You know election season must be in full swing when rock stars are issuing public statements getting candidates to stop using their songs at rallies, Read the full post.
Jun 29
2011
12:36 PM ET
Tom Petty asks Michele Bachmann to stop using 'American Girl,' joins long list of rockers unhappy with politicians
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First point – Don’t any of these candidates listen to the lyrics?? Or do they just read the song title “American Woman” and think hey, let’s use that? Get some sheet music, GOP, holy sheet.
Second point – whatever happened to using a John Philips Sousa standard?
…make it last all night!
…make it last all night!
The headline should read, ” Tom Petty asks Michele Bachmann to stop using ‘American Girl,’ joins long list of rockers unhappy with REPUBLICAN politicians”. Unless any Dems are looking to use Ted Nugent’s music on the campaign trail, I don’t forsee any problems for the Left, considering most of the emtertainment industry is left wing. That being said, if they don’t want Republican’s using their music, that’s their perogative, seeing as it’s their property. As a Republican, I wish that Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman would just go away, so we can get a decent, electable candidate to get rid of Obama.
*entertainment
I don’t know if EW altered the title of the post due to your comment, but right now it just reads as “Tom Petty asks Michele Bachmann to stop using ‘American Girl,’ joins long list of rockers unhappy with politicians“. It doesn’t specify which party the politicians in question belong to.
one point: i think that a lot of people (not saying specifically, you, i don’t know you) exaggerate how “Left” the entertainment industry is. Frankly, if the repubs would focus on things like the economy (which they keep calling the Dems to task for) and taxes, and stopped telling people homosexuals are scary people forcing others to be gay and that smoking pot is something that makes you an evel ne’er-do-well, i think you’d find many entertainment folks (and regular citizens) would be a lot more apt to vote republican. I tend to vote Democrat more for social reasons than for fiscal. And I’m much more libertarian in the sense that i think the gov’t (and your neighbor) should stay out of your personal social issues unless they truly encroach on someone else’s rights. I.E., if you think i’m going to hell because i go to planned parenthood for a checkup (not even an abortion), bully for you. That’s between me and my god. Or if you think I’m going to hell bc I want to sleep with the same gender, bully for you- but yet again, between me and my god. It’s mostly the right wing busybody types that turn off much of the country. I also tell left wingers, they should stop telling businesses whether they can have smoking or not, etc.. Free will should include how you want your business to run and who your clientele should be. And noone is forced to work there…. I could go on…
@jj – AMen. I am not Republican but consider myself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. For the good of the party they need to step aside.
Here we go again…
Why is it so hard for some people to understand why a musician would not want his or her music used by a political candidate that he or she does not endorse? No one’s music should be used to promote a cause that the musician does not support, regardless of political leaning.
What about Rush Limbaugh using The Pretenders’ “My City Was Gone” as background music? WTF??? Can someone tell Chrissie Hynde please?!!!
She was actually asked about that in an interview a couple of years ago in Blender magazine. Her response was something like, “The last time I checked this is still a free country. He can play whatever song he wants. I’m not going to say anything”. Finally someone who practices what they preach.
Is Chrissie Hynde now some sort of advocate for free speech? I wasn’t aware. How is she practicing what she preaches? If she did actually say that, regarding Rush it makes no sense anyway. Yes, it is a free country, but that has nothing to do with the fact that you don’t have the right to use someone’s copyrighted property without their permission.
Ok, it’s true & you (& Chrissie) have a valid point. Saying that, I am under the impression Miss Hynde is a progressive liberal & I don’t have to elaborate more because it speaks by itself. HELLO!!! Rush is well known for his absolutely preposterous commentary not to say highly offensive, toxic & dangerous to say the very least. I personally would have sued his fat Oxycodone ass. As far as I concern, if I was Hynde, I would NEVER had this individual play any of my songs, period.
He gave permission for Hillary Clinton to use that same song. So its not politicians in general but Republicans he doesn’t want playing his music.
I am starting to think that Elton John is the only entertainer with an open mind and any kind of common sense. This kind of BS just further divides us. I’m sure Tom Petty has fans who are Republicans.
I’m sure a couple of his Mansions were paid for by Republicans buying his music and going to his concerts.
So that means he has to help out Republican politicians? How does that figure?
Aren’t they required to ask permission prior to using an artist’s songs in front of a large crowd?
good for you, tom! don’t let her ruin that song for the rest of us. it’s one of the best songs EVER and should not be associated with any campaign – democrat, republican, whatever.
American Girl is an awesome song, one of Petty’s best. Can’t blame him for wanting to protect it. Maybe Bachmann could use an old Bing Crosby song.
Michele should ask permission for acts to use their songs, than be cheap and not give make it happen without notice. I really hated it when Heart’s Barracuda was used without betcha Sarah Palin asking for permission.
She can use my songs. I don’t give a damn.
The Republicans really need to stick to country music, or they’re going to keep running into this problem. Lord knows if I was a musician I wouldn’t want my music used to promote a politician I opposed . . . .
Way to go, Tom Petty.