Ann and Nancy Wilson didn’t like the GOP playing Barracuda[1]. Fine – it was a dumb choice and it hasn’t aged well.
If the GOP is going to reach back to the 80s for theme music [2] they could do worse than Lou Reed’s ‘There Is No Time‘.
It’s got a rockin’ beat to get the crowds on their feet and dancing. It’s got guitars and drums and frickin’ Lou Reed doing that growl-talk-sorta sing thing he does. I’ve listened to it like six times all the way through – the things I do for you people – and it’s still got my toes a tappin’.
And the lyrics are about perfect. If McCain is running the Maverick Express [3] and really is doing the hey we’re really sorry about the whole ‘we lost our stuff when we got the keys to the treasury in 1994’ thing … you couldn’t hardly improve on this:
This is no time for celebration
This is no time for shaking Hands
This is no time for backslapping
this is no time for marching Bands
This is no time for optimism
this is no time for endless Thought
This is no time for my country Right or Wrong
Remember what that brought
There is no time
There is no time
There is no time
There is no time
This is no time for congratulations
This is no time to turn Your Back
This is no time for circumlocution
This is no time for learned speech
This is no time to count Your Blessings
This is no time for private Gain
This is the time to put Up or Shut Up
It won’t come back this way again
(chorus)
This is no time to swallow Anger
This is no time to ignore Hate
This is no time to be Acting Frivolous
Because the time is getting late
This is no time for private vendettas
This is no time to not know who you are
Self knowledge is a dangerous thing
The freedom of who you are
This is no time to ignore Warnings
This is no time to clear the Plate
Let’s not be sorry after the fact
And let the past become out fate
(chorus)
This is no time to turn away and drink
Or smoke some vials of crack
This is a time to gather force
And take dead aim and attack
This is no time for celebration
This is no time for saluting Flags
This is no time for inner Searchings
The future is at hand
This is no time for phony Rhetoric
This is no time for political Speech
This is a time for action
Because the future’s within Reach
This is the time
This is the time
This is the time
Because there is no time
(chorus)
Yes, I’m serious, Lou.
YouTube the song. There are no music videos there but there are some really lame cartoons done up with the lyrics – including one where the artist oh-so cleverly drew a Hitler mustache on George Bush.
Cross posted to Space For Commerce.
[1] On the other hand, they can hardly complain about the publicity. Heart .. whozat? people under 30 were asking themselves. If Ann and Nancy were savvy they’d cut a quick response song and release it on the internets.
[2] And why not? The 80s featured a lot of kick-ass music. Also really dorky music videos – but they were just learning how mix music and those new-fangled teevees so you can’t blame us them.
[3] Or whatever it is.