# Obama Sings Al Green **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940 "2012-01-28T02:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/41 "2012-01-29T16:21:49Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > And suddenly Al Green’s greatest hits album is back on the charts. A clear Demonstration of Obama’s commitment to improving America by restoring our glories from the past 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/42 "2012-01-30T15:48:27Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I saw the clip unexpectedly the other day on The Daily Show and didn’t know what to make of it. I was like “wait, what?” but it was over. I saw it too (or maybe it was on Colbert?) and I thought it was dubbed! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/43 "2012-01-30T17:06:24Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Didn’t Al Green invent the internet? No, no; he was head of the Federal Reserve. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/44 "2012-01-30T17:30:32Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > He’s credible as a singer, but his comedy act needs work. A LOT of work. I dunno man, he owned pretty hard at that Correspondent’s Dinner. Especially the video. Choice of Real American was inspired. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/45 "2012-01-30T23:46:02Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I dunno man, he owned pretty hard at that Correspondent’s Dinner. Especially the video. Choice of Real American was inspired. The State of the Union is a difficult gig. The Capital is the very definition of a “tough room”. You go in there knowing half of the audience hates you. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/46 "2012-01-31T00:10:19Z")
> [@williambaskerville](#): > > Could someone better versed than me explain his Sandman reference ? For many years, entertainer “Sandman” Sims (since deceased) was the guy who gave the hook to acts who were “dying” onstage at the Apollo Theater, site of the President’s event (and a venue famous for a demanding audience who’ll have no mercy if you’re bombing). ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/47 "2012-01-31T00:17:44Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Fascinating! > > Time line for anyone who cares about the history of ‘brush your shoulders off’ (there are commercials before the vids) > [Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D1CqVrGXdo&t=0m45s) 1998 > > [Michael Jackson You Rock My World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-7ABIM2qjU&t=10m10s) 2001. > > Jay Z [Dirt Off Your Shoulder](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz_-VaTHpc8&t=1m5s) 2003 > > Barack Obama [Dirt Off Your Shoulder](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZJex9Ge2-Q&t=0m15s) 2008 Giiirl, Michael was doin’ that move long before 98. First thing that comes to mind is the 95 VMAs-- [About 2:50 is where he does it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9M7-NgkI7c) Also, I vaguely recall seeing video of the Bad tour from the mid to late 80s where he does it, too (during the performance of Smooth Criminal— he doesn’t do it in the long form version of the video however). Basically, any time Michael took on his cool guy gangster persona, he threw that move in. Diosa Resident Michael Jackson expert 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/48 "2012-01-31T00:55:29Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I dunno man, he owned pretty hard at that Correspondent’s Dinner. Especially the video. Choice of Real American was inspired. He was pretty funny on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me back when he was a Senator. And unlike the Correspondent’s Dinner, that wasn’t scripted. Not that I think he should quit his day job, but he has a decent sense for how to entertain a room. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/49 "2012-01-31T01:25:55Z")
I’d love to see Obama record a song for charity. These days digital publishing is so quick. They could have him in/out of the studio in a couple hours. Then sell it on Amazon and ITunes that night. It would raise a lot of money for a charity. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/50 "2012-01-31T01:29:17Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > [Here.](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obama-al-green-lets-stay-together-sales-spike-285258) > > I enjoyed this on a level that is hard to explain. Just hard to describe _why_ this is so awesome. Cool personified. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/51 "2012-01-31T14:22:20Z")
“Chain, chain, chain… Chain of fools…” [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jebeVd7bHq0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jebeVd7bHq0) “Walk on by…” [Barack Obama sings Dionne Warwick's song to Dionne Warwick - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo8nLMCLT60) ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/52 "2012-01-31T14:31:32Z")
Thanks for posting those, **Ca3799.** I love the second one. Good advice for the young brothers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/53 "2012-01-31T16:02:33Z")
Well, he even took a tiny swing at “Boogie Back to Texas” with Ray Benson and Asleep At the Wheel- one of my favorite bands! Poor video, though. [Barack Obama Sings - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ti3usmrqN4&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/54 "2012-01-31T20:30:30Z")
I normally need my daughters to point this stuff out, but I figured this out on my own: Obama really is that hot, isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/55 "2012-02-01T00:56:04Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Giiirl, Michael was doin’ that move long before 98. First thing that comes to mind is the 95 VMAs-- [About 2:50 is where he does it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9M7-NgkI7c) > > Also, I vaguely recall seeing video of the Bad tour from the mid to late 80s where he does it, too (during the performance of Smooth Criminal— he doesn’t do it in the long form version of the video however). Basically, any time Michael took on his cool guy gangster persona, he threw that move in. > > Diosa > Resident Michael Jackson expert 😃 Well, that was fairly awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/56 "2012-02-01T01:09:15Z")
> [@Cillasi](#): > > What made it so awesome is that he sang just enough…just enough to make you wonder just how good he might be. I hope he never, ever sings again (at least while he’s in office). It’s good to keep us wondering, and it would be showing off if he did it again. The video of him singing one line got over four million hits, and this is a re-election year. I figure it’s only a matter of time before he cuts a full video. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/57 "2012-02-01T01:49:49Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I normally need my daughters to point this stuff out, but I figured this out on my own: Obama really is that hot, isn’t he? Yes. Yes, he is. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/58 "2012-02-01T02:56:26Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I normally need my daughters to point this stuff out, but I figured this out on my own: Obama really is that hot, isn’t he? Yup. But [look who he has to keep up with.](http://fashionzonline.com/uploads/2011/04/michelleobama.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/59 "2012-02-02T02:52:27Z")
Oh, and the Sandman didn’t come out because he didn’t need to come out Those were too many tons of awesome. All it takes is a couple bars of “Iiiiiiiiii’m” to slay me. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940/60 "2012-02-02T02:55:27Z")
Michele is several kinds of hot. There is a point at which you stop competing, but Barack hasn’t hit it yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sings-al-green/610940.md?page=2)