One of the greatest lyricists in the history of American popular song is EY Harburg, who co-wrote the Great Depression-era anthem “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” There are countless other classics, including “Over the Rainbow.” Harburg said words make you think, music makes you feel, but when they come together in a song, they make you feel a thought. It’s no wonder so many politicians use the synergy of songs to build and strengthen connections with voters. GW Today asked Loren Kajikawa, an associate professor in George Washington University’s music program who also teaches, to comment on this phenomenon. This program is conducted at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, which is part of Columbia College of Arts and Sciences.
Q: What is the best or most effective example of using music in a political campaign?
A: One classic example would be Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign. With so many questions swirling around him, he was not the presidential candidate that was expected. That year, people expected it to be Hillary Clinton. Even within the Congressional Black Caucus, there were questions like, “Who is this guy?” One of the things Obama did very effectively in 2008 was to use music to establish his identity, creating a kind of song biography with an emphasis on Motown hits from the 1960s and ’70s. It was created. So when President Obama took the stage at a rally, Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” was played and featured prominently on Obama’s playlist.
If you want to go back even further, music was used effectively in Dwight Eisenhower’s campaigns in the 1950s. Irving Berlin arranged the song “They Like Ike” from the musical “Call Me Madam.” The new version was named “I Like Ike”. In that case, the lyrics of the song in the Broadway show were changed. Since then, in the late 20th century, and certainly into the 21st century, campaigns have increasingly used existing popular music, rather than creating original songs or parodies of existing songs.
There was an exception at the recent Republican National Convention. Rapper Forgiart Blow and model Amber Rose changed their music video parodying Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” to “Trump Trump Baby” in support of Donald Trump. Then there was a copyright claim from Sony Music for sampling Queen and David Bowie’s song “Under Pressure” (as in “Ice Ice Baby”).
Q: Why do you think “Sign, Seal, Deliver” was so effective for Obama?
A: I think it was a combination of many things. You can look at the lyrics and talk about the chorus, “Here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours,” which celebrates President Obama’s relationship with voters. But more than that, I think it’s the atmosphere of the song. The song’s melody, rhythm, upbeat and energetic nature, and Stevie Wonder’s amazing voice and performance make the listener feel good.
I don’t think campaign songs change people’s minds about voting for a particular candidate. But a good campaign song can help candidates energize their district and feel included in the moment. Music is very effective in creating a sense of community.
The music of the modern civil rights era resonated with the emotions and politics of the era, even if it wasn’t always explicitly political. A sense of unity was very important in how people were mobilized politically. Stevie Wonder’s music still contains many of the same connotations. President Obama clearly had the civil rights generation as one of his primary target groups.
Q: What do you think about the Harris campaign’s use of Beyoncé’s “Freedom”?
A: “Freedom” is quite a serious campaign song. It features a truly uplifting and powerful chorus. Beyoncé is a strong black woman who makes powerful statements about freedom and the African American community. It comments on how the United States has failed some of its most vulnerable citizens. And I think this speaks to a desire on Harris’ behalf to represent vulnerable communities and be an advocate for people who are not necessarily well-represented in government. It connects Harris with another strong black woman in Beyoncé, and it connects her with a very large fan base that I think overlaps with the same group that wants Harris to be at the polls in November. Choosing Beyoncé is a clear gesture to younger millennials who weren’t thrilled with Joe Biden.
The youth vote was also important to Obama’s success, and it’s important to remember that he was the first presidential candidate to make an overt gesture toward hip-hop music and culture. For example, he brushed his shoulders off when addressing criticism he had received from other politicians in a campaign speech, an obvious nod to Jay-Z’s Black Album song “Dirt Off Yours.”・The gesture that Jay-Z performs in the video (2005). So it was a nod and a wink to the hip-hop generation. This was important because before Obama, neither political party would have wanted anything to do with hip-hop.
At the same time, Obama quickly distanced himself from some of the more problematic aspects of hip-hop and its mainstream perception. For example, when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, President Obama immediately called Kanye an “idiot” and criticized his uncritical embrace of hip-hop. It was shown that this is not the case.
Q: Let’s talk about the current Republican presidential candidates.
A: There are multiple instances in which Donald Trump has chosen music to play at rallies and other political events, only to be asked not to use that music or threatened with legal action. I don’t know if that really hurts Trump or if it helps him in any way. At least for Trump’s audience, these cease-and-desist orders may actually serve to strengthen Trump’s anti-establishment identity.
Although voters of color still overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, Trump has made significant gains. It has also received support from many prominent hip-hop artists, including Kanye West, Sexy Red, and Azealia Banks. Trump’s political style is irreverent. Refusing to play according to established rulebooks and etiquette. These all match the style of hip-hop. In other words, even though there are many hip-hop artists and fans who hate Trump, there are surprisingly many people who hate him.
The fact that hip-hop culture appears in conservative spaces reflects how long hip-hop has been at the heart of American popular music. A generation of voters came of age with hip-hop as the soundtrack to their lives. And, of course, some of them will be conservative, others liberal or progressive. It is naive to think that any particular political party can claim ownership of this genre.
Q: What new developments do you see regarding the use of music in political campaigns today?
A: There is more fan-generated content than ever before. Technology has changed the way we consume and interact with music. We’ve gone from what was on President Obama’s iPod in 2008 to a world where everything is streamed. Create videos with music on TikTok and Instagram and share them with the world. In addition to campaigns promoting ideas about music and its connection to candidates, fans and voters are also creating and sharing their own content on social media. People are creating music videos of Kamala Harris dancing, laughing, and speaking with music in the background, and they’re being watched by millions of viewers. In the social media environment we live in, you don’t have complete control over your campaigns.
Q: What would be in a “top 5” playlist built around campaigns and music?
A: “Signed, sealed, delivered.” “Freedom.” Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” was used by Elizabeth Warren. President Trump used “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood. Reagan tried to associate him with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” but Springsteen then made public remarks about how Reagan must have misunderstood his music. did. Obama then interacted with Springsteen and his audience. Obama connected not only with Motown and hip-hop, but also with the rock and roll generation, primarily through his association with Springsteen.
