It's All About The Ears

JACKSONVILLE -- As every professional wrestler knows, your entrance music is your destiny, putting the fans in the right frame of mind to receive your character.

Not surprisingly, Republicans and Democrats disagree about setting the mood.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton play many of the same songs: Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" (also a favorite of John Edwards's), U2's "Beautiful Day," and Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." Obama has been to enter and exit to R and B standards, while Clinton, for a time, bounded on stage to the tunes of Celine Dion. (MSNBC has a great round-up here.)

John McCain -- As I type, the speakers are whispering an instrumental version of "God Bless America". To warm up the crowd, his advance team mixes John Phillip Sousa marches (although not The Stars and Stripes Forever ...) with John Williams fanfares. Before Navy audiences, they play Steve Smith's Top Gun anthem and Kenny Loggins' Highway To The Danger Zone.

After campaign rallies, it's Chuck Berry's Johnny Be Goode. It's not clear whether McCain himself is happy with the choice of songs. "I wish they'd play Abba," he said.

Comments

How about playing the taps for Hillbilly?

Posted by D | April 3, 2008 11:57 AM

"Super Trooper"?

Posted by baudelairien | April 3, 2008 12:02 PM

Yes, ABBA! I wish they would play "Dancing Queen" as exit music.

That would be all kinds of flavors of awesome.

Posted by Shine | April 3, 2008 12:09 PM

"I wish they'd play Abba," he said.

SEE! McCain DOES support torture!

Posted by LFC | April 3, 2008 12:10 PM

This won't help McCain's age problem...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by matt | April 3, 2008 12:14 PM

Sigh. Old people.

Posted by Jack | April 3, 2008 12:17 PM

For Hillbilly:

"Opps... I did it again"

Posted by D | April 3, 2008 12:18 PM

Sorry Marc, but Obama comes out to one song an overwhelming amount of times and that is "City of Blinding Lights" by U2. I have never heard him come out to any of the one's you listed, but I have heard him come out to others, though he has settled on City.

Posted by hnmnf | April 3, 2008 12:20 PM

Is "Pride" by U2 apropo today?

Posted by chris | April 3, 2008 12:30 PM

"John McCain -- As I type, the speakers are whispering an instrumental version of "God Bless America". To warm up the crowd, his advance team mixes John Phillip Sousa marches (although not The Stars and Stripes Forever ...) with John Williams fanfares. Before Navy audiences, they play Steve Smith's Top Gun anthem and Kenny Loggins' Highway To The Danger Zone.

After campaign rallies, it's Chuck Berry's Johnny Be Goode. It's not clear whether McCain himself is happy with the choice of songs. "I wish they'd play Abba," he said.

Yep John McCain is showing his age.. He still plays his music on the 8 track.

Posted by Ann | April 3, 2008 12:37 PM

NOT 8 track!

I thought he has a one track mind?

More like a 33 rpm disk.

At least we know he is vinyl, not teflon.

Posted by D | April 3, 2008 12:45 PM

For McCain and Hillary I recommend the Weepies "This is Not Your Year".

Posted by Paul Tinker | April 3, 2008 1:19 PM

"Waterloo!
I was defeated, you won the war ..."

Go ABBA!

Posted by Estrien | April 3, 2008 2:54 PM

McCain is on the right track with his ABBA remark.

But actually it is another Swedish band who are KINGS of the CATCHY TUNES at the moment. PETER BJORN and DAN.

"We don't care about the Young Folks, we don't care what the young folk say....
We don't care about the old folks, we don't care what the old folks say...."

You know the rest. ;)

Or if you don't, you will eventually.

Posted by robert ethan | April 3, 2008 2:55 PM

....oops, that should read Peter, Bjorn and JOHN. "Young Folks", from their album "Writer's Block".

McCain would gain 5% nationally if he used that song as his entrance.

Posted by robert ethan | April 3, 2008 3:09 PM

Abba's "Waterloo" might be appropriate.

Posted by Bruce | April 3, 2008 3:32 PM

I wish they'd play ABBA too. This makes me like him. Sorry.

Obama has played Stevie Wonder as exit music, specifically "signed, sealed, delivered".

Back to ABBA: If he came onstage to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59hkcS5wr9k

.. I think I'll just go imagine this now. Thanks.

Posted by Phoebe | April 4, 2008 1:23 AM

I always thought Pat Benetar's "All Fired Up" would be perfect for Obama. From the chorus: "Now I believe there comes a time, When everything just falls in line, We live and learn from our mistakes, The deepest cuts are healed by faith". Perfect, no?

Posted by Michelle | April 4, 2008 10:55 PM