Idolator: John McCain

John McCain Is Not Dave Grohl's Hero

Kate Richardson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EDT

It's hard being a Republican Presidential candidate sometimes, what with most people who are in the business of writing populist anthems frowning on your usage of their songs at political events. The McCain-Palin camp has had a particularly rough go of it lately, what with Nancy Wilson tossing them a cease-and-desist after their abuse of "Barracuda" and Van Halen reigniting their old tensions after "Right Now" was played at a rally.. Now the Foo Fighters have come out of hiatus just to issue a strongly worded press release regarding the campaign's use of "My Hero."

Having received confirmed press reports that John McCain has been using Foo Fighters' "My Hero" as the latest in a number of unauthorized theme songs at his campaign rallies without seeking permission from the band, its management, record label or publisher, Foo Fighters have issued the following statement: This isn't the first time the McCain campaign has used a song without making any attempt to get approval or permission from the artist. It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property. The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song. We hope that the McCain campaign will do the right thing and stop using our song—and start asking artists' permission in general!

There's actually something missing from this press release. It should read "'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. And it was intended for use as the soundtrack to a totally rad slow motion sports sequence in a late-'90s James Van Der Beek movie about high school football and kinky teen sex. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in such a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

If you need a refresher course on 1999 teen angst/high school sports classics, here's the trailer for Varsity Blues:

In the movie, McCain supporter Jon Voight plays an evil blustery football coach hell bent on ruining James Van Der Beek's scholarship to Brown because he doesn't like his defiant authoritarianism and high-falootin' attitude. The character is not unlike John McCain in the sense that both men are old, cranky, and mistrustful of sophistication. So if the Presidential campaign were set in the universe of Varsity Blues, then John McCain would be the malevolent coach Kilmer, and Dave Grohl would be studly-and-idealistic second-string quarterback Jonathon Moxon. And this whole scenario might play out something like this:

MCCAIN: This is your opportunity!

GROHL: For you! Playing "My Hero" at your campaign rally may have been the opportunity of your lifetime, but ah don't want yer life!

END

Disregarding the fact that in the movie that exchange actually takes place between Moxon and his father, and not the Jon Voight character, I think the analogy holds up pretty well. The McCain-Palin campaign has been rampaging through artists' catalogs without consent like a blowhard football coach stealing extracurricular funds away from the theater department, and it's about time they learned some manners. Or else Dave Grohl will commandeer this team and inspire them to victory with a rousing speech about the potential for greatness! Or... something like that.

Foo Fighters [Official site]

Can Sarah Palin Keep Firing Up "Barracuda"?

Maura Johnston — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Last week, Heart's Wilson sisters got incensed over the McCain/Palin campaign's playing their song "Barracuda" during the Republican National Convention in honor of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin's high-school nickname. The sisters claimed that they were so fired up they sent off a cease and desist to the GOP, and a Republican spokesman coldly said that the song was being rightfully used. So what's the deal? Slate has helpfully provided a guide to the types of licenses the McCain campaign would need if they'd like to continue using the song.

• Playing it over the speakers at the convention is fair game. The Republicans needed a license from American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, which licenses and controls the publishing rights for "Barracuda" as well as thousands of other songs, in order to play it over the speakers at the Xcel Center in St. Paul last week. And they did acquire said license, according to a party spokesperson who spoke to Slate.

• Using it in a video about Palin's penchant for shooting down wolves from the comfort of a plane and "suggesting" that books be removed from libraries, maybe not. In order to use the song in video montages, the GOP needs what's called a "sync license," a bit of legalese (and cash) that allows a piece of music to become attached to a video or other work. Some artists ask to be contacted before sync licenses for their songs are granted, in order to preserve at least some of their works' thematic sanctity.

• If the GOP keeps using the song, the Wilson sisters may be able to put their foot down. Depending on which state's legal muscle they decide to flex, Ann and Nancy can say that the McCain/Palin campaign is violating their "right to publicity" by associating them with a person who they're obviously appalled by. (Something tells me that Palin is getting a big kick out of how she's winding up Heart, and will continue using the song every time she's allowed out to speak in public, playing it on Guitar Hero, etc.)

Will McCain's Heart Stop? [Slate]
'Barracuda' Belongs to the Rock Group Heart [NYT]
Heart - Barracuda [YouTube]

Heart's Nancy Wilson: "I Feel Completely Fucked Over" By The Republicans Incessantly Playing "Barracuda"

Maura Johnston — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:30:00 EDT

So Ann and Nancy Wilson haven't really been too pleased that the folks in charge of the music at the Republican National Convention have decided to turn their 1977 song (and current plastic-guitar staple) "Barracuda" into a rallying cry for GOP vice-presidential nominee/unavoidable topic of Internet discussion/overly self-impressed speechifier Sarah Palin, who was affectionately (?) called Barracuda during her high-school days. (Earlier today, they released a statement saying that they'd sent the GOP a cease-and-desist notice telling them to stop playing the damn thing. Of course, that didn't stop the Republicans, who played the song again after John McCain accepted his party's Presidential nomination tonight—and this decision fired up Nancy Wilson so much, she rang up Entertainment Weekly's Whitney Pastorek to say, "I think it's completely unfair to be so misrepresented... I feel completely fucked over." Keep in mind, you're talking about a song that's been covered by Fergie here, so you know that it takes a lot to offend!

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

Well, I'd argue that "irony" in campaign songs a concept that stretches across the aisle this year, but the whole anti-corporate aspect of "Barracuda" might just take this to the next level. Sadly, trying to find a tribute video to the song that would wash away the association for the Wilson sisters resulted in me finding a bunch of Palin-related clips and not much else, although Rasputina's take on the track is an OK effort that errs just a bit too much on this side of musical-theateriness.

Exclusive: Heart's Nancy Wilson responds to McCain campaign's repeated use of "Barracuda" [EW]

Right Now, Sammy Hagar And Van Halen Still Can't Agree On Anything

Maura Johnston — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:30:00 EDT

John McCain's Friday rally announcing that Sarah Palin would be his running mate on the Republican Presidential ticket^* was capped by a rousing play of Van Halen's "Right Now," a song selection that put Van Halen's management in a snit. "Permission was not sought or granted nor would it have been given," an unidentified person in the Van Halen camp told TMZ. But tequila maven and longtime GOP supporter Sammy Hagar—who sang the lyrics that the McCain/Palin campaign was so inspired by—begs to disagree! He thinks "Right Now" is a song for everyone, no matter what the jerks who are now touring under the Van Halen banner might think.

"When I wrote the lyrics to "Right Now" I intended them to inspire people to not sit around and wait for something they believed in but to go out and get it — to make a change however they needed to," said Sammy Hagar. "Whether it was McCain who used the song or if Obama had chosen to use the song, with the current political climate, the lyrics still have the same meaning, and we all need to do something to make a difference, every action counts. In fact, I still feel so strongly about this that I wrote a new song "Cosmic Universal Fashion" with a young Iraqi musician in an attempt to motivate a new generation to the same affect. I am pleased to be associated with the lyrics to my original song and the new one in hopes that both will make people move to make a difference."

He may not be able to drive 55, but he can reach across the aisle—and promote his new song while he's at it! Obviously, this tiff is the least of the McCain campaign's problems right now, but I think that once things die down a bit, McCain, Palin, and all Van Halen members past and present should sit down for a nice dinner where they can talk all this stuff out. Hey, I know just what they can serve:

Statement From Sammy Hagar Regarding 'Right Now' Usage by John McCain [MarketWatch]
Van Halen Mad At McCain [HuffPo]

^* You know, during that innocent moment when she only seemed a little crazy and underqualified?

This Just In: John McCain Doesn't Hate All Celebrities--Just Those Who Don't Want To Vote For Him

Maura Johnston — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

People are surprised by Daddy Yankee's endorsement of John McCain, but really, shouldn't the fact that the reggaeton singer's New York City record-release party was sponsored by rightward-leaning piss substitute Coors Light have been a hint that dude isn't exactly going door to door for [insert lefty cause here]? (And how well-timed is this press blitz around the release of his album, anyway? Some reporters just refuse to admit that they're being played, I tell you.) Next thing you know, people will be shocked, shocked to relearn that Toby Keith is a Demo—sigh. [AFP]

Madonna's Tour Is Already Sticking In The McCain Campaign's Craw

Maura Johnston — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:53:00 EDT

Internet-unsavvy Presidential candidate John McCain is steamed at Madonna, whose Sticky + Sweet Tour kicked off over the weekend in the UK. Apparently an image of the Straight Talk Express' driver is flashed during a video montage of baddies that also includes Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe and baddie-of-all-baddies Adolf Hilter! (Barack Obama, meanwhile, is placed alongside John Lennon, Mahatma Gandhi, and Al Gore.) Instead of realizing that because Madonna broke Godwin's Law any further argument was, in fact, moot, McCain's campaign released a snippy statement via Fox News (sigh) that said in part "It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits." Wouldn't a counterpoint by Ted Nugent have been a lot more succinct? Anyway, before you think this is just another boring "Madonna gets 'political'" news item, there's also Britney Spears-related news coming out of the tour! Which is, just, so much better, you guys.

Here's the video segment Spears shot a few months back for inclusion on the tour, set to one of Madonna's best mid-career tracks, "Human Nature":

Not to stoke the ire of all the fanboys out there, but Madonna's voice is sounding a little rough, no?

McCain camp
Britney Spears Sticky + Sweet Tour Cameo [YouTube]

Johnny Cash's Ghost Will Not Be Endorsing A Presidential Candidate

Dan Gibson — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Roseanne Cash would appreciate it if John Rich left her father's name out of his tireless rallying of country music's fanbase behind ABBA fan John McCain. Rich's comment at a recent McCain rally that "Johnny Cash would have been a John McCain supporter if he was still around" didn't make the daughter of the Man In Black all that happy, and she released a statement saying that certain people should stick to ascribing endorsements to people who can actually agree with or deny them of their own free will:

"It is appalling to me that people still want to invoke my father's name, five years after his death, to ascribe beliefs, ideals, values and loyalties to him that cannot possibly be determined and to try to further their own agendas by doing so. I knew my father pretty well, at least better than some of those who entitle themselves to his legacy and his supposed ideals, and even I would not presume to say publicly what I 'know' he thought or felt."

Tough break, John Rich, but I hear Cowboy Troy is still on the fence. Maybe he'll put a McCain sign on his lawn or something.

Roseanne Cash Issues Statement On Use Of Johnny Cash's Name [CMT]

John Rich Wants You To Vote For McCain Without Even Looking At Him

Maura Johnston — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

John Rich has released the video for his pro-John McCain country boilerplate "Raising McCain," and it's a curious clip for one reason: There isn't a single shot of the Republican Presidential candidate anywhere in it. In what I'm assuming is a way to prove to the Obama-infatuated kids out there that yes, young people actually are going to vote Republican come November, the clip is instead populated by a bunch of Rock Of Love casting-call rejects who are waving around "McCain" signs. (There is one—but only one!—older woman in the audience, who I guess has been placed in the clip because of concerns over "authenticity.") I understand that getting McCain to the video set was probably tough because he's in full-on "learn about the Internet before that CNN debate" mode, but were the video's producers so scared of turning away the youth they wouldn't even sneak in a still shot of McCain looking even semi-Presidential?

Anyway, now that this clip is out, it is time to engage in a campaign-song showdown between Rich's track and the pro-Obama song helmed by will.i.am:

Raising McCain [YouTube]
Yes We Can [YouTube]

John McCain Wants You To Remember When We All Liked Big & Rich

Dan Gibson — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Back in 2004, it was OK to like Big & Rich. They had a remarkably listenable debut album that was a breath of fresh air from the somewhat lousy country music scene at the time, as well as fun personalities. But their charm wore off rather quickly somewhere around the Cowboy Troy solo album, and John Rich became a bit of a caricature of himself as a judge on CMT's Gone Country and NBC's Nashville Star. However, even if the Village Voice Web site doesn't want to acknowledge it now, 2004 was a different time, a time when critics sent Horse of a Different Color to the 39th spot in the Pazz & Jop poll. Take a moment and remember those accolades while you download Rich's cleverly titled tribute to John McCain, "Raising McCain." While the lyrics "He got shot down in a Vietnam town fighting for the red, white and blue / then they locked him up in a Hanoi Hilton, thinking they could break him in two" wash over your ears, just think of those days back in 2004 filling out your year-end ballot and wonder what happened. To him and to us. [John Rich]

Young Jeezy Recalls Meeting With McCain, Compares Self To Obama

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

I know what you're thinking: "Why should I care who Young Jeezy endorses more than any other groaning once and former coke dealer with a poor actual-rhyme-to-verse ratio?" But unlike Rick Ross (I presume), Jeezy actually met one of the presumed presidential nominees during a shared Saturday Night Live appearance. "John McCain is cool, but he looks like a fraud to me... I told him the 'hood was fucked up, and he was like, 'How you doing?' Real talk. They know entertainers, so they shake your hand [and say], 'I'm your friend.' But my mama is about to have surgery that I gotta pay for out of my pocket because she can't get insurance. I don't really feel McCain." Aw, but I'm sure McCain feels you, Mr. Snowman!

Don't think that Young Jeezy is going to vote for Barack Obama merely as an anti-Bush move. The main reason he supports the Democratic candidate is that he identifies with him.

"Barack, he has a lot of things going for him. He's ahead of his time. Given the right chance, he'll make some type of change. We'll feel it. I really feel that.

... It ain't just because Barack is black; he can make change. Just like Bush equals recession, Barack equals progression. I really feel that, all bullsh— aside. He's gotta come in and keep it right.

I be in the 'hood every day, and I motivate the thugs. [Barack] motivates me. To see somebody taking that extra mile ... like, 'OK, I can make some change.' That's how I felt when I got in the rap game. I felt I could make change. I did."

If we continue hearing priceless comparisons like this, I wouldn't be surprised if Trap Stars For Obama got a little Fox News screen time in the upcoming months.

Young Jeezy Gets Motivated By Obama [MTV]

Let's Find John McCain A Theme Song

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

He's tried John Cougar Mellencamp. He's tried Chuck Berry. He's even tried ABBA (sez McCain: ""Nobody likes them, but they sold more records than anybody in the history of the world, including The Beatles. But everybody hates them. You're a no-class guy if you like ABBA. Why does everybody go see 'Mamma Mia?' Hypocrisy! Rank hypocrisy! I'm not embarassed to say I like ABBA, 'Dancing Queen.'") But nobody seems to want John McCain using their music as his campaign theme. What, doesn't one of those Hillary Clinton fans who swear they'd rather vote Republican than for Obama own a worthwhile copyright?

The McCain camp is having trouble settling on a suitable campaign anthem. After searching for months, it finally picked "Johnny B Goode" - Chuck Berry's rock 'n' roll classic from 1958. The high-power guitar licks and "Go, Johnny, go" chorus put a spring in Mr McCain's step. When asked why he chose it, he quipped: "It might be because it is the only one [the artist] hasn't complained about us using."

Berry, 81, may not have complained about his song being appropriated by Mr McCain, but he has made it clear he would prefer Barack Obama in the White House. "America has finally come to this point where you can pick a man of colour and that not be a drawback," Berry said. "It's no question, myself being a man of colour. I mean, you have to feel good about it."

...There was a groan at McCain headquarters as it suffered yet another musical derailment. An attempt to use Abba's "Take A Chance On Me" also bombed. "We played it a couple times and it's my understanding [Abba] went berserk," Mr McCain said.

Maybe John doesn't realize that angry Farm Aid supporters, old black men and Swedes aren't really the kind of artists he should be attempting to gain musical support from right now. Why not use that legendary anthem of ass-kickin' foreign policy, Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue?"

If he's tired of Obama calling him out as a carbon copy of our current president, why not mock the concept with AC/DC's "Beating Around The Bush?"

And if he wants to embrace the comparison, why not take advantage of John Ashcroft's "Let The Eagle Soar?"

But if you really want to show your core voter base that you mean business, thinki about commissioning some original material from the Nuge.

I'd sugest he name the track "FREEEDDDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM" but you don't want to worry about any lawsuits from George Michael or Rage Against The Machine.

Take A Chance On Him [YouTube]
John McCain: ABBA Fan?? [ABC News]
No, Johnny, No: Chuck Berry joins chorus of musicians snubbing McCain's campaign [Independent]
Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American) [YouTube]
John Ashcroft [YouTube]
Beating Around The Bush - AC/DC [YouTube]
Ted Nugent Goes Off On Obama And Hillary! [YouTube]

John McCain has acquiesced to John Mellencamp's ...

Jess Harvell — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:40:33 EST

John McCain has acquiesced to John Mellencamp's demands that the Republican presidential nominee stop playing the Coug's "Pink Houses" and "Our Country" at his campaign rallies. "You know, here's a guy running around saying, 'I'm a true conservative.'" Mellencamp's publicist told the AP. "Well, if you're such a true conservative, why are you playing songs that have a very populist pro-labor message written by a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as left of center?" There aren't too many catchy, uptempo pop tunes about union busting, unrestricted free trade, and a policy of entrenchment in an unwinnable war? [AP]

Is Your Favorite Musician Supporting Your Favorite Candidate?

Maura Johnston — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:30:47 EST

The Guardian looks at which musicians are endorsing which Presidential candidates today, and delivers the shocking news that the lines of support aren't as cut and dried as R & B singers breaking for Obama and powerful women in music going to Hillary Clinton's side of the fence. Shocking! Perhaps almost as mind-bending as the fact that the piece's information on which musicians are stumping for Republican candidates is pretty thin, although the Guardian does share the ~~somewhat dejecting news~~ complete misinformation that former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is supporting Ron Paul. More digging didn't reveal much else, though; the MySpace page Musicians for Ron Paul has Serj Tankian in its top 8 (he doesn't return the favor), and I came across a musicians for Huckabee blog hasn't been updated since August. At least he has the Nuge on his side. Anyway, a partial list of musicians who have made their Presidential preferences known is after the jump. Feel free to add your own in comments!

REPUBLICANS
Mike Huckabee: Ted Nugent

John McCain: Burt Bacharach

Ron Paul: Krist Novoselic, Arlo Guthrie

Mitt Romney: Pat Boone, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond

DEMOCRATS
Hillary Clinton: Madonna, Carly Simon, Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, Carole King, Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, 50 Cent, Mya, Timbaland, Barbra Streisand, Merle Haggard

Barack Obama: Babyface, the Goo Goo Dolls, Macy Gray, Ne-Yo, Will Smith, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick Jr., Pete Wentz, Win Butler, will.i.am/the Black Eyed Peas, the Grateful Dead, Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst, Joanna Newsom, the Cool Kids, Stephan Jenkins, OK Go, Shudder to Think, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam

Who are American musicians supporting on Super Tuesday? [Guardian]
Presidential Election '08: Pete Wentz Backs Barack Obama [Spin]
[Pic: CultPunk via WFMU's Beware of the Blog; HT EJ Friedman]

The Coug Wants John McCain To Get Off His Pink Jock

Jess Harvell — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:30:10 EST

Community-minded heartland liberals who also happen to be rock musicians have had to deal with Republican candidates misappropriating their songs since the great Reagan/Springsteen "misunderstanding" of 1984, but John Mellencamp has reached his limit. He's "quietly" had his "people" approach Republican candidate John McCain to ask him to stop using the mildly patriotic (and awful) "Our Country" and the mildly subversive (and classic) "Pink Houses" at his campaign rallies. It's easy to understand why McCain would want to use "Our Country"; he was probably just hypnotized like the rest of us by all those mom and apple pie and a two-car garage for everyone Chevy commercials. But Rolling Stone finds it hard to believe that dude even bothered to pull out the lyric sheet to Uh-Huh to see exactly what "Pink Houses" was saying about this great country of ours before he added it to the playlist.

Not to mention that the far-right types whose votes McCain is seeking won't love the mildly progressive lyrics to "Our Country," which call on the government to "help the poor and common man" and suggest that "there's room enough here for science to live/ And there's room enough here for religion to forgive." And does McCain really want to associate himself with those "Pink Houses" lines about the "simple man" paying for the "the thrills, the bills and the pills that kill"?

Gasp! Mildly progressive ideas like... helping the poor, the kind of liberalism that not even the most centrist GOP member could campaign behind. Well, at least McCain's following campaign song tradition this year, as choices by both Republicans and Democratics have been infamously marked by the candidates ignoring or overlooking any "off-message" sentiments in the lyrics. And here he already had a catchy, readymade campaign song, even if that one was a little too on-message.

Mellencamp Asks McCain To Stop Using Tunes [Rolling Stone]

John McCain Releases Most Potentially Successful Beach Boys Song Since "Kokomo"

Brian Raftery — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:42:14 EDT

It's not quite up there with his take on Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen," but John McCain's stunning cover version of the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann"—in which he changes the chorus to "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran"—could prove to be the most notable single of McCain's career. All he needs now is John Stamos on backing bongos and an equally killer b-side ("Help Me Tehranda"?), and even Mike and Brian would settle their differences to help out with the backing melody.

McCain visits Murrells Inlet [Georgetown Times]