El Camino...
Es largo y profundo, pero voy a caminar el camino...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Re: Dear Mr. President
Okey Dokey. Listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and P!nk's new song, "Dear Mr. President" was on. Read the lyrics (as best typed while listening to the song):

'Dear Mr. President, come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and you're not better than me...
I'd like to ask you some questions, if we can speak honestly.
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

CHORUS:
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
And tell me why...?

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
How can you say no child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells...
While you pave the road to hell.
What kind of father would take his own daughters rights away?
What kind of father would hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say...
You've come a long way... from whiskey and cocaine.

Repeat Chorus

Let me tell you about hard work, minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you about hard work, building a house when the bombs have gone away
Let me tell you about hard work, building a bed out of a cardboard box...
You don't know nothing bout hard work, hard work, hard work...

How do you sleep at night... How do you walk with your head held high...

Dear Mr. President, would you ever talk a walk with me...?'



What are your thoughts? I'm interested to know other people's reactions/thoughts. Comment away.
posted by Erica @ 12:08 p.m.  
5 Comments:
  • At 2:08 p.m., Blogger Chris H said…

    I have a problem with this because it seems to read more into someone else's mind than one is capable. It accuses him of being callous to the problems of people, of being willing to hate his daughter, etc. That's assuming to much.

    Generally, I suppose, this song is just another "We don't like Bush" song by the left-wing media types. Therefore, I dismiss it.

    The irony of Pink writing about "hard work" is not lost on me, though...

     
  • At 2:12 p.m., Blogger Chris H said…

    Oh, and it also puts more on the shoulders of the office of President than is reasonable, or even provided for within the role itself. There is more to the government than simply the President. To suggest that he should be ashamed of himself when there are forces greater than he at work to do good and ill is unfair. Clearly it's an oversimplification; if something's wrong it's the President's fault. The machinery of the United States government is more complex than that.

    Besides complaining, is Pink doing anything to alleviate the issues which she bemoans? Does she donate most of her large income to the homeless? Perhaps she selflessly serves at shelters? I think not.

     
  • At 4:53 p.m., Blogger Janelle said…

    i agree with Chris, that knowing how P!ink lives right now kinda defeats the purpose of the song...but i know she didn't come from wealth, so she has felt many of the things she is talking about.
    and i myself struggle with Mr. Bush. i personally don't agree with him on many levels and wonder if he's actually done any good. i'm so glad not to be American. so so so glad.

     
  • At 11:17 a.m., Blogger Sheryl said…

    I think it's important that we are reminded of these issues ourselves. Addressing the president is an easy out to alleviate our own responsibilities when it comes down to hands on helping and building a country that loves and cares and judges fairly. The song is a good reminder to define where I stand on issues and ask the question of where I can be involved.

     
  • At 10:56 a.m., Blogger Erica R said…

    I read this and found myself frustrated. Frustrated at my lack of ability to help those in need - in reality the song should and could be aimed directly at me. That being said - I get SO frustrated with Canadians and Americans who bash their government - because the truth is we have more tools to make a difference in this world because our governemnts are some of the LEAST corrupt in the world. This song wouldn't even get air time in other places and Pink probably wouldn't be alive to sing it...as much as we don't want to admit it, currently our government offers us freedoms to make a difference so we should not be asking ourselves; What are THEY doing, we should be asking ourselves what are WE doing....

     
Post a Comment
<< Home
 
About Me

Name: Erica
Home: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
About Me:
See my complete profile
Previous Post
Archives
Quote of the Week

The success of love is in the loving - it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done. Mother Teresa

Fellow Bloggers
Links
Powered by

Free Blogger Templates

BLOGGER