'Raisin' McCain' a Rousing Campaign Anthem

Country and Western singer John Rich has composed the anthem for the John McCain campaign Raisin' McCain. By so doing, John Rich is following a tradition that is as old as American politics. The practice has been in existence since at least 1840.

Campaign songs are meant to entertain an audience at campaign rallies, before and after the candidates' speeches. They also tend to reinforce certain themes that the candidate would like to impart, patriotism, change, praise for the candidate, criticism of the other candidate and victory in the election.

In 1840, the candidate for the Whigs, William Henry Harrison, used a song composed by Alexander Coffman Ross entitled "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" set to the music of a traditional song, "Little Pigs." Tippecanoe referred to a battle Harrison had won as an Army commander against American Indians.

"For Tippecanoe and Tyler too.

For Tippecanoe and Tyler too.

And with them we'll beat little Van, Van, Van,

Van is a used up man.

And with them we'll beat little Van"

"Van" was, of course, Harrison's opponent, Martin Van Buren.

Abraham Lincoln campaigned in 1860 to the tune of "Lincoln and Liberty Too", composed to the music of a sea shanty called "Old Roisen the Beau."

"Hurrah for the choice of the nation,

Our chieftain so brave and so true,

We'll go for the great reformation,

For Lincoln and Liberty too!"

In modern times, Franklin Roosevelt, in 1932, made popular a song called "Happy Days are Here Again", which has since become a traditional staple at Democratic campaign events. Starting in 1988, Republicans adopted "Proud to be An American" by Lee Greenwood.

Mostly, though, candidates have preferred to use popular songs as their campaign anthems. In 1972, George McGovern used "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", a great song, but about as rousing his his campaign turned out to be. Later Ronald Reagan used Bruce Spingsteen's "Born in the USA", a rousing sounding song with somewhat downbeat lyrics, until Springsteen, a liberal, asked him to stop. Bill Clinton adopted the Fleetwood Mac favorite "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow.) George W. Bush used "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty, even though Petty threatened to sue and then sang the song at Al Gore's concession.

John Rich returns to an old tradition, in Raisin McCain, of the especially composed campaign song. It's a very rousing, uplifting anthem that one can probably dance to:

"Well we're all just raisin' McCain

Everywhere across the USA

You can get on the train or get out of the way

We're all just raisin' McCain."

Barack Obama uses a few popular songs for his campaign, including "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder. Of course there is one tribute song to him he might really wish didn't exist, called "I have a Crush...On Obama" by Obama Girl, which has been made famous on the Internet and cable TV.

Finally, the absolute weirdest campaign song, obviously never used by the Hillary Clinton Campaign, was the Internet favorite, Hot4Hill by Taryn Southern, a sweet love ballad song by one woman to another. Understandably, the Hillary Clinton campaign choose "You and I" by Celine Dion instead.

Sources: Lyrics: Raisin' McCain, John Rich
Tippecanoe and Tyler Too, Wikipedia
Lyrics: Lincoln and Liberty Too
Lyrics: Happy Days are Here Again
Lyrics: Proud to be an American"
I Got a Crush...On Obama", Obama Girl, Youtube
Taryn Southern is Hot4Hill, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, July 20th, 2008