Campaign Songs

On the six hour drive to New York City last week, my family somehow got on the topic of political campaign songs. Campaign songs today are pretty boring, because politicians just use popular music. Although it’s kind of fun to watch Republicans try to find music made by artists who won’t sue them to get them to stop using it.

Back in the day, politicians used to be more creative. They’d write their own songs/lyrics. Back in the day they were also, it turns out, incredibly nasty.

From William Henry Harrison’s campaign song about Martin Van Buren in 1840:

Who like the wily serpent clings? Who like the pois’nous adder string? Who is more base than basest Kings? Van Buren! Who rules us with an iron rod Who moves at Satan’s beck and nod Who heeds not man, who heeds not God? Van Buren! Who would his friend his country sell? Do other deeds too base to tell, Deserves the lowest place in Hell? Van Buren!

More up-beat is “Get On a Raft With Taft”. My sister pointed out though that it conjures a somewhat precarious mental image, given how famously large President Taft was.