May 1st, 2006

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Music
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Pink’s Awful Song About the President

Via John Baker, I watched Pink perform “Dear Mr. President” from her latest album. You can watch too:

Yes, it’s got a rousing, anthemic chorus, but the lyrics are very, very bad. Consider this Dylanesque bridge:

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away

I wonder if Pink learned about hard work and minimum wage while attending the exclusive Moore College of Art and Design? As John puts it, “if she wants to be taken completely seriously she would have to stop advertising Pepsi.”

I’m all for criticizing the President (pretty safe to do these days, given his approval rating), but man, aspire to write a better song than, say, Phil Collins. In the meantime, perhaps she ought to stick to, you know, getting the party started.

Comments: 10 Responses so far

Gordon Meyer
May 2nd, 2006
8:05 am

I thought it was beautifully performed. You did grasp that “hard work” is in reference to the oft-used cliche/excuse from GW, right?

It’s tough to judge a songwriter only on their hits, which by definition tend to be the weakest statements with the broadest, non-offensive, appeal. There’s a lot to like about Pink, and her childhood wasn’t too cushy, but you have to dig into her albums and find the material that doesn’t get pimped by her record company.

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Phil Collins
May 2nd, 2006
10:11 am

Darn you, Darren Barefoot. Darn you straight to heck.

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jordyn
July 14th, 2006
12:03 pm

i dissagree, i think the song is well done it is very beauiful and it says a lot about bush

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christy
July 21st, 2006
5:39 pm

i think this is one of pinks best songs eva and i love it.It just proves how much of the song is true from wat you see on tv how dose he sleep when loads of mothers dont get chance to say good bye its not only a song for bush but blear aswell they both need to listen to whats been said in this song and then maybe they would see sence

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Nicole
July 16th, 2007
2:07 pm

Good on pink for having the balls to voice her opinion. She is not saying that what she does is “hard work” but she can certainly appreciate what hard work is and let me tell you hardwork is not sitting in the safety of your office as you make the order for more troops to Iraq

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Leslie
October 8th, 2007
3:45 pm

Pink,
“You got balls”, You were not born with balls you earned them, and I love you for that. For a music artist to come forward with a song like that took guts. I don’t care what anybody elese thinks of it. We have the right to say what we want, and you could not have song or said it any better then you did. I admire you for that. I say to the people out there, It’s okay for President bush to say what he wants, destroy what he wants , lie, and deceive for what he wants, The news is filled with this crap, and we watch it on t.v. 24-7, Pink makes a song expresses her feelings.Get over it People., It’s a Great Song, and I hope she goes down in HISTORY over this song.

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manda
October 17th, 2007
12:08 am

I loved the song.
Even my 50 year old teacher does.
Watch what you say John.

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Zenos
December 12th, 2007
10:48 am

I’m not going to condemn or praise Pink, just address the message in the song.

Condemning the president for what he’s done isn’t a novel idea. Other pop music icons have done the same, and a lot earlier. Unfortunately, it looks like she’s jumping on the bandwagon a little too late for her words to have the desired effect. Saying you don’t like about the war 5 years into it, after songs have already been written bought and sold by Green Day sounds colloquial at this point. I don’t necessarily like Green Day, they were a little late jumping on it too.

As for the hard work part, I’m not saying anything one way or the other about that. If she actually feels strongly about it, I wonder how much money from the earnings of this song or album she’ll donate to minimum wage mothers or to the now homeless families in Iraq. Any amount less than what would make her shy of poor would seem hypocritical wouldn’t it?

But then by that argument I should give money and so should everyone else but no one who feels this strongly ever feels that strongly in their wallets when the time comes. That’s something I’m guilty of for sure, and I know just about everyone I know is too.

The only reason I’m not picking sides on this is because one of the wonderful things about this society is you can express what you want. And then you can express what you want about what other people have expressed! To paraphrase Voltaire, I won’t like what she says but I’ll die defending her right to say it.

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Heidi
February 11th, 2008
9:17 am

I am glad that she is in a free coutry were she can voice her opinion that way about people in other country that can’t. However, it seems a little to late since he is almost done with his second term!

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Iman
May 21st, 2008
5:30 pm

i am currently doing a project on this song.
It has really made a diffrence to most people who care about our day-to-day issues.
Pink has said it right and i am with her 110%
good on ya.

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