Music About Ronald Reagan

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"Hinckley Had a Vision"?
Ha Ha! I HAVE to hear that.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jeez, I just remembered that I marched in the old fart's inaugural parade. Irony.

Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jazz Butcher - President Reagan's Birthday Present
Jody Foster's Army - .... ?

dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:11 (twenty-one years ago) link

Bonzo Goes to Washington, "Five Minutes"

s woods, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

D.O.A. - "Fucked Up Ronnie"

Chris Barrus (xibalba), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

Heaven 17-(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing

Arthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

There's the unforgettable "Up in the Air" by the Kasenetz Katz Super Circus.

Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:22 (twenty-one years ago) link

Songs that have sampled Ronald Reagan:

http://www.sloth.org/samples-bin/samples/source?exact=Reagan%2C+Ronald+%28President%29

This in particular struck me:

"A message to terrorists everywhere. You can run .. but you can't hide"
"We are not going to tolerate these attacks from outlaw states"
"We will not cave in "
"Today we have done what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong "

Sounds exactly what Dubya is saying now, except 20 years ago. Thank you for this persepctive, Def Leppard!

fletrejet, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

I always thought "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour was about ol' Ronnie.

Charles McCain, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thank you for this persepctive, Def Leppard!

Lemme tell ya, that song's been going through my head more than once these days -- and not merely because it sounds so great. ;-)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Upon first hearing the Cure's "Prayers for Rain" I thought our Robert was singing "...and hopelessness, and President Reagan..."

JParker (mookieproof), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:11 (twenty-one years ago) link

'Sweethearts' by Camper Van Beethoven.

Chris Davis (Chris Davis), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

Fine Young Cannibals (or Simply Red?): "Money's Too Tight to Mention." Specifically, that line "I'm talkin' 'bout Reaganomics."

Also, I remember a hardcore band from NJ who had a song whose chorus went "Nazi, nazi, Reagan's a Nazi/Nancy Reagan is *also* a Nazi!"

mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Also Pink Floyd's "Fletcher Memorial Home".

Chris Barrus (xibalba), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

"re-ron" gil scott heron

gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Ronnie Rambo Racist Baby-Killer Reagan." Heard it on one of Irwin's WFMU shows.

mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

Jazzbo, that first Crucifucks album (self-titled on Alternative Tentacles) is pretty great. Steve Shelley was on drums before joining Sonic Youth.

Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

per "Things That U Do", Jay-Z self-describes as a "product of Reaganomics"

Also, two Phish songs, one part of an allegorical song cycle written in college, the other more direct and written in high school, I think, both pretty dumb:

Wilson

Dear Mrs. Reagan

gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

bis "this is fake diy"

"Reagan Reagan we gotta Reagan"

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ronald Ray Gun.

christoff (christoff), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Leather Nun ( 1 line ) in "Pink House" .. "Rambo Reagan is forcing me to eat American Pie"

dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:26 (twenty-one years ago) link

This Ronnie quote is in the lead-in to Triumph's Too Much Thinkin' -- "... and let me tell you that is what i said before a fauclet".

christoff (christoff), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

DKs, "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now." "I am Emperor Ronald Reagan/Born again with fascist cravings/Still, you made me president."

mike a (mike a), Thursday, 6 March 2003 18:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...
mike a, I listed that

HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Sunday, 6 June 2004 03:38 (nineteen years ago) link

I've got an LP called The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan. Both sides are blank.

Pack Yr Romantic Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 6 June 2004 04:02 (nineteen years ago) link

My Dog Popper, "Acid Flashback"
They were a mid-'80s Montreal novelty-punk band. "Acid Flashback" was a nutty half-spoken, half-yelled epic about Reagan suffering from one.

"Rappin' Ronnie Reagan":

Homer: Don't worry -- I brought my Rappin' Ronnie Reagan tape.
It always makes the trip go faster.

[Reagan sample over drumbeats]: Well, well, well w-well, well weh-weh-well, Well, well, w-weh-well, well, weh-well, w-w-well, well, well, weh-well...

Homer: Heh heh heh! You know, he DID say "well" a lot.

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 6 June 2004 08:01 (nineteen years ago) link

another jay-z line, in that punjabi mc "beware of the boys" remix, drawing interesting parallels - "been havin' the flow/before bin laden got manhattan to blow/before ronald reagan got manhattan to blow"

m. (mitchlnw), Sunday, 6 June 2004 08:17 (nineteen years ago) link

That voice in Frankie's "Two Tribes" (and others?) was supposed to be a Reagan impersonation, wasn't it?

OleM (OleM), Sunday, 6 June 2004 10:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Regarding that list of Reagan samples linked to, I can add two more off the top of my head that I own:

Airforce One - "See The light, Feel The Heat" (miscellaneous speeches etc. sampled)

The Bushmen - "Red Necks, White Socks" (uses the whole of the "...we begin bombing in five minutes" thing)

zebedee (zebedee), Sunday, 6 June 2004 12:02 (nineteen years ago) link

Not exactly "music," but Crass had that phony Thatcher/Reagan tape:

http://www.southern.com/southern/label/CRC/1238.html

mike a, Sunday, 6 June 2004 12:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Postcard from Hell - Uncle Tupelo

MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Sunday, 6 June 2004 19:04 (nineteen years ago) link

I can't believe I'm the first to say this, but:

"I Shot Reagan" by Non-Phixion

Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Sunday, 6 June 2004 19:23 (nineteen years ago) link

Reagan's Dead - prima donnas

"reagan died! But his clone's alive! run and hide! mass suicide!"

itsgonnarain, Sunday, 6 June 2004 21:03 (nineteen years ago) link

How about that fucking Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks tune with "Ronnie and Nancy going bopping along"? That's just the fucking worst...

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 7 June 2004 02:40 (nineteen years ago) link

The Damned - Bad Time for Bonzo

Sasha (sgh), Monday, 7 June 2004 02:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Don Henley's line about "this tired old man we elected king" -- the song's a piece of self-righteous Boomer fake nostalgic crap, but I have kind of a weakness for it. It's very Reagan era.

spittle (spittle), Monday, 7 June 2004 03:01 (nineteen years ago) link

there was a 12" on Khans streetsounds label that was all electro cutup funk thing with the whole 'begin bombing in 5 mins' - "the democratic three " or something like that !

mark e (mark e), Monday, 7 June 2004 08:00 (nineteen years ago) link

According to the great man himself when interviewed by David Letterman on The Late Show in 1982: Ice Cream For Crow by Captain Beefheart.

DL: "Yeah. What does that mean exactly, the title?"

DVV: "Uh, it has a lot to do with Ray-Gun. I mean, he saddle soaps his hair and tosses jelly beans through rope tricks. He's a bad actor!"

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 7 June 2004 11:48 (nineteen years ago) link

That's brilliant! And my mind is still wrapping itself around the idea that Beefheart was on Letterman.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Blue Riddim Band "My Name is Nancy Reagan." They used to spin this a lot on "Reggae Beat International" -- ragamuffin thing with a "Davy Crockett" melody (the teevee theme, not the Headcoatees song).

briania (briania), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:24 (nineteen years ago) link

Extraordinary 'though it may seem Ned, Don actually appeared on Letterman twice: in 1982 and 1983.

Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:44 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm amazed!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:46 (nineteen years ago) link

Sun City Girls "Nancy" is about his wife.

Sean Witzman (trip maker), Monday, 7 June 2004 15:20 (nineteen years ago) link

"B-Movie" - Gil Scott Heron. Remember him THIS way.

Ron & Nancy are also namechecked in Big Hard Excellent Fish's litany of shite, "Imperfect List". Available today from a blog near you. ;-)

mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 7 June 2004 15:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Last night DJing at Southpaw I segued "Ronnie Talk to Russia" into "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," but I don't think anybody noticed...

chuck, Monday, 7 June 2004 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Bow Wow Wow's "TV Savage" had that line "She is like Ronnie Reagan." They never really elaborated on how Annabella resembled Reagan, though.

mike a, Monday, 7 June 2004 16:16 (nineteen years ago) link

Captain Beefheart not only made videos, but hated MTV before either were fashionable.

David Allen (David Allen), Monday, 7 June 2004 17:51 (nineteen years ago) link

two years pass...
'cause nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain

timmy tannin (pompous), Thursday, 2 November 2006 20:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Incredibly, it seems nobody on this tread mentioned Fun Boy Three's "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum".

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 2 November 2006 22:21 (seventeen years ago) link

The Beefheart on Letterman videos are up on YouTube.

paid in cigarettes (paid in cigarettes), Friday, 3 November 2006 02:21 (seventeen years ago) link

Did anybody mention the live version of Magazine's "Model Worker?"

Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 3 November 2006 02:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Psychedelic Furs - "President Gas"

Radio Free Albemuth (DocMartensBoots), Friday, 3 November 2006 22:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Minimal Man - "Loneliness"

Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Friday, 3 November 2006 23:37 (seventeen years ago) link

fourteen years pass...

well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1UfDHij5R4

global tetrahedron, Monday, 31 May 2021 18:50 (two years ago) link

A mix of punk songs about Reagan I made awhile back:
https://www.quartzcity.net/2016/11/08/episode-015-punk-rock-reagan/

Elvis Telecom, Monday, 31 May 2021 22:02 (two years ago) link

two weeks pass...

A lengthy and essayistic Wikipedia entry on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan_in_music

search term: buttrock (morrisp), Saturday, 19 June 2021 04:29 (two years ago) link


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