I’ve been pondering all the analysis about the significance of the Obama Presidency. Some say it’s the downpayment of the Dream, while others suggest it’s the fulfillment of the Dream. I tend toward the former category. I worry that “ah, we have a black President – all of our racial issues are solved!” Also, I would hate for Obama 44 to be the fulfillment if it turns out that he – using a word my wife hates – SUCKED as President. I mean, he’s done well out of the gate, but it’s not even two weeks out of 208. Also, racial disparities still exist, the Colin Powells and Barack Obamas notwithstanding.
All of this reminded me of a treacly song called Only in America by Jay and the Americans. It was a seemingly innocuous love song by Leiber/Stoller/Weill/Mann.
Only in America Can a guy from anywhere Go to sleep a pauper and wake up a millionaire … Only in America Land of opportunity, yeah Would a classy girl like you fall for a poor boy like me
Only in America Can a kid who’s washin’ cars Take a giant step and reach right up and touch the stars
Only in America Could a dream like this come true Could a guy like me start with nothing and end up with you
But it was the second couplet that caused a bit of controversy: Only in America Can a kid without a cent Get a break and maybe grow up to be President
As done by the Americans, this was fine. But this song was originally written with the black vocal group, the Drifters, in mind. I’ve read that either Atlantic Records wouldn’t release it because it would be too controversial, or the group wouldn’t because the lyrics had been watered down.
Regardless, maybe the kid without a cent CAN “get a break and maybe grow up to be President”.
There was this concert last Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial. The program was on HBO, but it was to made free to anyone with basic cable. From what I’ve read, a number of cable companies didn’t get the word to unscramble HBO, though that was the intent. I know my cable was asking for a PIN number (yes, I know “PIN number” is redundant); Time Warner told me it is the “universal default” number, 0000, and it was.
In any case, the We Are One concert is on the HBO website for free. It runs just under two hours, and starts with Bishop Gene Robinson’s invocation, which was reportedly excised from the broadcast; Robinson is openly gay. From time to time, I had a buffering problem, so I decided to see if I could find at least the pop music performances on YouTube, and I did. The ones from, I think, Groban/Headley on are from one person and are pretty good quality. The earlier videos are of various folks and quality; at least one jittery video was obviously taken by someone actually at the show, not dependent on a TV feed.
Master Sergeant Caleb B. Green III The Star-Spangled Banner
Denzel Washington Homage to the leaders given Monuments or Memorials
Bruce Springsteen “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen. The choir is very effective. LINK
Laura Linney and Martin Luther King III: F.D.R and John F. Kennedy
Jack Black and Rosario Dawson Tribute to Theodore Roosevelt
Garth Brooks “American Pie” by Don McLean/”Shout” (Isley Brothers)/”We Shall Be Free” (Garth Brooks). The new Commander-in-Chief knows at least some of the lyrics to American Pie. LINK
Ashley Judd and Forest Whitaker Referencing John F. Kennedy and William Faulkner
Usher, Stevie Wonder and Shakira “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder. A number of people suggested that Shakira was the worst performer of the day. One YouTube person wondered who that guy was playing keyboards was – it was Stevie. LINK
Samuel L. Jackson Referencing Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.
U2 “Pride (in the Name of Love)” and “City of Blinding Lights” by U2. Pride, especially in that setting, was particularly moving. City, I read recently, is reportedly on Obama’s iPod. LINK
Barack Obama Speech: Voices Calling for Change
Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen “This Land is your Land” by Woody Guthrie. Pete’s voice is shot (though his grandson Tao’s is strong), but it was very moving to hear those verses one doesn’t usually hear:
“In the squares of the city – By the shadow of the steeple By the relief office – I saw my people As they stood there hungry, I stood there wonderin If this land’s still made for you and me.”
“There was a big high wall there – that tried to stop me; Sign was painted – it said private property; But on the other side – it didn’t say nothing; That side was made for you and me.”
“Nobody living can ever stop me, As I go walking – that freedom highway; Nobody living can ever make me turn back This land was made for you and me.” LINK
Beyonce “America the Beautiful”. A suitable ending. LINK
Two Diane Feinstein sightings in three days? First she was in the movie Milk, which I saw on Sunday, then she chaired the inauguration. Oh, and when did the song America, sung by QoS, become known as My Country ‘Tis Of Thee? I did like Aretha’s hat, though; reminded me of those women of a certain age in the black church. LINK
I got my TIAA-CREF financial statement, and there was a certain perverse beauty to it. I lost as much in the 3rd quarter as I did in the first two; I lost as much in the 4th quarter as I did in the first three. It’ll be awhile before that turns around.
I liked, not loved the inaugural speech. He took some pointed shots at his predecessor, which was fine. But he was so conscious of not wanting to build up expectations that it seemed almost out of place with the euphoria going on around him. On the other hand, I felt he was being honest with us. And, not so much after hearing the speech as reading about it after, this song came to mind: LINK I’m sick and tired of hearing things From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth Ive had enough of reading things By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians All I want is the truth Just gimme some truth No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me With just a pocketful of hope Money for dope Money for rope
I seriously considered taking off today to stay home and just take in the moment. But I had already used one vacation day and two sick days last week.
So I am recording the seven hours of coverage on ABC (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) today Don’t know how much I’ll actually watch, besides the speech, of course, though I am really looking forward the prayer. No, not from that guy. From THIS guy.
I suspect the word inaugural and its variants are often misspelled; two u’s! Reminds me of the word millennium, which was spelled quite often with only one n in 1999 and 2000.
More of Where to Watch Obama’s Inauguration Online. *** Since Obama’s a comic book fan (Spidey and Batman), it seemed appropriate to Obamatize this picture of the Batmobile. *** Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, this country has never created such a position. The country needs the arts–now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.
Now here’s something that can make a positive difference in the lives of all Americans! MORE ART, LESS WAR! *** Happy 50th birthday, Arthur at AmeriNZ, a US expat. (His birthday’s on the 21st, but he’s in New Zealand and it’s a time zone thing…)
Isn’t it convenient to always have your birthday on a Monday? (Well, it would be if ML King, Jr., like I do, took his birthday off.) For the record, his birthday was actually January 15 and he would have been 80 this year.
Who woulda thunk that Ronald Reagan would be the one to sign the holiday into law in 1983? It was first in 1986, but there was a lot of resistance, and it wasn’t observed in all 50 states, the Wikipedia notes, until 2000.
I was fascinated by the discussion before it became a holiday, as noted here:
“There were many who opposed the idea of holiday for Dr. King. America had only honored two individuals with national holidays – George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Many felt that there were other Americans that deserved a national holiday, such as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
“One barrier to the confirmation was the Senator from Georgia who had denounced Dr. King as a communist.
“Others feared the King holiday was meant as a way to make up to African-Americans for slavery. Other feared the cost of the holiday, with the extra overtime paid to federal workers who had to work on the holiday as well as millions to those federal employees who were paid for the day.
“Senator Bob Dole pointed out to those critics “I suggest they hurry back to their pocket calculators and estimate the cost of 300 years of slavery, followed by a century or more of economic, political and social exclusion and discrimination.”
The Holiday’s Campaign Song OR LINK As I pondered writing this piece, before looking up any sources, I was going to suggest that the King holiday WAS a sort of reparations for slavery and its aftermath. And then I discover it’s Bob Dole -BobDole! – who had already laid out an economic justification for the holiday.
There’s a lot out there about the significance of today in light of what’s going to happen tomorrow. Just Google king obama and you’ll know what I mean.
So I hope that today’s more than just a day off. The holiday’s become a day of community service; I believe the Obamas will be doing just that. Quiet reflection would also be OK; there are lots of books out there – here are three picture books recommended by Rebecca, e.g. Or you can go celebrate at an event. Quiet, loud – I don’t care.
One thing to check out, somewhat to my surprise, is the B.C. comic strip for January 18, 2009.
