It’s Not All Right Now: Thinking about the Republican Convention’s Choice of Songs

By eric holmberg | August 17, 2016 |

 

Donald Trump attends the Hank's Yanks 1st Annual Golf Classic at Trump Golf Links on Monday, July 6, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)

Among the things I struggled with during my foray into the Republican Pleasure Dome this past week was the music that was played throughout.

Imagine having Ted Nugent direct the house band at a PETA/Vegan conference. There were times during the convention where I could relate.

As someone whose grew up under the musical sermons and discipleship of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix (among many others), I know first-hand how music can help influence and even fashion a person’s worldview and actions. (I have produced videos and written numerous articles on the subject.) Under their tutelage, I became the person your mother warned you about. It took Jesus and the Bible to renew my mind and heart and keep me from some form of the tragic end that met both of the talented but lost men.

I get that the RNC was meant to be in part a big party. And loud, high-energy, evocative, dance-able and sing-along-able pop songs are an important part of the mix. And the party also doesn’t want to come off as straight-laced or un-hip by only covering Gospel-inflected rock. People are going to want the Beatles, the Stones, Sly, Springsteen, Creedence, Wonder, the Whites Stripes, Arcade Fire, etc.

Thankfully, there are thousands of “great” (in the sense of checking off the five boxes just mentioned) songs available to choose from that are reasonably “safe”–that don’t just set out to celebrate the “sex, drugs, and rebellion” ethos that rock ‘n’ roll is unfortunately known for.

But the set list during the convention featured several deplorable picks. I don’t know if they were chosen by the RNC, Team Trump, or were–in the case of some of the live music–an act of subversion by the bandleader: the talented, formerge-smith-rnc house guitarist on Saturday Night Live and William Defoe’s doppelganger, G.E. Smith. But the cognitive dissonance and lack of attention to detail that was on display sonically had me wondering—along with other things—if this “Make America Great Again” thing had a snowball’s chance in hell of working.

Here are four examples:

  1. G.E. Smith’s band covered David Bowie’s Station to Station. Ironic to see the party of Christian family values grooving to occult references (“Kether to Malkuth”), semen imagery (“white stains”) and drugs (“It’s not the side-effects of the cocaine, I’m thinking that it must be love.”)
  1. AC/DC, You Shook Me All Night Long: We’re not talking here about dice, hands or a drink shaker. The song is rife with not-so tender, loving, or family-friendly references to “shaking walls,” being knocked out by “American thighs”, “fighting for air”…I could go on, but you get the point.
  1. Bad Company’s I Can’t Get Enough of Your Love was covered by the house band on the last night during the ramp up to Trump’s unveiling. Opening stanza: “Well, I take whatever I want, and baby, I want you. You give me something I need. Now tell me I got something for you.” As the song proceeds to make clear, that “something” is not a box of chocolates or wedding ring. (I wondered if the song was perhaps—intentionally or accidentally—a message to the American people.)
  1. Perhaps most incredibly of all, as Trump finished his speech and his family and running mate joined him on stage, as the balloons dropped and the confetti fell, what song was chosen to usher in this new era of promise? Free’s All Right Now—a song that celebrates a one-night-stand between a couple that barely know the other’s name.

Again, I wondered if the song might be unintentionally prophetic.

In the cosmic scheme of things, these unfortunate musical choices might seem pretty inconsequential. Certainly there were other, more important things—policy decisions involving war, immigration, trade, globalization, the economy, law and order, etc.—that deserve our careful attention and consideration. But as it’s often noted, “the devil is in the details.” And these particular little devils got me wondering about the party of Trump’s sincerity concerning its pro-Christian and pro-family platform and well as their clarity on the bigger issues.

Posted in History & Politics

7,594 Comments

  1. Diplomi_gtPt on September 10, 2025 at 11:48 am

    купить диплом об окончании техникума купить диплом об окончании техникума .

    Reply
  2. Zakazat diplom ob obrazovanii!_lePn on September 10, 2025 at 10:53 am

    купить диплом с занесением в реестр краснодар купить диплом с занесением в реестр краснодар .

    Reply
  3. aviator igra_njSr on September 10, 2025 at 4:55 am

    авиатор игра на деньги скачать авиатор игра на деньги скачать .

    Reply
  4. aviator igra_qqkn on September 10, 2025 at 4:20 am

    aviator играть aviator играть .

    Reply
  5. Diplomi_xaSi on September 10, 2025 at 3:16 am

    сколько стоит купить аттестат 11 класса сколько стоит купить аттестат 11 класса .

    Reply
  6. soglasovanie pereplanirovki kvartiri _fgpr on September 10, 2025 at 2:54 am

    заказ перепланировки квартиры http://www.soglasovanie-pereplanirovki-kvartiry17.ru .

    Reply
  7. aviator igra_dlkn on September 10, 2025 at 2:37 am

    авиатор игра официальный сайт авиатор игра официальный сайт .

    Reply
  8. Diplomi_bcOl on September 10, 2025 at 1:41 am

    купить диплом с занесением в реестр в Украине купить диплом с занесением в реестр в Украине .

    Reply
  9. soglasovanie pereplanirovki kvartiri _tipr on September 10, 2025 at 12:55 am

    по согласованию http://www.soglasovanie-pereplanirovki-kvartiry17.ru .

    Reply
  10. Diplomi_cjSl on September 9, 2025 at 10:27 pm

    Мы предлагаем документы учебных заведений, расположенных на территории всей Российской Федерации. Приобрести диплом о высшем образовании:
    купить корочку аттестата за 11 класс

    Reply
  11. Diplomi_xzEt on September 9, 2025 at 8:27 pm

    купить диплом института ссср https://educ-ua20.ru .

    Reply
  12. Diplomi_oaea on September 9, 2025 at 7:01 pm

    купить аттестат за 11 класс 2015 года купить аттестат за 11 класс 2015 года .

    Reply
  13. shveinoe proizvodstvo_pwKl on September 9, 2025 at 5:50 pm

    предприятие по пошиву одежды https://nitkapro.ru .

    Reply
  14. aviator igra_vset on September 9, 2025 at 5:47 pm

    авиатор 1хбет авиатор 1хбет .

    Reply
  15. aviator igra_qvpt on September 9, 2025 at 5:35 pm

    игра самолет на деньги игра самолет на деньги .

    Reply
  16. Diplomi_xsKn on September 9, 2025 at 4:33 pm

    диплом купить медицинского техникума http://educ-ua7.ru/ .

    Reply
  17. shveinoe proizvodstvo_orKl on September 9, 2025 at 4:08 pm

    предприятие по пошиву одежды http://www.nitkapro.ru/ .

    Reply
  18. Diplomi_ebEn on September 9, 2025 at 4:03 pm

    купить диплом бакалавра дешево купить диплом бакалавра дешево .

    Reply
  19. aviator igra_gapt on September 9, 2025 at 3:45 pm

    airplane money game http://www.aviator-igra-5.ru .

    Reply
  20. aviator igra_eyki on September 9, 2025 at 1:55 pm

    aviator money aviator-igra-1.ru .

    Reply
  21. kyrsi seo_krMn on September 9, 2025 at 11:58 am

    школа seo https://www.kursy-seo-3.ru .

    Reply
  22. aviator igra_hdki on September 9, 2025 at 10:26 am

    игра авиатор 1win игра авиатор 1win .

    Reply
  23. Jariorjjo on September 9, 2025 at 9:54 am

    Купить диплом университета!
    Мы предлагаембыстро и выгодно заказать диплом, который выполняется на бланке ГОЗНАКа и заверен мокрыми печатями, водяными знаками, подписями должностных лиц. Наш документ пройдет лубую проверку, даже с использованием специально предназначенного оборудования. Решайте свои задачи быстро и просто с нашими дипломами- alkojak.com/author/dessieknr96808

    Reply
  24. advokaty_lwKr on September 9, 2025 at 9:20 am

    Получите бесплатную консультацию юриста по телефону на сайте бесплатная юридическая консультация по гражданским делам.
    Обращение к юристу позволяет вам получить ценные знания о ваших правах.
    Первый шаг на пути к решению вашей проблемы — это консультация.

    Reply
  25. kyrsi seo_osPr on September 9, 2025 at 7:50 am

    seo курсы https://kursy-seo-2.ru/ .

    Reply
  26. kyrsi seo_yzPr on September 9, 2025 at 6:55 am

    курс seo https://kursy-seo-2.ru .

    Reply
  27. kyrsi seo_sfki on September 9, 2025 at 6:50 am

    курсы seo http://kursy-seo-1.ru .

    Reply
  28. Diplomi_vmPi on September 9, 2025 at 4:36 am

    высшее образование купить диплом с занесением высшее образование купить диплом с занесением .

    Reply
  29. aviator igra_mqkn on September 9, 2025 at 4:16 am

    crash игра на деньги самолет aviator-igra-2.ru .

    Reply
  30. kyrsi seo_yiki on September 9, 2025 at 3:49 am

    seo интенсив kursy-seo-1.ru .

    Reply
  31. blog o marketinge_tkMl on September 9, 2025 at 2:19 am

    блог про продвижение сайтов блог про продвижение сайтов .

    Reply
  32. aviator igra_rckn on September 9, 2025 at 2:17 am

    авиатор игра 1хбет авиатор игра 1хбет .

    Reply
  33. Diplomi_htOl on September 9, 2025 at 1:48 am

    купить диплом о высшем образовании реестр купить диплом о высшем образовании реестр .

    Reply
  34. Diplomi_ydPt on September 9, 2025 at 12:24 am

    купить свидетельство о рождении украина https://educ-ua2.ru/ .

    Reply
  35. blog o marketinge_kvMl on September 8, 2025 at 11:15 pm

    digital маркетинг блог digital маркетинг блог .

    Reply
  36. blog o marketinge_giMl on September 8, 2025 at 10:20 pm

    блог про продвижение сайтов блог про продвижение сайтов .

    Reply
  37. Cazrqys on September 8, 2025 at 5:18 pm

    Приобрести диплом ВУЗа можем помочь. Купить диплом магистра в Москве – diplomybox.com/kupit-diplom-magistra-v-moskve

    Reply
  38. Diplomi_mxKn on September 8, 2025 at 2:20 pm

    купить диплом младшего специалиста в украине купить диплом младшего специалиста в украине .

    Reply
  39. Diplomi_dhEl on September 8, 2025 at 2:18 pm

    купить диплом в чернигове недорого http://educ-ua4.ru/ .

    Reply

Leave a Comment