US Election 2020: Campaign Song

Tracks utilized for politicians or election movements are known as campaign songs. Most contemporary campaign songs are inspirational traditional songs or original creations that convey an optimistic sentiment about a campaign or nominee, typically by referring to nationalism, hope, or a light-hearted connection to a specific nominee’s specific characteristic as ethnic background or place. In certain instances, the campaign song is a thinly disguised assault on a rival candidate or political group. The usage of a patriotic song is most well-known in the quadrennial US presidential race, where all major political parties use one or couple of songs to associate with their campaign.

Origins of Campaign Songs in Us Election

The beginnings of campaign songs can be traced back to political jingles used in American political campaigns, particularly presidential elections. The lyrics were often set to well-known tunes or familiar melodies of the day, such as “Few Days,” which acted as the basis for “Up in the State Department.” “Tippecanoe and Tyler too,” for example, was maybe the most well-known of them. This was first heard in Zanesville, Ohio, and quickly circulated throughout the nation, becoming a political slogan. In 1872, a revival effort was undertaken for “Greeley Is the Very True Blue.” Campaign songs were sold in publication songbooks called “songsters,” which often included music.

The Log Cabin Music Book of 1840 and Hutchinson’s Republican Songster for the 1860 presidential election campaign were two examples. Itinerant stump speakers, live horses, Aberdeen corps, red flames, floats, transparency, and rapturous mass assemblies in courtrooms and town halls were all part of nationwide initiatives for several years. Glee clubs were formed to promote campaign songs and lead crowds and matchers in their singing. The songs played an important role in retaining crowd attention, stressing topics, generating excitement, and satirizing critics. The campaign song has lost favor as a traditional phrase due to improvements in campaigning techniques.

Us Election 2020

The 2020 general election in the United States was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on November 3, 2020. Ex-Vice President Joe Biden and current California Representative Kamala Harris of that same Democratic Party beat incumbent President Donald Trump with Vice President Mike Pence of the Republican Establishment.  Trump is the only US president to fail a re-election campaign since George H. W. Bush in 1992 and the eleventh sitting president in the country’s history. Biden received 51.3 percent of the popular vote, the highest proportion of the public vote earned by a presidential candidate since 1932.   Since 1900, the referendum has had the largest voter turnout. But it was perhaps their music collection as campaign songs that piqued everyone’s interest the most. Let’s talk about it:

Mr. Trump’s Campaign Songs

Mr. Trump usually chooses songs based on how they make him feel, rather than an educated comparison of the lyrics. His before-the-speech playlist is intended to energize the listeners. They often wait for hours ever since he appears on the scene, so the emphasis is on classic serenade, which appears to be aimed at conservative voters in their late ages. This includes songs like Tiny Dancer by Elton John and Gloria by Laura Branigan and raucous traditional pieces like Nessun Dorma and the patriotic Battle Of The Hymn Republic. As he courted black voters, the president has begun to include a few soul classics in his set. Once his rally in Erie, Pennsylvania featured James Brown’s Please, Please, Please and Barry White’s My First, My Last, My Everything. he claims that he had done more for the black community than Biden in 47 years. 

Mr. Trump’s Campaign Songs

·         We Are Champions By Queen

·         Tiny Dancer By John Elton

·         Nessun Dorma By Luciano Pavarotti

·         Proud To Be An American By Lee Greenwood

·         Eye Of The Tiger By Survivor

·         Everybody Hurts By REM

·         Gloria By Laura Branigan

·         Macho Man By The Village People

·         Free Bird By Lynyrd Skynyrd

·         Please, Please, Please By James Brown

Critics Being Trolled By Trump Using Campaign Songs

Mr. Trump’s music collection is dominated by retro rock songs that exude strength and combative self-assurance. He often performs Queen’s We Are The Champions, a song whose theme, “No time for losers,” might almost be interpreted as the president’s inner monologue.  Mr. Trump’s decisions always seem to be aimed at his detractors. Why else does he play Crazy by Gnarls Barkley or You Can’t Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones? And, by songs like Michael Jackson’s Beat It, he gets an artistic airing for his alleged abuse by the media. However, the album encourages people to withdraw. “You’d best stop when you still can,” Jackson suggests, implying that while you think you’re strong, your rivals are harder… so be the better guy and walk down.

Biden’s Campaign Songs

Since announcing his nomination in April 2019, Mr. Biden’s compilation has been nearly equally split around black and white musicians. The Staple Singers’ intense slash We The People – an uplifting, tuneful chorus to peace whose title was taken from the US Constitution’s preface – has recently become his move song. His campaign songs mostly included:

·         Reach Out By Four Tops

·         Heroes by David Bowie

·         I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross

·         Good Time By Sam Cooke

·         We The People By Staple Singers

·         We Take Care Of Our Own By Bruce Springsteen

·         The Edge Of Glory By Lady Gaga

·         Lovely Day By Bill Withers

·         Higher Ground By Stevie Wonder

·         Stay By Alessia Cara

Mr. Biden normally exits the scene to the melodies of Bruce Springsteen’s We Take Care Of Our Own after singing. Like Born in the USA, the album is a criticism of the United States and was composed in reaction to President Bush’s management of Hurricane Katrina.

 Concluding Thought

While music may appear negligible compared to the many aspects of an election, campaign tracks may have a huge impact on how a politician is viewed and have reflected the ever-changing partnership between music and politics. Since not every elector is informed about political problems or has a clear political allegiance, identity plays an important role in campaign policy. As a result, candidates often use music to connect with supporters and attract votes. With the introduction of social media, presidential candidates have focused on developing an identity that people can relate to.

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