Showing posts with label Washington D.C.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington D.C.. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

OBAMANATION!: Inauguration's greatest hits

This our OBAMANATION! (thanks to Prop. 8 the Musical for that one!) What a line-up. Legends, all of them.

This is my own personal 2009 Presidential Inauguration greatest hits (plus a few added ditties on the way).  PLEASE leave a link to your favorite moment if it's not included here.


1) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "City of Blinding Lights" - U2 (This song has been making me cry ever since I starting thinking about MLK and Obama and what this really means to all of us.) I love these four guys from Dublin, they can do no wrong in my book, even as Bono's voice starts going. I love his shoutouts to Ireland, Europe, Africa, Israel and Palestine, as well as to Joe Biden (as a fellow Catholic)!




2) "You'll Never Walk Alone" - Renee Fleming (Omigawd I want to wrap myself in this woman's voice!)




3) "This Land is Your Land" with Pete Seeger (the cutest man alive) and Bruce Springsteen. By Woody Guthrie, this is one of the most quintessential American songs ever written. Seeger has been leading the masses to this song for decades. I wonder which would have been his proudest sing-a-long.




4) "Air and Simple Gifts" by John Williams performed by Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero and Anthony McGill. STUNNING! Aaron Copland's "Simple Gifts is one of of the most perfect melodies ever.




5) "Higher Ground" with Usher, Shakira & Stevie Wonder




6. "America the Beautiful" Beyonce (and a ton of other famous people) Simple and gorgeous.  Beyonce is a goddess.



7. "My Country Tis of Thee" - Aretha Franklin She's not quite the singer she used to be, and someone had a point that the key was too high for her, but it's ARETHA FRANKLIN!! And she can get away with anything, even that hat.




8. Oh, and just because I can't help it, here is Obama dancing with Ellen from over a year-and-a-half ago.



9) And this... "No one as Irish as Barack OBama" by the Hardy Drew and the Nany Boys (a.k.a The Corrigan Brothers)

          Lyrics:
O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama

You don't believe me, I hear you say
But Barack's as Irish, as was JFK
His granddaddy's daddy came from Moneygall
A small Irish village, well known to you all

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama

He's as Irish as bacon and cabbage and stew
He's Hawaiian he's Kenyan American too
He’s in the white house, He took his chance
Now let’s see Barack do Riverdance

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama

From Kerry and cork to old Donegal
Let’s hear it for Barack from old moneygall
From the lakes if Killarney to old Connemara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama
From the old blarney stone to the great hill of Tara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama

2008 the white house is green, their cheering in Mayo and in Skibereen.
The Irish in Kenya, and in Yokahama,
Are cheering for President Barack O’Bama

O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama

The Hockey Moms gone, and so is McCain
They are cheering in Texas and in Borrisokane,

In Moneygall town, the greatest of drama, for our Famous president Barack o Bama

Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama

The great Stephen Neill, a great man of God,
He proved that Barack was from the Auld Sod
They came by bus and they came by car, to celebrate Barack in Ollie Hayes’s Bar

O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Inaugural line-up: What would yours be?


I assume that Barack Obama gets a least a little bit of say when choosing the musical and poetic "entertainment" (I put quotations around it because it's WAY more than that) of his presidential inauguration. 

I mean, it's not a question of "can we get so-and-so" or "too bad whats-her-name will be in Australia".  It's the presidential inauguration! And not just any inauguration. I'm already kicking myself for not making a bigger attempt getting to D.C. but, oh well.

So who did the Obama people pick to perform tomorrow on the steps of the Capitol Steps tomorrow?

Aretha Franklin will be there.  A quartet comprising of Yo-Yo Ma (cellist), Itzhak Perlman (violinist), Gabriela Montero (pianist) and Anthony McGill (clarinetist) will be performing an original composition by John Williams.  The Boys and Girls Choruses of San Francisco and the Marine Corps Band will also play.

We all know about the controversial pick of Pastor Rick Warren to speak.  But also we will hear from Elizabeth Alexander (poet) and Reverend Joseph Lowery (civil rights leader).

Who would you want to speak and/or perform at your inauguration?  Think as big as you want! (Let's keep it to living folks though.)

Would would I want? Aretha was certainly a good choice. How about U2? But give me the 1997 Bono so that he can still sing  :P 

How about some Paul McCartney?  He's not American, but he played the Super Bowl once-upon a time didn't he? I mean, that was way more "American" than this is.  This is a celebration for the whole world to enjoy.

I would definitely get the Soweto Gospel Choir.  They are amazing and they represent a country that has seen dark times and is moving toward a brighter future.  

As for speakers? I wouldn't be able to resist some Jon Stewart.  Oh, and Bill Clinton.  Definitely.  Maybe David Sedaris? 

Who would be in YOUR inauguration ceremony?

UPDATE: How amazing was that ceremony? John William's piece was gorgeous and Reverend Joseph Lowery was incredible as he nodded to whites, black, browns and yellows, Christians, Jews and non-believers (in a humorous and endearing manor.  Amen.