But I'm praying it's gone at last

Gone, gone at last, gone at last
Gone at last, gone at last
I had a long streak of that bad luck
But I'm prayin' it's gone at last
00, oo, oo, oo, oo

I ain't dumb
I kicked around some
I don't fall too easily
But that boy looked so dejected
He just grabbed my sympathy
Sweet little soul now, what's your problem?
Tell me why you're so downcast
I've had a long streak of bad luck
But I'm praying it's gone at last

Gone, gone at last, gone at last
Gone at last, gone at last
I had a long streak of that bad luck
But I'm prayin' it's gone at last
00, oo, oo, oo, oo

Once in a while from out of nowhere
When you don't expect it, and you're unprepared
Somebody will come and lift you higher
And your burdens will be shared
Yes I do believe, if I hadn't met you
I might still be sinking fast
I've had a long streak of bad luck
But I'm praying it's gone at last

Gone, gone, gone at last
Gone at last, gone at last
I had a long streak of that bad luck
But I'm prayin' it's gone at last
Gone, gone, gone gone gone gone
Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
I had a long streak of that bad luck
But I'm prayin' it's gone at last

I dunno why if Obama wanted a Bruce song he insisted on using The Rising as an introductory song - lyrically it's a very odd choice. This one? Damn near perfect. The officially released versions are on Essential and on Live in New York City...I have both. LONG, 6-8 minutes. This version has People Get Ready as an outro, which is pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXGNq2-S06I&feature=related

Land of Hope and Dreams
Bruce Springsteen

Grab your ticket and your suitcase
Thunder's rolling down the tracks
You don't know where you're goin'
But you know you won't be back
Darlin' if you're weary
Lay your head upon my chest
We'll take what we can carry
And we'll leave the rest

Big Wheels rolling through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

I will provide for you
And I'll stand by your side
You'll need a good companion for
This part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there'll be sunshine
And all this darkness past

Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

This train
Carries saints and sinners
This train
Carries losers and winners
This Train
Carries whores and gamblers
This Train
Carries lost souls
This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train
Bells of freedom ringin'

This Train
Carries broken-hearted
This Train
Thieves and sweet souls departed
This Train
Carries fools and kings
This Train
All aboard

This Train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This Train
Faith will be rewarded
This Train
Hear the steel wheels singin'
This Train
Bells of freedom ringin'

"How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times as These and Live" by Ry Cooder and with Texas' own Flaco Jiminez.

There is a lively version on Cooder's "Showtime" album, but you can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6efQ_GyQW3o

The same album also contains a rocking Tex-Mex medley of "Viva Seguin" by Flaco's father, Santiago Jiminez, Sr., and "Do Re Mi" by Woody Guthrie. This number is guaranteed to have everybody whooping with delight and dancing in the aisles.

voter