A Presidential Playlist

Introduction

On Twitter Dave Gedge of the band The Wedding Present and I follow each other and he has a new album out. One of my favourite Wedding Present Somgs is "Kennedy" with that line "Too Much Apple Pie" and I thought I wonder if I could put together a playlist of at least a half-dozen songs relating to presidents, or their names. So this may go down in flames or it might be absolutely brilliant.

I don't know much about American Presidents, so most will contain scant details and a link to a Wikipedia page if there is one, but it is about the music.

There will also be two bonus pieces about 45 and his dad to close this piece.

Al Stewart - "Warren Harding" from "Past, Present & Future"

This album is a wonderful delve into history from Al Stewart, and Warren Harding is just one of the many good songs on side one, although side two's "Roads To Moscow" and "Nostradamus" are the reason that this album should be part of your collection.

Warren Harding was serving as a Republican President until he died from a heart attack in 1923.

Manic Street Preachers - "The Love of Richard Nixon"

The song is, according to the band, "a soundtrack to disillusion, hatred, love and never giving up".More specifically, the song is a sympathetic appraisal of former US president Richard Nixon and mentions some of his positive achievements, inevitably overshadowed by the Watergate Scandal.

Richard Nixon served as a Republican President from 1969 to 1974 and was impeached following the Watergate scandal.

A picture of him also inspired a Vocal Painted Prose story of mine that you can read here.

They Might Be Giants - "James K. Polk"

Love almost all that I hear by They Might Be Giants and this is a great history lesson in a song about a President I knew nothing about until hearing this excellent song. He was a Democrat and served from 1845 to 1849.

Clutch - "Abraham Lincoln"

Some metal basically about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in this very brooding piece.

Abraham Lincoln was a moderate Republican who served from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

The Jazz Butcher - "President Reagan's Birthday Present"

A great piece of music with the odd observation on this incompetent President who laid the foundations for the financial crash of 2008 with Margaret Thatcher.

The Wedding Present - "Kennedy"

I remember the day that John F Kennedy was shot, and television programs were pulled so all I had to watch was some woman playing sombre piano instead of "Bonanza" which I had really been looking forward to.

This is the song that inspired this playlist and it is brilliant, if you listen, it won't leave your head for a long time.

John F Kennedy was a Democrat and was assassinated in 1963 just after my 6th birthday.

The 45 Bonus Material

Ryan Harvey (ft. Ani DiFranco & Tom Morello) - Old Man Trump

This is a Woody Guthrie song about 45s dad. Like awful father like more awful son. Ryan Harvey's song and video hammer home the disgusting behaviour that is still carrying on today.

Roy Zimmerman (and loads of guests) - "Vote Him Away #4 (The Liar Tweets Tonight)"

Roy Zimmerman and a plethora of guests including Peggy Seeger a great take on 45 and the GOP, splicing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Walk Like An Egyptian".

45 was one of the most talentless spiteful bullies ever, proving in the USA anything can make it to the top. He went in 2021, not a moment too soon.

Roy Zimmerman's excellent channel is here.