McCain vs. Obama: Dueling Guitars

You probably can’t get a better musical juxtaposition of their differing presidential aspirations than via these two You-Tubes: “Roll With It Johny” and “Be The Change”! Although both feature really good, original song creations written and performed by well known Twin Cities musicians, the two music videos could not be more different.

Roll With It Johnny

The lyrics are so edgy that you really got to listen more than once to this one.

Acoustic guitarist Peter Lang, had this to say about his song:

I was feeling just a bit politically pissed off over the last couple of weeks, what with my retirement put off for a year or more (like maybe 25).

Here is a little ditty I wrote. It is as close as I can get to a Woody Guthrie state of mind.

I have never seen anything like this in my 60 years. I never thought we would see anything as bad again as the Nixon years, however this administration has proved me very wrong. I feel like we have been drop-kicked back to 1950, especially when I see the ghost of Joseph Raymond McCarthy alive and well in our own Congressperson Michelle Bachmann. I believe that a McCain Administration would be the continuation of this train wreck, and should Palin ascend to the Oval Office, then God help us all.

I wrote this piece for several reasons, primarily because I have two children, one son 25, and one daughter 19. I am good for another 20 years if I am lucky, but they will be here for another 60 or more, and I want them to at least know that I and others in my generation tried to do something and maybe collectively we will succeed in leaving a better place.

I had great trepidation in doing this song, because I don't want trouble, but everything in the song is public knowledge, McCain is a public figure. As Lenny Bruce said, “The truth is what is, not what should be. What should be is a dirty lie." I am tired of hearing "dirty lies" about Obama . I am tired of the deceit ,treachery, immorality, and inhumanity of this administration. I am tired of seeing Americans who have the courage to stand up to this Administration being denigrated as anti-American dissidents, rather than as the patriots they are.

My father who was a fighter pilot in WWII and Korea used to like to say " You either stand up for something, or you stand for nothing at all." I discounted that and a lot of the other things he said as a young man. In the ensuing years lots of things have become clearer to me. If ever there was a time to stand for something it is most certainly now.

Be The Change - Minneapolis For Obama

This song was written by Larry Long and sung by Larry Long and Tonia Hughes.

By the way, I’m kind’a hard to spot but if you stop the action exactly at 3:23, I’m the one holding the grandbaby in pink and the Obama sign right between the two PEACE signs.

Anyway, so glad I’m in the “Be the Change” positive one rather than the “Roll With It Johny” one which is wonderfully witty but not that positive.

I’d been worrying that McCain’s embarrassing visit to Lakeville (just 12 miles south of my home in Minnesota) and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s embarrassing McCarthyite accusations to Chris Matthews a couple days ago have really given Minnesota a black eye. (Not to mention the NOT Minnesota Nice treatment during the RNC that led to over 800 mostly unjustified arrests of protesters, journalists, medics and legal observers—which I’ll be writing more about later.) I’d started thinking I’d have to start posting under a new screen name like “EmbarrassedinMinnesota”.

But the power of song is always a great antidote and, since it comes from these great Minnesota musicians, politically redeeming as well!

Right?!