The sense of American love for homeland perfectly illustrates the God Bless America collection – For The Benefit Of The duplicate Towers Fund. The plate includes a compilation of patriotic-colored works performed by stylishly diverse artists, from Bob Dylan, by Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra to the Mormon choir singing the national anthem. Definitely the brightest point of this set is Lee Greenwood's calm ballad "God Bless The U.S.A.". Last year, her stone version conquered America. "All the way to the polling venue I listened to this song at maximum volume and with the car windows open!" declared enthusiastically voter Donald Trump in comments on Lee Greenwood's profile on the X portal. “I feel like you wrote “God Bless The U.S.A.” for president Trump. all time I hear you sing this song, I have tears in my eyes and I feel love and hope for the United States!” another internetnaut told him. And on the YT portal individual wrote: “I am not even American, and I get goose bumps.” It is hard to be amazed – Greenwood's work, especially in the set from the "Trump music video", is an emotional masterpiece.
Pathetic simplicity
"I completed basic Air Force training in 2001. erstwhile we gathered around the flag, they played your song. I stood there proudly, and tears were all over my cheeks. That song touched my soul. Thank you!” – there are thousands of specified comments about Greenwood’s work. Where did the phenomenon of this song come from? Its musical plan is rather simple – periodic construction, four-tracking, F-duration, verse and chorus, culmination, voltage discharge, insignificant changes in the melodic line at the chorus replay. Long adequate not to bore – 3 minutes. In the latest, "uplifted" version we will find the typical country-rock sound instrumentarium, with expressive percussion and bass, beautiful solo guitar, gentle string background, and the rough-axamite voice of Lee Greenwood himself, and likewise charming vocal accompanying the young country vocalist Drew Jacobs. The distinctive voices and stone sound give this version of the song strength and emphatically emphasize a lofty text which for many Americans reflects their knowing of patriotism:
If everything were gone tomorrow
What I've worked for all my life
And I'd gotta start over
Only with my children and my wife.
Thank my fortunate stars
That I live here today
Because the flag inactive symbolizes freedom
And they can't take that distant from me.
And I'm arrogant to be American.
At least here I know I'm free
And I won't forget the people who died
Who gave me that right
I'm happy to stand next to you
And I will defend her to this day
Because there's no doubt
I love this land.
God bless the United States.
From the lakes of Minnesota
To Tennessee Hills
Through the Texas Plains
Pacific to Atlantic
From Detroit to Houston
And from fresh York to Los Angeles
There's pride everywhere in all American's heart
And it's time we stopped and said,
I'm arrogant to be American...
The text is pathetic, but combined with a catchy melody and a strong sound of patos does not offend, on the contrary it kidnaps and, in fact, in delicate patriots it can origin emotion due to the fact that it is sincere and refers to the American national anthem. We Catholics can grin under our noses as we hear the American appeal to God (although there are many churches in America, and besides the masonry has marked itself in the past of this country) or household values (although both Donald Trump and Lee Greenwood had respective wives). But God is present in this song (similar to the American anthem) and nobody is ashamed of Him. Asking God to take care of the country, reminding the pioneering story of “starting from scratch”, showing respect for veterans, listing characteristic corners of America, highlighting national pride and the importance of the family, a affirmative message, and yet paying homage to the most crucial American virtue—freedom—is the key to moving patriotic strings in the souls of Americans. And besides the music in the essence of American style, I would even say "genetically" American, sung by representatives of 2 generations – a elder and a 28-year-old.
Wanting to be a patriot
"I always wanted to compose a song like An American Trilogy... I was working in Las Vegas, sneaking into Elvis' concerts and listening to this song... and I said to myself, "If I always get to Nashville, I will compose a song like Trilogy," says Lee Greenwood, 82-year-old country vocalist in Sonny Fulks' article (pressprosmagazine.com). Trilogy was a compilation of 3 19th-century songs: “Dixie” or the most popular songs of confederate residents, even acting as an unofficial anthem of Confederate States of America during the civilian War, “All My Trials” – spiritual songs of black slaves, and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” which was a combat song of the Union Army during the war. So the song combines different themes and looks at American history. To match specified an ambitious work seemed a challenge, but Lee Greenwood did. In 1984, the planet heard his previously written ballad “God Bless The U.S.A.” which became 1 of the most celebrated patriotic songs in the United States. “One night I was sitting on a bus traveling from small stone to any place in Texas, erstwhile this song occurred to me. I had a portable piano, which I put on my lap, I put on headphones so as not to disturb anyone who tried to sleep on the bus, and I wrote God Bless The U.S.A." Greenwood simply says, “the interior feeling of wanting to be a patriot” to ask what inspired him. "My father served in the Navy during planet War II, and my stepfather was in the air force. My first bass player in the band was a associate of the Air National Guard. I have always appreciated the sacrifice of the army. I wanted to say that I am arrogant to be an American due to the fact that I haven't heard anyone say that in a long time," Greenwood emphasized.
The song achieved success on the Billboard charts, was a hit during the Gulf War in the 1990s and after the attacks of September 11, 2001, it was played in military groups, while giving citizenship to visitors, was sung in schools, was reminded of Veteran Day or independency Day. In 1984, the song was included in a movie about Ronald Reagan, then the president of the United States for Republicans seeking re-election. The song was besides utilized by George H. W. Bush's staff in 1988. Recently, this melody is mainly associated with Donald Trump.
"Almost 10 years ago Donald Trump began utilizing "God Bless The U.S.A" as his song to go out at all rally and event. 40 years ago, I didn't know my song would play a key function in specified a historical presidential campaign. president Trump and millions of supporters, thank you! I am arrogant to have voted for Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States," announces Lee on the X portal and on YT under a run music video for the song. Greenwood, who did not receive any remuneration from Trump's staff for utilizing the song, emphasizes that it was his way of supporting the run without transferring money.
Trump music?
Aidan McGartland of McGill University attempted to decode the influence of music on the MAGA run message. In addition to the apparent meaning of “God Bless the U.S.A.”, the article besides highlighted the usage of the well-known disco hit from the 1970s “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People team, in which Republican candidate performed his characteristic dance at election meetings. Interestingly, the song that “queer” communities considered to be their anthem, Donald Trump regained for right-wing values – at his rally “Y.M.C.A.” refers to the working class, which was the main object of the current President's message. The author of the article believes that Trump, as a veteran of show business, perfectly understands the strength of music and the impact of the planet of entertainment, so celebrities (such as Hulk Hogan), dance and music were key elements of his encounters with voters. "For the last 9 years Trump has developed a diverse playlist, focusing on the pop hits of the 1970s and 1980s, with the 1970s being his youth, and the 1980s being the period during which his business career gained momentum. any commentators wrote that Trump is inactive surviving in this era," says Aidan McGarland. The selection of songs triggering nostalgia in the 1980s is to remind of Reagan's reign, seen by many Conservatives as "the golden age". Interestingly, the commentator, assessing the function of “God Bless The U.S.A.” claims that Lee Greenwood's song highlights the “nationalistic” themes of the MAGA message...
Not everyone knows that Donald Trump is besides a fan of classical music. His favourite performers reportedly included pianist Glenn Gould, known for his bravado interpretations of Bach's works, and tenor Luciano Pavarotti, whose tracks were played at the "trump" electoral rallies. Donald Trump gave the Nessun Dorma aria sung by Pavarotti from the opera "Turandot" by Puccini, ending with the word "vincero" – I will win. In 2016, Pavarotti's widow wished Donald Trump would halt utilizing her dead husband's performance. She is not the only 1 – an extended list of artists who protested the usage of their works at Donald Trump's rallies can be found online. Edward Willis, the frontman of the Village People, was initially among them, but he changed his head over time. The tmz.com portal reports that Willis allowed Trump to usage his song until the end of the presidential run in 2024, especially as requests for the usage of the song for political purposes with respect for copyright were submitted by the President's staff to the applicable institutions. Willis was besides going to say that any suit against the president would be simply stupid and "full of hate", and Trump's usage of "Y.M.C.A." greatly helped the song, making it back to number 2 on Billboard's digital charts. The Village People squad (although not all erstwhile members of the group supported it) even appeared at the inaugural rally of Donald Trump's presidency, alongside Billy Ray Cyrus, kid stone and, of course, Lee Greenwood.
Audio ... and video!
The first video for the song "God Bless the U.S.A." showed Greenwood as a farmer who lost his household farm. In turn, the music video for the fresh stone version showed various American services (military, police, firefighters, etc.) giving them due respect. However, the "post-campanic" music video for Greenwood's song showing 47 was impressive. U.S. president in various situations: we see Trump with his family, Trump with voters, Trump in the military cemetery in the rain, Trump leaning down to an old veteran, Trump decorating the hero's medal, Trump talking to the soldier's son, Trump with politicians, Trump with celebrated professional boxing promoter Don King, Trump speaking at the rally, Trump with the Bible, Trump with soldiers of various formations and officers of various services, Trump against the background of the wall with Mexico, Trump making a presidential oath (with dazzling, full of unforced chic Melanie at his side), Trump in the garbage truck, Trump at the sports stadium, Trump against the background of the USS Iowa battleship, Trump under Mount Rushmore, Trump dancing, and even Trump from the movie "Kevin Alone in fresh York City". The president is inactive surrounded by people cheering, shaking his hands. A sea of American flags and MEGA caps. There is, of course, a most crucial image – an assassination of the President's life and his courageous behaviour just after the shot: a clenched fist and the clearly visible word "fight". The complete image is simply a peddler of police motorcycles entering the stage, flying in the formation of the F-18 Hornet fighter, helicopters, a dazzling lake with dozens of speedboats, and on each of them the banner "Trump 2024" – all this, combined with the music and lyrics of the song builds an amazing climate. The movie ends the scene in which the characteristic figure of Donald Trump appears, “coming” against the background of the American flag... Did this music video have an election assignment? It seems not to be, due to the fact that Lee Greenwood posted it on his social media only on November 5, so on election day. However, the video is an excellent compilation of conventional symbols of "old good America" whose personification for most voting Americans is simply Donald Trump. It's a kind of "seal" of the winner.
Why does this movie impress even non-Americans? There will be no weird hairstyles, tattooed faces or "progressive" celebrities in the full video. This movie draws into a completely different world, the planet we know from old American films, a planet arranged and normal, in which 1 does not remember its "local Kamalach Harris", about rainbow postulates, green terror. It is simply a breath of freshness, a return to the past, and at the same time the announcement of a change that may include another countries – a universal message, understood by all conservative patriot of the Western cultural circle. Whether this announcement will be realized and how specifically this is simply a completely different matter, especially since Donald Trump is not the perfect model of Christian virtues, but in view of the immensity of madness, for which he is simply a strong opposition, president Trump has become the only alternate and a chance to return to the way to normal. That's adequate for a start.
The Power of Feelings
It seems that the creators of Trump Music Video for “God Bless the U.S.A.” followed the impact on emotions and impressions, drawn the viewer into Donald Trump's world, so that everyone who watches these paintings would feel moved, arrogant and joyful, as if they were coming home from a long journey. In their release, the music video is affirmative and hopeful, and yet completely serious and, together with the song, highly pathetic, dignified. Emotions are an incredible force, especially in politics – countless stories about voting against a peculiar candidacy are known. Often, people can't even point to a circumstantial reason, a flaw or a candidate's mistake, but they just don't like it, and that's why they vote for individual else, and the election program or credibility doesn't matter.
I wonder how specified an effective instrument of influence on emotions as the song (and music video) is utilized in the native political “field of battle”. Do politicians realize that not only the program, but besides (and possibly even above all) feelings and impressions play a immense function in the perception of candidates? It seems that so, due to the fact that the production of election songs warming or perpetuating the image of candidates has a past in our country. Unfortunately not very interesting, but of course it is my subjective opinion.
Real-time election hits?
In 1993, Bohdan Smolen sang a quadidiscopolic song for PSL, with the words: “Behind the windows of the grain of the hinds, at home the water of the water boiler of the tap, behind the windows of angry dogs, at home the father of eternal evil... I am like a lion, I fight for three.” Then there were equally "emphasized" hits: classically discopolous "Ole Olek" utilized by Alexander Kwasniewski, the song "Polska needs to be "Leppered" Self-defence, "My City is Białystok" utilized in Krzysztof Kononowicz's spot, "Beautiful Marian" about Marian Krzaklewski (used later against it) or "Toward the Polish" Civic Platform – in my opinion, a bizarre work combining disco rhythm with opera singing, which can be hard to bear for both opera lovers and supporters of "clear rhythm". Even the Confederate released a video in a discopolic kind "For the Confederate cast your vote, princess". Patrick Jaki in turn was tempted to get a rap song. The absolute “hit” is the “Karski song” – “mate and colleague, let us vote for Karski”.
Rafał Trzaskowski is besides associated with the "amazing" track "Polo's Trzasko – Winner", although it is fair to point out that it was the candidates' fans who prepared this song for the 2020 campaign, and Trzaskowski himself is known for his more sophisticated musical taste, while his gathering with the megastar disco-polo Zenk Martyniuk, is only a PR procedure. Most of the works promoting parties, ideas, or individual candidates are hard to call peculiarly stimulating patriotic feelings. Against this background, the energetic song “There are millions of us” promoting Grzegorz Napieralski or the professional folk song “Man is the most important” and the stone ballad of Paweł Kukiz “Poland wakes up”.
The PiS tried to hit the patetic tones in the ballad “A fewer simple words” and the SLD in “The Soyuse of Human Hearts”, but they besides do not have the least chance of becoming a part of “God Bless the U.S.A.” From a "musical" point of view, we are hopeless. These songs are either infantile, or written for a joke, just to remember a candidate, or besides pathetic, or besides small to catch your ear. In a word, they deficiency this something that makes this tune “on full”, opens windows in the car and goes to the polling place. Moreover, it seems that our national musical kind is disco-polo. Can you imagine the winning candidate of the election for the president of Poland going out to the post-election phase of the rally in the tact of the “slaving” song of the genre associated usually with the hedonist text in the kind of “pot-to-dot”?
What alternative?
The sounds of “Genna fly now” from the movie Rocky accompanying the departure of Karol Nawrocki to the gathering announcing his candidacy for the office of president of the Republic of Poland were a good surprise, well-connected – Rocky is simply a positive, persistent, uncompromising, kind, loving, victorious figure. The catchy game of the words “Now Rocky = Nawrocki” began to be used. But... it's not a Polish song. In addition, shortly the song was replaced with the song “Poland – White and Red”, which, yes, is simply a patriotic and sporting accent, but frankly there is neither text nor melody, so there is nothing to kidnap. Karol Nawrocki's departure at the programme rally was accompanied by the sounds of Bryan Tyler's beautiful composition from "Iron Man 3" – this is again a message about a affirmative hero, this time endowed with superhuman powers thanks to his own intelligence, standing on the "good side of power", and above all, it is simply a work subconsciously known to a wide scope of rather young audiences. In the absence of the anticipation of utilizing adequate Polish songs, the musical direction of Karol Nawrocki's staff seems to be thoughtful, although these works do not have patriotic themes.
Sławomir Mentzen's departure at the presidential convention in Bełchatów was accompanied first, if I heard well, by the characteristic rhythms of "We will stone you" Queen, which rapidly turned into strong guitar riffs with dense metallic sound – both motifs clearly associated with dynamics, youth and energy. They match Sławomir Mentzen, but whether this message is patriotic is simply a substance of discussion. Rafał Trzaskowski, on the another hand, was accompanied by the song "Sirius" by the British group The Alan Parsons task – this tune is especially known to Chicago Bulls fans (the club led her players to the dance level in home games). This song is musically sophisticated and superb instrumental, designed more for music lovers or being an ornament alternatively than a background masked with announcements and shouts. His title has magical-mysterious connotations, like many works from the work of the APP, so it was most likely not a subject thought out in terms of the message, but only a choice dictated by the necessity to recreate “something on a level” as a song “to enter”.
I do not gotta add that patriotic/programming elements in this part are not present, unless individual is simply a resident of Sirius, and any associations (if individual recognizes and knows the title), may awaken in those who are passionate about masonic-magic themes, possibly fans of NBA or wrestling. There are besides no features in this song that correlate with the character of the candidate (positive context, energy). Her strengths – the melody and the quality of the sound – are unobtrusive in the conditions of the rally (e.g. during the convention in Gliwice against the background of this beautiful song leading her screamed “we request a president who won't give us a mouth”, jamming completely the melody line and ruining the emotional effect of going out into the rhythm of specified a classical “intro”).
Therefore, we do not have a chance to get an election hit on the basis of the American first model, but possibly right-wing election staffs will effort to find any pearl in the overwhelming music archives of Polish show-business. There are many artists whose voice, sound of the band and compositions are at planet level, and the text is valuable, but the question is whether they want to lend their talent to the political race, risking mass ostracism presented by the "second side".
I'm certain it's worth reasoning about for the future, because, assuming we don't become an Orwellian land without a chance for a democratic election, it could be useful for "swinging." The unfulfilled dream is simply a song to measurement the contemporary God-parent, giving strength in battle, motivation to work for the household and country, referring to God, full of dignity, with beautiful melody, but rather dynamic, emphasizing the importance of the achievements of erstwhile generations of the proud, thousand-year-old Nation and Christian pillars of our identity. specified a piece, with pathos and seriousness, recalling truly Polish roots, religion or history, fits only the candidates from the right side of the political barricade – at rafal Trzaskowski's rallies, the candidate of the Left or Simon Holown would sound artificially, it would not fit the thoughts, deeds and worldview of those people, and so it would not origin a " thick skin" or tears on the cheeks. Like the song “God Bless the U.S.A.” did not match Kamala Harris.
The first of the patriotic and effective musical strategy was the Grzegorz Braun Convention in Krakow on 12 April. "Old" works were used, but for what – God-parent and spontaneously sung Songs of the Confederates of Bary were the most touching moments of the event. The consistency of song transmission with the candidate's worldview and strong emotions gave a affirmative effect. Similarly, Karol Nawrocki's staff reached for “classic” during the convention in Łódź on April 27, and it must be admitted that the choral singing of a cappella Te Deum made a striking impression not only on gathered supporters, but besides on net users. The evidence of this professional performance even appeared “in trends” on the X portal and caused quite a few comments like “I always get chills all over my body erstwhile I hear this song” or “a immense crowd of people and this song was very touching”, “the tears themselves flow”, “I had chills and tears in my eyes, I am proud” and even “Poland inactive did not die.” At the same time, leftist and "cracking" voters asked the consternated: "By law, we are a secular state, what is this nativity scene?" and "What is with these tears? What is so heartbreaking that individual sings any songs?” (original spelling).
In my opinion, it was an apparent effect of "God bless the U.S.A." The main function of Lee Greenwood's hit was not to get fresh voters, due to the fact that did people who were focused on the fight for abortion, ecofeminism and rainbow postulates talk to the story of the pioneer and the mention to the only God? The intent of this song was primarily to awaken strong emotions, evoke certain associations, and thus maximise the mobilisation of their own electorate and people with akin views, who have long since experienced “the pride of being an American” and miss it. This tool in the form of an “activating track” by Donald Trump's staff has masterfully utilized this election song and I want the right candidates, although in the current presidential run it is most likely besides late for that.
Zofia Michałowicz
