Five picks for Michele Bachmann campaign song, now that Tom Petty said no
Rocker Tom Petty has torpedoed Michele Bachmann鈥檚 use of his 鈥�American Girl鈥� as a theme song, if you haven鈥檛 heard. The newly declared GOP presidential candidate had been playing the piece when she walked onstage at public events.
Petty鈥檚 management has sent the Bachmann campaign a cease-and-desist notice, . Thus Ms. Bachmann joins the long list of Republican politicians angrily told by liberal musicians who claim their music is being used against their will.
The band Heart objected when Sarah Palin used their 鈥淏arracuda鈥� on stage at the 2008 GOP convention, for instance. John Mellencamp didn鈥檛 approve of John McCain using his 鈥淥ur Country鈥� in the 2008 campaign. (Senator McCain鈥檚 advisers perhaps did not know that Mellencamp played at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.)
And here鈥檚 a tip for politicians of all stripes: It might be best to stay away from Bruce Springsteen鈥檚 iconic 鈥淏orn in the USA.鈥� The Boss rebuked Ronald Reagan when the Gipper used it in 1984, and, really, the lyrics aren鈥檛 as upbeat as the tune suggests. Even for Democrats, 鈥淭he Rising鈥� might be a better choice 鈥� that鈥檚 what Springsteen played at President Obama鈥檚 inaugural.
Anyway, the Bachmann campaign is still so they鈥檙e probably looking for a better theme song. Reportedly they played 鈥淎merican Girl鈥� again on Wednesday, apparently by accident. They cut it off after 30 seconds and went to 鈥淲alking on Sunshine鈥� by Katrina and the Waves. Really, they can do better than that. Here are some suggestions from a classic rock expert we know.
鈥淕irl from the North Country鈥� by Bob Dylan. On the plus side, Dylan is from Minnesota, like Bachmann. He鈥檚 famously unpredictable, so he might let Bachmann go ahead and use this, no matter his own personal politics. And the title is perfect. On the minus side, this song is kind of lyrical. Maybe she could use it in a campaign commercial.
鈥淟ittle Miss Dangerous鈥� by Ted Nugent. No, we鈥檙e not trying to demean Bachmann here 鈥� we鈥檙e looking for something that says 鈥淚 mean business.鈥� This would fill that role. Plus, Ted Nugent is a big-time conservative. The only reason he鈥檇 nix Bachmann鈥檚 use of this song is if he believes she鈥檚 too far to the left.
鈥淧lanet Queen鈥� by T. Rex. Choose this song, and you鈥檙e outflanking Tom Petty. What鈥檚 bigger than an American girl? A planet queen, that鈥檚 who. More land, and a higher rank.
鈥淕o Your Own Way鈥� by Fleetwood Mac. This title gets at the renegade, maverick, going rogue part of the Bachmann candidacy. And using it would counterbalance Bill Clinton鈥檚 long association with the band鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.鈥� Plus, this band has reached the age where it perhaps is more interested in the size and regularity of royalty checks than in where the money comes from. So the song might be available.
鈥淢ichelle鈥� by the Beatles. Yes, it might be a long shot. Paul McCartney played this for Michelle Obama in the White House, so we鈥檙e guessing that he and the other Beatles copyright holders might not be wild about letting Bachmann use it too. But isn鈥檛 the title perfect? Except for that extra 鈥渓.鈥�
