# Anti-American songs used as Pro-American slogans **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252 "2002-10-14T16:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/21 "2002-10-16T06:16:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by New & Improved Scott \* > **Austin Powers 2 featured Lenny Kravitz covering the Guess Who’s “American Woman” during a scene to show how hot the female american character was. Did they miss the point of the song, or were they just hoping that the audiance would only remember the first two words in the lyrics?** [nitpick] Lenny Kravitz’s (shitty-ass, watered down) version is on the _soundtrack_, but the scene introducing Heather Graham’s character uses the original Guess Who version. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/22 "2002-10-16T14:08:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*Not anti-American, but it fits the general category: I find it enormously funny that automaker Jaguar is using the Clash’s “London Calling” in their commercials. \*\* I find this campaign to be offensive and frustrating for a few reasons - - it’s so jarringly “off” from the original intent of the song; - I don’t know who to hate more for desecrating the song - Ford (Jaguar) or the Clash for selling it (and the original version, even); and - I feel so old, because by using the song that way, it means that it is out of public consciousness enough that the targeted demographic is expected to basically say “hmmm, I remember that song so it _is_ familiar and Jaguar can leverage that, but I have no recollection what the song is about” - back in the day, that song _mattered_. At least with the Who songs opening up CSI, it doesn’t feel like such a pure sell out - oh, I know that it is (“Won’t Get Fooled Again” to sell a show? - yeah, you’re angry, Pete, we can tell. Angry about potentially being forgotten) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/23 "2002-10-16T20:59:59Z")
Bear something in mind: if songs you used to like (it doesn’t matter whether they were angry, rebellious songs or pretty ballads) are being used in TV commericals, you’re old. REALLY old. Truth is, most big corporations don’t care what the lyrics to old songs meant. If the advertising department of Cadillac chooses a Led Zeppelin song, or Jaguar chooses a Clash song, it’s because they figure the people who liked those song in their teens are middle aged farts now- just the types who’d be in the market for a Cadillac or Jaguar! Of course, middle-aged farts these days do NOT want to admit they’re no longer young or cool. They WANT to believe they’re still as hip and cutting edge as ever. So, Led Zeppelin and the Clash serve a secondary purpose: they allow middle-age guys to pretend that buying a gaudy car isn’t really selling out! “Oh sure, I may be a pot-bellied 48 year old conformist with teenage kids and a mortgage… but I’m listening to the Clash as I buy my midlife- crisis car, so obviously I’m still a rebel and a maverick, deep down.” ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/24 "2002-10-16T21:54:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WordMan \* > \*\* > At least with the Who songs opening up CSI, it doesn’t feel like such a pure sell out - oh, I know that it is (“Won’t Get Fooled Again” to sell a show? - yeah, you’re angry, Pete, we can tell. Angry about potentially being forgotten) \*\* The opening song for _CSI_ is “Who Are You”, not “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/25 "2002-10-16T22:56:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > \*\* > > The opening song for _CSI_ is “Who Are You”, not “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. \*\* I believe that “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is used for the spin-off, _CSI: Miami_. Joe Piscopo had a bit in his standup act about how New Jersey is so proud of Springsteen they were talking about making “Born to Run” the official state rock song. He pointed out that Jersey is the only state that would want a state song that contained the word, “suicide.” ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/26 "2002-10-17T00:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saltire \* > \*\* > Joe Piscopo had a bit in his standup act about how New Jersey is so proud of Springsteen they were talking about making “Born to Run” the official state rock song. He pointed out that Jersey is the only state that would want a state song that contained the word, “suicide.” \*\* I remember hearing that the people of Allentown, PA were going to adopt Billy Joel’s “Allentown” as their town song or use it for some other official purpose. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/27 "2002-10-17T01:32:38Z")
Especially strange since _Allentown_ isn’t even _about_ Allentown, but a different nearby town whose name didn’t fit the meter as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/28 "2002-10-17T01:52:31Z")
Okay, neither of these were used in political campaigns, but… Eminem’s “My Name Is” in NFL commercials, until someone decided to actually listen to the whole song. Third Eye Blind’s “Semicharmed Life” being used in Inspector Gadget, commercials aimed at kids, etc. While peppy-sounding, it’s clearly about doing speed (“bumps”). ---
**Author:** ![sly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@sly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sly)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/29 "2002-10-17T03:14:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\* > they allow middle-age guys to pretend that buying a gaudy car isn’t really selling out! “Oh sure, I may be a pot-bellied 48 year old conformist with teenage kids and a mortgage… but I’m listening to the Clash as I buy my midlife- crisis car, so obviously I’m still a rebel and a maverick, deep down.” \*\* I think you’re putting far too much thought into this, astoria. Sure the bottom line is to appeal to your demographic, but “Been a long time since I rock -n- rolled” could be construed as “You’ve been saving money all of your adult life, making sacrifices, paying your bills and taking care of your family, now live a little”. Believe me, middle-age folks buying their first Caddie or Jag are anything but concernced about “selling-out” or what you may think of them. Besides, what do you think Robert Plant is driving these days? I’m guessing it’s not a Hyundai. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/30 "2002-10-17T03:50:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Saltire \* > \*\*I believe that “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is used for the spin-off, _CSI: Miami_. > > Joe Piscopo had a bit in his standup act about how New Jersey is so proud of Springsteen they were talking about making “Born to Run” the official state rock song. He pointed out that Jersey is the only state that would want a state song that contained the word, “suicide.” \*\* My memories of the hours I spent watching reruns of _Short Attention Span Theatre_ on the old Comedy Channel tell me that this riff belongs on the resume of Robert Wuhl. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252/31 "2002-10-17T03:59:09Z")
In 1988 George Bush was either sufficiently oblivious or sufficiently cynical to use Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” as a campaign song. It’s not an anti-American song, but it’s definitely an anti-people-like-George-Bush song. Remember the Target ads that used Devo’s “It’s a Beautiful World” to promote mindless consumerism? (Leaving out, of course, the lyric “…but not for me!” following “It’s a beautiful world, for you…”.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-american-songs-used-as-pro-american-slogans/132252.md?page=1)