# What's your campaign song?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 29, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404 "2004-07-29T05:21:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/1 "2004-07-29T05:21:43Z")
Fast forward to 2112. Through an unusual (or not so unusual, depending on who you are) combination of circumstances, you’ve just nailed the magic number of delegates to be your party’s nominee for president, early in the primary process. Your stump speech is polished and effective, you’ve got money pouring in, and a talented lineup of people willing to serve in the cabinet if you’re elected.
The problem is, your opponent is in a similar situation, and you both are deadlocked in the polls. You have a little time before the campaign really heats up, but things are so close, any slight advantage may prove to be decisive.
So the staff starts kicking around a campaign song. What are you going to suggest?
Keep in mind that it should be upbeat (nothing from The Cure, for example), modern enough to appeal to young people without being so offbeat as to put off older voters. The lyrics probably should reflect at least some aspect of your campaign message as well. AND it should be easy enough to be recognizable when attempted by a junior high band at a campaign stop somewhere. It would be also nice if you enjoyed the tune enough to hear it hundreds — if not thousands — of times during the long months of the campaign.
Let’s assume, for the sake of the discussion, that whatever song you pick will be allowed by the artist or band, who will take its selection as a compliment.
What’s it gonna be? Born in the USA? - Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight? - Sweet Child O’Mine?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/2 "2004-07-29T05:27:19Z")
\*Flirtin’ With Disaster \* - **Molly Hatchett**
I think that song says it all. 😃
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### Author:  [@iloverocknroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iloverocknroll)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/3 "2004-07-29T11:19:42Z")
Whoa, good question. Okay, so the idea is, you want to get “new” voters charged, right? You’d have to pick something younger people are familiar with, so: Christina Aguillera, “Can’t Hold us Down”…Lil Kim’s part would have to be changed. In my utopia, I’d pick,“Going in the Right Direction,” by Robert Randolph and the Family Band.
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### Author:  [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/4 "2004-07-29T12:06:12Z")
_Whatcha’ Want_ by the **Beastie Boys**.
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### Author:  [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/5 "2004-07-29T13:16:41Z")
_Electioneering_ by **Radiohead**
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### Author:  [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/6 "2004-07-29T22:17:46Z")
Intersting choices. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/7 "2004-07-29T22:29:52Z")
I would be extremely tempted to use [New Test Leper](http://www.remrock.com/remrock/lyrics/albums/new_hifi.html?song=newtest) by R.E.M., but somehow I don’t think this would go over well. CCR’s Fortunate Son? Nah, scrap that too. 😃
Got to Get You Into My Life by the Beatles? Aw heck, I don’t know.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/8 "2004-07-29T22:30:48Z")
> [@Hometownboy](#):
>
> **Fast forward to 2112.** Through an unusual (or not so unusual, depending on who you are) combination of circumstances, you’ve just nailed the magic number of delegates to be your party’s nominee for president, early in the primary process. Your stump speech is polished and effective, you’ve got money pouring in, and a talented lineup of people willing to serve in the cabinet if you’re elected.
>
> The problem is, your opponent is in a similar situation, and you both are deadlocked in the polls. You have a little time before the campaign really heats up, but things are so close, any slight advantage may prove to be decisive.
>
> So the staff starts kicking around a campaign song. What are you going to suggest?
>
> Keep in mind that it should be upbeat … **modern enough to appeal to young people without being so offbeat as to put off older voters** …
Something by the Rolling Stones.
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### Author:  [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/9 "2004-07-30T03:33:51Z")
\*Margaritaville \* by Jimmy Buffet.
I’m not sure why.
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### Author:  [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/10 "2004-07-30T04:40:11Z")
Won’t Get Fooled Again
New World Man (Fast forward to 2112, indeed!)
Song 2
Subterranean Homesick Blues
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/11 "2004-07-30T04:54:28Z")
_I Want You To Want Me_ - Cheap Trick
_Maggot Brain_ - Parliament/Funkadelics
_Symphony 41_ - Mozart
_Turn it On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose_ - Dwight Yoakam
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### Author:  [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/12 "2004-07-30T05:57:18Z")
Big Yellow Taxi - _Joni Mitchell_
Brothers in Arms - _Dire Straits_
New Favorite - _Alison Kraus_
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### Author:  [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/13 "2004-07-30T06:06:45Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> Something by the Rolling Stones.
Sympathy For The Devil.
😃
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### Author:  [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/14 "2004-07-30T06:08:03Z")
Rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow! Rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow!
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/15 "2004-07-30T06:11:31Z")
Moving this from IMHO to Cafe Society.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/16 "2004-07-30T14:09:53Z")
Just last niiiiight…
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### Author:  [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/17 "2004-07-30T15:08:54Z")
Closer by Nine Inch Nails
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### Author:  [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/18 "2004-07-30T16:32:25Z")
“Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley
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### Author:  [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/19 "2004-07-30T17:01:25Z")
“Maneater” - Hall and Oates
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-campaign-song/257404/20 "2004-08-02T12:19:46Z")
“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by AC/DC - it’s already my theme song anyway.
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