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Surprise: Presidential Candidates May Have A Superficial View Of Their Campaign Songs’ True Meanings


Hillary Clinton has been using “American Girl” by Tom Petty at campaign rallies, but apparently whoever’s been picking out her music hasn’t really bothered to pay attention to the song’s lyrics past its first five words; as the Washington Post notes in a piece about inappropriate campaign songs, the song’s actually about the titular young lady’s dreams of romance being shattered. Witness:

It was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
She could the cars roll by
Out on 441
Like waves crashin in the beach
And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God its so painful
Something thats so close
And still so far out of reach

It’s not as much of a head-scratcher as John Edwards invoking the triple threat of Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesus, and Bono in the song that he uses to whip up crowds, but still, if Hillary loses the Democratic nomination by a handful of delegates, those last two lines are going to sting a little bit more than they probably should.

Candidates’ Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes [WP]

 
By Maura at 5:20 AM on Thu Jan 17 2008
Posted to:
  • DrSpaceman

    My favorite was when Al Gore used Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al." Ignoring the fact that the only relevance (the Al) is heavily implied to not even be the real name of the song's subject, it also featured the verse:
    Who'll be my role-model?

    Now that my role-model is

    Gone, gone

    He ducked back down the alley

    With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl

    All alone, alone,

    There were incidents and accidents

    There were hints and allegations.


    This at a time when Gore was doing everything to distance himself from Clinton.

  • dippinkind

    this may be the best year for campaign songs since reagan was using Born in the USA for awhile back in '84.

  • Rev. Paul T. Hipple

    She should fuck with peoples heads if she wants to be taken seriously


    [www.youtube.com]

  • JudgeFudge

    I don't care, I don't care - everytime I hear the begining of American Girl something in my brain goes crazy! Not only should she have this as her campaign song, she should just have it looped behind her during any press conference/debate or speech.


    If the song American Girl was running for president, I'd probably vote for that too.

  • Serolf Divad

    Sorta the way some people think that The Guess Who's "American Woman" is all patriotic and shit.

  • Nicolars

    @JZ13: Yes, all I can think of is Buffalo Bill whenever that song comes on the radio.

  • Chris N.

    She turned down a perfectly good option:


    [www.countryweekly.com]

  • disinterested 3rd party

    @JZ13: Not so much. I'm not really a TP fan, but I think this a pretty great song. Thanks for the clip. Beautiful 12 string Vox Tom's playing there.

  • Anonymous

    Is anyone else also creepily reminded of Silence of the Lambs whenever they hear this song?

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