McCain/Palin pull a Reagan with "Born in the U.S.A."

The country hit, “Independence Day”, by Martina McBride" was used to introduce Sarah Palin on stage at a rally earlier this week.

Why is this such a big deal, you ask?
According to McBride:

D’oh!!! :smack:

That’s what they used?! What idiots. Not that I’d expect more from them, but jezus.

How many musical artists is that now that either have told McCain to not use their stuff or twisted it against them?
Could they be any more tone deaf? Or clueless?

Sadly, they probably could. :eek:

There were others? (I know there was one with John Mellencamp, who also had Reagan try to use “Pink Houses”-did McCain try to use that one?) Which ones?

Just for the record, it’s actually the songwriter, “Nashville veteran Gretchen Peters”, who is donating her proceeds to PP. The article doesn’t actually mention how Martina McBride feels about it.

Moving along, though: Hee! Do they not ever actually listen to the songs they choose? How many times does this kind of stuff have to happen before they catch on and start checking both the lyrics, and as in the case of Heart’s Barracuda, whether or not the performer is going to be happy if they play their song? Dumbasses.

That’s the songwriter, Gretchen Peters, talking in the article, not McBride.

Hannity uses that song as the theme for his stupid weekend show. He probably has no idea what it’s about either.

Fair’s fair - let’s all gaze back with fondness on Al Gore, who played “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who on a campaign stop during his 2000 presidential bid. One of his major campaign themes was “I’m not just Bill Clinton”… but the song’s extended bridge features the famous lyrics “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

I can believe it.

And thanks for the correction. Yes, Peters, not McBride. D’oh-smack me now. :smack:

I saw a bumper sticker that said, “OOOOOH! SARAHCUDA!”

I know McCain/Palin has been slapped down by Van Halen for using “Right Now,” by Heart for using “Barracuda” and by Jackson Brown for using “Running On Empty” (which would be ironically apt these days). There may be more. Republicans always have a hard time getting support from rock acts. That’s why they alaways get stuck using country songs.

Well, I really like Martina McBride’s voice and most of the songs she sings. She’s a powerful, little soprano. I dig her music for the most part.

But she’s a Republican, according to the internet. I think she even performed at the second Bush convention.

Ouch-not much luck there.
I’m guessing their next attempt will be the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “My Friends.”
:stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve heard that song regularly used on Hannity’s radio show, I think as the theme. Of course, Rush uses The Pretenders’ “Ohio”.

Heart and “Barracuda” re Palin.

It’s happened again, and this time the pissed-off artist is Bon Jovi.

How hard would it be to just ask the artists ahead of time? I’m not being sarcastic, either. I’m genuinely curious. I would think the ensuing embarrassment would make the effort worthwhile, but maybe it really isn’t.

My all time favorite GOP “did you think that one through?” song choice was in 1992. After days of speeches on family values and against gays by Pat Buchanan and others (most of which no doubt sounded better in the original German), George H.W. Bush surprised all by walking onstage a day early. People cheered and screamed and lactated and whirled in orgiastic ecstacy at the sight of him as the band played The Best of Times is Now.

*The best of times is now
what’s left of summer but a faded rose
the best of times is now
as for tomorrow well… who knows?

So hold this moment fast
and live and love as hard as you know how
and make this moment last
because the Best of Times is Now! Is Now! Is Now!"*

For those not familiar with the song, it was composed by Jerry Herman, the HIV+ openly gay composer of Hello Dolly and Mame, for the play whose book was written by Harvey Fierstein (who if U.S. gays had aristocracy he’d be good for at least a grand duchy). The musical was La Cage Aux Folles, based on the French film of the same name, which for anyone not familiar was the film later castrated and Americanized as The Birdcage, a comedy about a gay couple (one a flamboyant professional drag queen who sings the song BoT) whose son is recently engaged to the daughter of a conservative religious-right asshole politician. (The star of the Broadway show, incidentally [playing the “Robin Williams” role from the U.S. version] was Gene Barry- in addition to being a “man’s man” in movies a cantor and orthodox rabbi [non practicing] in real life, and though straight said it was possibly the role he was proudest of and one he brought in his grandchildren to watch him perform.)

So funny a choice on so many levels that I always felt it had to have been chosen by a Roy Cohn-ish GOP closet case as his one “heh heh heh- up yours” to his party.

The Foo Fighters were also upset over the use of “My Hero” by McCain’s campaign, though the lyrics aren’t as politically inappropriate.