Presidential Campaign Song

Paper Summary:

Music has influenced both written and verbal forms of discourse in our society since our nation was founded. The most significant of these has been music's influence on political campaigns and speeches. The paper shows that the advent of the "campaign song" has had a tremendous impact on political campaigns since President Washington was in office. The paper traces the use of popular songs in presidential campaigns from 1797 when John Adams popularized "Star-Spangled Banner." It continues with the impact television on the presidential song and looks at the more bizarre choices, such as Ronald Reagan's use of "Born in the U.S.A" by anti-Republican, Bruce Springsteen. The paper also touches on 'opposition' songs.

From the Paper:

"Following Reagan, President George Bush Sr. picked campaign songs that were geared towards grandfatherly appeal with both "God Bless the U.S.A." and "This Land is Your Land" - a Woody Guthrie song from 1940 repopularized in the 1960s." (Segan) The song "This Land is Your Land" features strange lyrics for a campaign song as well. "One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple / By the relief office I saw my people / As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if / This land was made for you and me." The most recent American Presidential campaigns, featuring Al Gore and George W. Bush, also used songs already written, which featured lyrics that were geared towards middle class and working class Americans."

More papers on Presidential Campaign Song:

• Analytical Essay # 136801 : "New" Media and the 2008 Presidential Campaign"
• Term Paper # 135514 : "Presidential Campaign, 1992"
• Essay # 74141 : "The 2004 Republican Presidential Campaign"

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