How Political Campaigns Send Messages through Music

October 13, 2024

Authored by:

Greg Varner

One of the greatest lyricists in the history of American popular song was E.Y. Harburg, who co-wrote the Depression-era anthem "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" and countless other classics, including "Over the Rainbow." Words, Harburg said, make you think, while music makes you feel, but when they're together in a song, they make you feel a thought. No wonder so many politicians try to tap the synergistic power of songs to forge and strengthen connections with voters. GW Today asked Loren Kajikawa, associate professor in the George Washington University's Music Program, which he also directs, to comment on this phenomenon. The program is housed in the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, part of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

Q: What were some of the best or most effective examples of the use of music in political campaigns?

A: One of the classic examples would be Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. There were so many questions swirling around him and he was not the expected presidential nominee. People expected it to be Hillary Clinton that year. Even within the Congressional Black Caucus, there were questions: Who is this guy? One of the things Obama did very effectively in 2008 was use music to establish his identity and create a kind of song biography, which focused heavily on Motown hits of the 1960s and '70s. So, Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)"played as Obama came on the stage at rallies and featured prominently in his playlist.

If you want to go back further, in the 1950s, Dwight Eisenhower's campaign used music effectively. Irving Berlin adapted one of his songs, "They Like Ike," from the musical "Call Me Madam." The new version was called "I Like Ike." In that case, the lyrics of a tune from a Broadway show were changed. Since then, in the late 20th century and certainly into the 21st, campaigns are using more preexisting popular music, rather than making original songs or parodies of existing songs.

There was an exception to that at the most recent Republican National Convention. Rapper Forgiato Blow and model Amber Rose did a music video which was a parody of Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby," changed to "Trump Trump Baby," in support of Donald Trump. And then there was a copyright claim from Sony Music because (like "Ice Ice Baby") it sampled the song "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie.

Q: What do you think made "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" so effective for Obama?

A: I think it's a combination of things. You could look at the lyrics and talk about the chorus: "Here I am, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours," as a celebration of Obama's relationship with the electorate. But I think more than that, it's just the feeling of the song. It's the melody, the rhythm, the upbeat, energetic nature of the song and Stevie Wonder's incredible voice and performance that just makes listeners feel good.

I don't think a campaign song is going to change somebody's mind about voting for a particular candidate. But a good campaign song can help to energize the constituency for a candidate and help them feel together in the moment. Music can be really effective for creating a sense of community.

The music of the modern civil rights era, even if it wasn't explicitly political all the time, resonated with the feelings and the politics of the era. A sense of togetherness was really important for how people mobilized politically. Stevie Wonder's music can still carry a lot of those same connotations. Obama was clearly centering the civil rights generation as one of his main target audiences.

Q: What about the Harris campaign's use of Beyoncé's "Freedom"?

A: "Freedom" is pretty serious as far as campaign songs go. It has this really uplifting, powerful chorus. Beyoncé is a strong Black woman making a strong statement about freedom and the African-American community. It's commenting on the ways in which the United States has failed some of its most vulnerable citizens. And I think it telegraphs a desire on Harris's behalf to represent vulnerable communities and be a champion for those who have not always been well represented by government. It aligns Harris with another strong Black woman in Beyoncé and connects to a fan base that's quite large and, I think, overlaps with the same groups that she wants to show up at the polls for her in November. Choosing Beyoncé is a clear gesture toward a younger, millennial generation that was not excited about Joe Biden.

The youth vote was also important to Obama's success and it's important to remember that he was the first presidential nominee to make overt gestures towards hip-hop music and culture. For example, in a campaign speech, when addressing criticism that he was receiving from other politicians, he brushed his shoulders off, which was a clear gesture to a Jay-Z song called "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" from "The Black Album" (2005) and the gesture that Jay-Z makes in the video. So that was a nod and a wink to the hip-hop generation, which was significant because prior to Obama, neither political party would have wanted to be associated with hip-hop.

At the same time, Obama was quick to distance himself from some of the more problematic aspects of hip-hop and its mainstream perception. For example, when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Obama was quick to call Kanye a "jackass," demonstrating that he was not uncritically embracing hip-hop.

Q: Let's talk about the current Republican presidential candidate.

A: There have been multiple instances of Donald Trump choosing music to play at campaign rallies or other political events and being asked not to use that music or being threatened with legal action. I don't know if that really hurts or helps Trump in any way. There may be ways in which, for Trump's audience at least, those cease-and-desist orders actually contribute to strengthening his antiestablishment identity.

Even though voters of color still overwhelmingly vote Democratic, Trump has made significant inroads. And he has been endorsed by a number of prominent hip-hop artists such as Kanye West, Sexyy Red and Azealia Banks. Trump's political style is irreverence. It's refusing to play by the established rulebook or etiquette. These are all things that align with hip-hop style. So, even if there are a lot of hip-hop artists and fans who don't like Trump, there are a surprising number who do.

The fact that hip-hop culture is also popping up in conservative spaces reflects how long hip-hop has been at the center of American popular music. A generation of voters has come of age with hip-hop as the soundtrack of their lives. And, of course, some of them are going to be conservative and some of them are going to be liberal or progressive. It would be naive to think that any one political party could claim ownership of the genre.

Q: What new developments do you see in the use of music in political campaigns today?

A: We're seeing more fan-created content than ever before. Technology and how we consume and connect with music has changed a lot. We've gone from what was on Obama's iPod in 2008 to a world in which everything is streaming. You can create videos with music on TikTok or Instagram for the world to see. It's not only campaigns putting out ideas about music and the connection between music and their candidates, but fans and voters are creating their own content and sharing it on social media. People are creating music videos of Kamala Harris dancing, laughing and giving speeches with music behind them that get seen by millions of viewers. Campaigns are not totally in control in the social media environment we're living in.

Q: What would be on your "top five" playlist built around campaigns and music?

A: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." "Freedom." Dolly Parton's "9 to 5"was used by Elizabeth Warren. Trump has used "God Bless the U.S.A."by Lee Greenwood. Reagan tried to associate himself with Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.,"and then Springsteen made public statements about how Reagan must have been misunderstanding his music. Later, Obama connected with Springsteen and his audience. Obama didn't connect with just Motown and hip-hop, but also to the rock 'n' roll generation, mainly through his relationship with Springsteen.