In 2008 I re-wrote the lyrics to Bob Dylan's song Hurricane, making it into an ode to Barack Obama. It seems time to publish them, since our man Barry is running for re-election. This post is not meant to be an endorsement for either candidate although I am leaning toward the one that had the most to do with killing bin Laden. Here is Obama, sung to the tune of Hurricane.
Democrats were happy come convention time
Kerry thought he had the party all in line
Everyone was ready for an election-day putsch
Getting all the people to vote against George Bush
Here comes the story of Barack Obama
His candidacy caused a political trauma
’Cause we never had a President was black
Not less a person named Barack,
What kinda name is that for a U.S. President?
Suddenly the time came for the keynote address
Obama started talkin’ but not like all the rest
People stood in awe and thoroughly impressed
He didn’t know it then but he’d already passed the test
They knew if they lost in 2004
This guy from Illinois could open the White House door
If he ran for President in ‘08
His chance to win could be great,
In fact it could be nothing less than fate
Kerry lost the election and the years went by
Obama was convinced he could do better than that guy
If he ran as the Democratic nominee
With a platform of hope and change and integrity
He was raising money on the Internet
Raking in the dollars Howard Dean couldn’t get
Then he announced that he would run
He said that he could be the one who made us believe in America again
Soon came time to take out the political artillery
’Cause he’d be running against a Clinton named Hillary
Once we thought the Democrats would hand her the nomination
But Obama made ‘em all take another look at this nation
He shocked and beat her in Iowa
Made the whole damned party take its eye off her
’Cause now they knew that she could lose
And all the headlines in the news said this guy from Illinois
Was no longer a boy
Then Obama had enough delegates
That he won the nomination and went campaigning through the states
He went to all the cities and through amber fields of grain
Talking the living daylights out of John McCain
People ‘round the world threw in their chips
Betting on the senator with the purple lips
And when election day came around
Barack was inauguration bound
We hadda black President, history was made
Now the first hundred days have come and gone
President Obama not havin’ much fun
He starts his new position when the economy tanks
He’s bailing out the auto biz and most of the banks
And now the world is watching close
While the conservatives give him a dose
Of what every U.S. leader gets
Don’t matter if he’s black or white
They say he ain’t doing right and fat Rush wants him to fail
Maybe he’ll do good for us or maybe not so well
The times are not a-changing, the world’s a livin’ hell
Still Obama keeps his cool while standing up strong
And guys like us do nothing but we did write this song.
So far that’s the story of Barack Obama
His candidacy caused a political trauma
’Cause we never had a President was black
Not less a person named Barack,
What kinda name is that for a U.S. President?
Frank Cotolo 12:31 PM
