The President Elect has selected his theme song for the big day, an old chestnut first made famous by Frank Sinatra, whose daughter Nancy thinks would not have supported Donald Trump.”Just remember the first line of the song,” Nancy Sinatra tweeted on Wednesday (Jan. 18) in response to a fan’s question about whether the family was okay with the Trumps dancing to the song at Friday night’s (Jan. 20) Liberty Ball. “And now, the end is near.”
Here it is:
A Google thing reminded me that Steven Biko would have been 70 years old today. Which reminded me of this Peter Gabriel song about him called Biko.
I like some political songs, and don’t like others. The dividing line for me seems to be similar to the one I apply between songs I like and songs I don’t. Catchy, compelling, somehow feels like it means it.
In this case, Peter Gabriel’s Biko is an incantation, a testimony to someone who gave his life for the cause. It is understated and honoring, and it wins for me because I don’t hate it. I worry about a super rich rock star lending his power to the cause of a martyr, but what better use is there for rock presence? And what better use for an artist’s sense of style and grace.
Anyway, here is is:
And while we are here we should also think about the CIA overthrow of the democratically elected government in Chile and an Arlo Guthrie song about a brave resistor then.
Arlo Guthrie’s Victor Jara is an earnest tribute to Jara, a folk song, and when I hear it today I’m still outraged by what happened in Chile in 1973. The song is more a marker for that outrage, but serves as a reminder.
