Music About Ronald Reagan

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1) Men's Recovery Project - Ronald Reagan
2) Dead Kennedys - California Uber Alles (the other version)

(All I could think of offhand)

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Not quite music, but Genesis' video for "Land Of Confusion" was definitely about Ronald Reagan. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Prince - "Ronnie Talk to Russia"

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Violent Femmes - "Old Mother Reagan"
Ramones - "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)"

― hstencil, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:41 (twenty-three years ago)

"Reaganomics" -- Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
"Right Wing Pigeon" -- Dead Milkmen (indirectly)

There are lots, but the Ramones one is by far the best.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Old Skull-"Homeless". "I hate you Ronald Reagan!"

― Arthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Bonzo Goes to Bitburg... ooooh yea. Great!

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:48 (twenty-three years ago)

"If Reagan Played Disco" -- Minutemen
"Ronnie's Rap" -- Ron and the D.C. Crew
"Russians" -- Sting
"Hinckley Had a Vision" -- Crucifucks

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:49 (twenty-three years ago)

THE REAGAN YOUTH

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"Hinckley Had a Vision"?
Ha Ha! I HAVE to hear that.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Jeez, I just remembered that I marched in the old fart's inaugural parade. Irony.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Jazz Butcher - President Reagan's Birthday Present
Jody Foster's Army - .... ?

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Bonzo Goes to Washington, "Five Minutes"

― s woods, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:31 (twenty-three years ago)

D.O.A. - "Fucked Up Ronnie"

― Chris Barrus (xibalba), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Heaven 17-(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing

― Arthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:02 (twenty-three years ago)

There's the unforgettable "Up in the Air" by the Kasenetz Katz Super Circus.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Songs that have sampled Ronald Reagan:

http://www.sloth.org/samples-bin/samples/source?exact=Reagan%2C+Ronald+%28President%29

This in particular struck me:

"A message to terrorists everywhere. You can run .. but you can't hide"
"We are not going to tolerate these attacks from outlaw states"
"We will not cave in "
"Today we have done what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong "

Sounds exactly what Dubya is saying now, except 20 years ago. Thank you for this persepctive, Def Leppard!

― fletrejet, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I always thought "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour was about ol' Ronnie.

― Charles McCain, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Thank you for this persepctive, Def Leppard!

Lemme tell ya, that song's been going through my head more than once these days -- and not merely because it sounds so great. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Upon first hearing the Cure's "Prayers for Rain" I thought our Robert was singing "...and hopelessness, and President Reagan..."

― JParker (mookieproof), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:11 (twenty-three years ago)

'Sweethearts' by Camper Van Beethoven.

― Chris Davis (Chris Davis), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Fine Young Cannibals (or Simply Red?): "Money's Too Tight to Mention." Specifically, that line "I'm talkin' 'bout Reaganomics."

Also, I remember a hardcore band from NJ who had a song whose chorus went "Nazi, nazi, Reagan's a Nazi/Nancy Reagan is *also* a Nazi!"

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Also Pink Floyd's "Fletcher Memorial Home".

― Chris Barrus (xibalba), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:44 (twenty-three years ago)

"re-ron" gil scott heron

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:45 (twenty-three years ago)

"Ronnie Rambo Racist Baby-Killer Reagan." Heard it on one of Irwin's WFMU shows.

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Jazzbo, that first Crucifucks album (self-titled on Alternative Tentacles) is pretty great. Steve Shelley was on drums before joining Sonic Youth.

― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:40 (twenty-three years ago)

per "Things That U Do", Jay-Z self-describes as a "product of Reaganomics"

Also, two Phish songs, one part of an allegorical song cycle written in college, the other more direct and written in high school, I think, both pretty dumb:

Wilson

Dear Mrs. Reagan

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:49 (twenty-three years ago)

bis "this is fake diy"

"Reagan Reagan we gotta Reagan"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 6 March 2003 06:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Ronald Ray Gun.

― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:24 (twenty-three years ago)

The Leather Nun ( 1 line ) in "Pink House" .. "Rambo Reagan is forcing me to eat American Pie"

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:26 (twenty-three years ago)

This Ronnie quote is in the lead-in to Triumph's Too Much Thinkin' -- "... and let me tell you that is what i said before a fauclet".

― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:27 (twenty-three years ago)

DKs, "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now." "I am Emperor Ronald Reagan/Born again with fascist cravings/Still, you made me president."

― mike a (mike a), Thursday, 6 March 2003 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

mike a, I listed that

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Sunday, 6 June 2004 03:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got an LP called The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan. Both sides are blank.

― Pack Yr Romantic Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Sunday, 6 June 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

My Dog Popper, "Acid Flashback"
They were a mid-'80s Montreal novelty-punk band. "Acid Flashback" was a nutty half-spoken, half-yelled epic about Reagan suffering from one.

"Rappin' Ronnie Reagan":

Homer: Don't worry -- I brought my Rappin' Ronnie Reagan tape.
It always makes the trip go faster.

[Reagan sample over drumbeats]: Well, well, well w-well, well weh-weh-well, Well, well, w-weh-well, well, weh-well, w-w-well, well, well, weh-well...

Homer: Heh heh heh! You know, he DID say "well" a lot.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 6 June 2004 08:01 (twenty-two years ago)

another jay-z line, in that punjabi mc "beware of the boys" remix, drawing interesting parallels - "been havin' the flow/before bin laden got manhattan to blow/before ronald reagan got manhattan to blow"

― m. (mitchlnw), Sunday, 6 June 2004 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

That voice in Frankie's "Two Tribes" (and others?) was supposed to be a Reagan impersonation, wasn't it?

― OleM (OleM), Sunday, 6 June 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Regarding that list of Reagan samples linked to, I can add two more off the top of my head that I own:

Airforce One - "See The light, Feel The Heat" (miscellaneous speeches etc. sampled)

The Bushmen - "Red Necks, White Socks" (uses the whole of the "...we begin bombing in five minutes" thing)

― zebedee (zebedee), Sunday, 6 June 2004 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Not exactly "music," but Crass had that phony Thatcher/Reagan tape:

http://www.southern.com/southern/label/CRC/1238.html

― mike a, Sunday, 6 June 2004 12:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Postcard from Hell - Uncle Tupelo

― MerkinMuffley (MerkinMuffley), Sunday, 6 June 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't believe I'm the first to say this, but:

"I Shot Reagan" by Non-Phixion

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Sunday, 6 June 2004 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Reagan's Dead - prima donnas

"reagan died! But his clone's alive! run and hide! mass suicide!"

― itsgonnarain, Sunday, 6 June 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

How about that fucking Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks tune with "Ronnie and Nancy going bopping along"? That's just the fucking worst...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 7 June 2004 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The Damned - Bad Time for Bonzo

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 7 June 2004 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Don Henley's line about "this tired old man we elected king" -- the song's a piece of self-righteous Boomer fake nostalgic crap, but I have kind of a weakness for it. It's very Reagan era.

― spittle (spittle), Monday, 7 June 2004 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

there was a 12" on Khans streetsounds label that was all electro cutup funk thing with the whole 'begin bombing in 5 mins' - "the democratic three " or something like that !

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 7 June 2004 08:00 (twenty-two years ago)

According to the great man himself when interviewed by David Letterman on The Late Show in 1982: Ice Cream For Crow by Captain Beefheart.

DL: "Yeah. What does that mean exactly, the title?"

DVV: "Uh, it has a lot to do with Ray-Gun. I mean, he saddle soaps his hair and tosses jelly beans through rope tricks. He's a bad actor!"

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 7 June 2004 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

That's brilliant! And my mind is still wrapping itself around the idea that Beefheart was on Letterman.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Blue Riddim Band "My Name is Nancy Reagan." They used to spin this a lot on "Reggae Beat International" -- ragamuffin thing with a "Davy Crockett" melody (the teevee theme, not the Headcoatees song).

― briania (briania), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Extraordinary 'though it may seem Ned, Don actually appeared on Letterman twice: in 1982 and 1983.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm amazed!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 June 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Sun City Girls "Nancy" is about his wife.

― Sean Witzman (trip maker), Monday, 7 June 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"B-Movie" - Gil Scott Heron. Remember him THIS way.

Ron & Nancy are also namechecked in Big Hard Excellent Fish's litany of shite, "Imperfect List". Available today from a blog near you. ;-)

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 7 June 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Last night DJing at Southpaw I segued "Ronnie Talk to Russia" into "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," but I don't think anybody noticed...

― chuck, Monday, 7 June 2004 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Bow Wow Wow's "TV Savage" had that line "She is like Ronnie Reagan." They never really elaborated on how Annabella resembled Reagan, though.

― mike a, Monday, 7 June 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Captain Beefheart not only made videos, but hated MTV before either were fashionable.

― David Allen (David Allen), Monday, 7 June 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

'cause nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain

― timmy tannin (pompous), Thursday, 2 November 2006 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

Incredibly, it seems nobody on this tread mentioned Fun Boy Three's "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 2 November 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

The Beefheart on Letterman videos are up on YouTube.

― paid in cigarettes (paid in cigarettes), Friday, 3 November 2006 02:21 (nineteen years ago)

Did anybody mention the live version of Magazine's "Model Worker?"

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 3 November 2006 02:29 (nineteen years ago)

Psychedelic Furs - "President Gas"

― Radio Free Albemuth (DocMartensBoots), Friday, 3 November 2006 22:30 (nineteen years ago)

Minimal Man - "Loneliness"

― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Friday, 3 November 2006 23:37 (nineteen years ago)

fourteen years pass...

well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1UfDHij5R4

― global tetrahedron, Monday, 31 May 2021 18:50 (five years ago)

A mix of punk songs about Reagan I made awhile back:
https://www.quartzcity.net/2016/11/08/episode-015-punk-rock-reagan/

― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 31 May 2021 22:02 (five years ago)

two weeks pass...

A lengthy and essayistic Wikipedia entry on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan_in_music

― search term: buttrock (morrisp), Saturday, 19 June 2021 04:29 (five years ago)

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