Ed Campaigning for Barack Obama Options

[jaybb]

Ed is on the campaign trail with will.i.am, campaigning for Barack Obama at his various campaign stops:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3SPfOHqXSEI (will.i.am and EK playing "Where is the Love"; starts about 2 mins in; Ed sounds really good)

http://www.mynews2u.com/video.php?vid=133 (Ed solo, singing Imagine)

From Newsweek blog:

Mr. Obama's sole Clinton references were aimed to etch a contrast between her as an exemplar of old-fashioned politics and himself as a harbinger of change. That strategy was on display in two stops on opposite ends of the state yesterday, as he rallied supporters at an invitation-only "town hall" meeting at the Penn State Behrend Campus in Erie, then in a mass open-air rally at Independence Mall in this city, where hip-hop artist Will.i.am and Ed Kowalczyk of the York, Pa., alternative rock band Live were his opening acts in front of a crowd of just over 40,000 people.

To answer your first, and most important, question: no, a thin, foot-long braided rat tail no longer dangles from the back of Kowalczyk's otherwise bald head; he's fully shaved now. And as for your second, the answer is yes: Kowalczyk did indeed play "Lightning Crashes," the brooding ballad that spent much of 1995 in heavy rotation on Discmen nationwide and is now the only Live song that anyone actually remembers.

The problem was, he played something else as well.

Don't get me wrong. I'm teasing Kowalczyk, but I don't actually think there's anything wrong with celebrities, new or old, getting involved in politics (although having to Google them to figure out who they are kind of defeats the purpose). And earnest, unbridled idealism is fine. But I'll tell you what's not: covering John Lennon's "Imagine"--a song that's pretty much unimprovable in the first place--and proceeding to add your own, Obama-inspired lyrics. Introducing "Imagine: The Kowalczyk Remix":

Imagine change in Washington
It isn't hard to do
Everybody working together
Listening to me and to you
Imagine all the people believing in 'Yes, we can'


This post has been edited by jaybb: Apr 20 2008, 10:50 pm

[bsidenation]

Don't really care about whther politics and music get mixed, but come on changing the lyrics to Imagine. Now that is unholy.

[Merica]

Don't really care about whther politics and music get mixed, but come on changing the lyrics to Imagine. Now that is unholy.

Got to admit, whilst I think Imagine is a catchy tune, I don't get why it's held in such high regard, so much so that changing the lyrics is "unholy". It is one of the preachiest songs ever (artists get their balls stamped on for being preachy), littered with cheese and to be honest, sang by someone who is one of those guys who's terribly over-idolised due to them being dead which suddenly makes them a GENIUS LEGEND OMFG.

Catchy tune, changing the lyrics wasn't the best decision maybe, but not as bad as some are making out. He altered the words a little to make the song relevant to the cause - big whoop.

[LiveRoCkS77]

Got to admit, whilst I think Imagine is a catchy tune, I don't get why it's held in such high regard, so much so that changing the lyrics is "unholy". It is one of the preachiest songs ever (artists get their balls stamped on for being preachy), littered with cheese and to be honest, sang by someone who is one of those guys who's terribly over-idolised due to them being dead which suddenly makes them a GENIUS LEGEND OMFG.

Catchy tune, changing the lyrics wasn't the best decision maybe, but not as bad as some are making out. He altered the words a little to make the song relevant to the cause - big whoop.

Song is not preachy whatsoever. The title of the song speaks for itself. What if somebody sang a song saying "imagine all cars didn't run on gas!" Would that be preachy too?

Also saying he's being idolized for being dead? I'd expect something that ridiculous coming from Badman but not you. Lennon is one of the best songwriters ever to walk the face of this earth. I like you somewhat but to be honest, I think it's your post that's littered with cheese. Imagine is a good song that's extremely well written.

[Merica]

Song is not preachy whatsoever. The title of the song speaks for itself. What if somebody sang a song saying "imagine all cars didn't run on gas!" Would that be preachy too?

Also saying he's being idolized for being dead? I'd expect something that ridiculous coming from Badman but not you. Lennon is one of the best songwriters ever to walk the face of this earth. I like you somewhat but to be honest, I think it's your post that's littered with cheese. Imagine is a good song that's extremely well written.

I know he's talking about "imagning" things, but I've always thought that the idea of this wonderful life we could have, and how he's telling us all about it as if he already can live without possesions, imagine no heaven etc etc; just seems overly preachy. Like he's already up on that high road and we have to try to join him. I don't especially mind, it's just always struck me as a preachy song, and it seems he never gets called on it whereas other artists have been picked at for being preachy. Hell, maybe that's because he isn't preaching, and I read too much into the song, or just took it the wrong way. Maybe so, probably so, perhaps.

Also, I didn't mean that he was idolised purely for being dead, but his stock went up. I can't really talk about him as a songwriter because I'm not greatly familiar with his or the Beatles work (bar a few bits and bobs here and there). But yeah, regardless of my ideas on the content itself, the tune is very catchy. The only other thing wrong with it is Yoko in the video.

[LiveRoCkS77]

I know he's talking about "imagning" things, but I've always thought that the idea of this wonderful life we could have, and how he's telling us all about it as if he already can live without possesions, imagine no heaven etc etc; just seems overly preachy. Like he's already up on that high road and we have to try to join him. I don't especially mind, it's just always struck me as a preachy song, and it seems he never gets called on it whereas other artists have been picked at for being preachy. Hell, maybe that's because he isn't preaching, and I read too much into the song, or just took it the wrong way. Maybe so, probably so, perhaps.

Also, I didn't mean that he was idolised purely for being dead, but his stock went up. I can't really talk about him as a songwriter because I'm not greatly familiar with his or the Beatles work (bar a few bits and bobs here and there). But yeah, regardless of my ideas on the content itself, the tune is very catchy. The only other thing wrong with it is Yoko in the video.

I can surely respect that point of view.

But my take on it is actually fairly simple. Just Imagine a better place. Maybe in his own mind he WAS already there. I've written several pieces of literature along the same lines.

In my own mind, I'm ashamed tobe part of this species. Completely fucking embarassed and disgusted. I don't feel like I belong here amongst a race bent on destroying itself. I could go on and on about it but I wouldn't want to get preachy on it.

As for Lennon never getting called on it? I think a lots has to do with the hippie generation being his main followers. The biggest part of it though is that there was nothing wrong with what the man preached. He sent out a message consisting mainly of love and peace. What's wrong with that? Isn't he as entitled to write about those things as any other writer is entitled to write about their shit? Love and peace are relevant things to be discussed and preached. If they were preached more and more to our children, the world most likely wouldn't be the crime ridden fucking shithole it is.

Some artists such as Ed K himself get belittled for preaching this very same message. I say fuck those people, don't like it, don't listen. Seems society has a problem today with people talking about these things and I find it fucking abhorrent. People are so hung up on themselves that they aren't willing to stop anymore to see anybody elses point of view. As long as you're not forcing it on anybody who cares?

I have great respect for these bible thumpers who try to spread their message. Sure it's not right when you tell some you're not interested and they persist. But I still admire their faith and values. I fucking outright admire their commitment to try and make the world a friendlier and more loving place. But with music, nobody is forcing you to listen. Each artist has every god damned fucking right to put their message out there in hopes of reaching people who care. In hope of reaching some people who need to be reached.

People are just so fucking sensitive and willing to attack somebody. And for what? Trying to spread a message of peace and love? What a great planet. People seriously make me fucking sick with their self righteous bullshit. But when it comes to those very people voicing their own opinions??? Don't anybody DARE tell THEM they can't!!! They have every fucking constitutional right just like everybody else!!! Fucking hypocrits, people utterly digust me.