Trump's theme song?

Yesterday, I was listening to music in the dining room and an old song by Don McLean came on. It was called "Everybody Loves Me, Baby", and came from his hit album from 1971, American Pie.  As I was listening to the lyrics, it occurred to me that this song could so easily be about our current POTUS, Donald Trump.

Seriously... the lyrics are so eerie.  Hard to believe they are from almost 50 years ago.

I recommend listening to the song itself, but here are the lyrics:

One, two, three, four!

Fortune has me well in hand, armies wait at my command
My gold lies in a foreign land buried deep beneath the sand
The angels guide my ev'ry tread, my enemies are sick or dead
But all the victories I've led haven't brought you to my bed

You see, everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

Now the purest race I've bred for thee to live in my democracy
And the highest human pedigree awaits your first-born boy, baby
And my face on ev'ry coin engraved, the anarchists are all enslaved
My own flag is forever waved by the grateful people I have saved

You see, everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

Now, no land is beyond my claim when the land is seized in the people's name
By evil men who rob and maim, if war is hell, I'm not to blame!
Why, you can't blame me, I'm Heaven's child, I'm the second son of Mary mild
And I'm twice removed from Oscar Wilde, but he didn't mind, why, he just smiled

Yes, and the ocean parts when I walk through, and the clouds dissolve and the sky turns blue
I'm held in very great value by everyone I meet but you
'cause I've used my talents as I could, I've done some bad, I've done some good
I did a whole lot better than they thought I would so, c'mon and treat me like you should!

Because everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

Everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

Yeah, everybody loves me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

I need to read up about this song.  I'd love to know what or who inspired it.  Don McLean isn't particularly regarded as a great partner himself. 

Last year, he lost a lifetime achievement award because he pleaded guilty to domestic violence in 2016.  He was arrested in Camden, Maine in 2016 and pleaded guilty to domestic violence to avoid jail time.  He also paid a $3000 fine.  His ex wife, Patrisha McLean, claims that he has a violent temper and had been physically and verbally abusing her for decades.  

McLean supposedly pled guilty, not because he's guilty, but because he wanted "closure" for his family...  Well... I suppose that could be true.  But it's still not a very good look for him.

I like his music, though, and I think this song is kind of brilliant.  I'm glad I stumbled across it yesterday. 

The Wedding Song...

You know, I was never a big Peter, Paul, and Mary fan.  It's not because I didn't like what I'd heard by them, but because I just wasn't really exposed to much of their music.  Sure, I've heard "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" and "Puff The Magic Dragon" plenty of times... but I never bothered to explore deeper.  And I've also heard "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" by Paul Stookey lots of times, but never really stopped to listen to it.  Until today, that is.  Today, "The Wedding Song" was a featured song on SingSnap.com.  So I went to YouTube to listen to it and determine if I wanted to try it myself.

Make no mistake about it.  This is an old fashioned love song written at a time when no one even imagined the day when there would be legal gay marriage.  The words are very traditional and a bit religious, since Stookey alludes to God.  The melody is beautiful and the sentiment is lovely.  I read that Stookey wrote this song for Peter Yarrow's wedding.  It was a wonderful gift to the couple and is now in the public domain for everyone to enjoy.  Anyway, I got a lot more comments on my version of "Vincent", which I also did today... but I think "The Wedding Song" turned out very nicely.



Incidentally, I love Don McLean and his song, "Vincent", which I also recorded today...



This one got a lot of nice comments.

A Norwegian guy who had a lot to say today attracted my attention.  It turns out he has a nice voice, so I did a duet with him.



There were other recordings today, but those were the better ones... Aside from "Baby, Now That I've Found You" by Alison Krauss.  I love singing her songs.



So I'm done now.  SingSnap is a fun time waster.  It beats watching 7th Heaven.

Me and Vincent...

Working on this song...



I love Don McLean.

Don McLean

I miss the 1970s.  Back then, it didn't matter as much who looked good in a video.  It seemed like there were singers and songwriters out there who could really sing...  Imagine, if James Taylor had come along in the 80s or 90s, would he have had the career he's had?  Hard to tell.  Anyway, I like Don McLean's music, though his career kind of slowed down once videos came into vogue...

Not that Don McLean is a bad looking guy, mind you...

But I can't see him prancing around a sound stage in spandex pants and leather.  His style is a lot more subdued... just a guy and his guitar and a very sweet, lovely voice.  I miss singers like that.  I know they're still "out there", but with the advent of videos and American Idol, it seems like they're just not as visible or audible...

What a shame that is.