Saturday 30 July 2011

Mo Money, Mo Problems: Songs for the Debt Standoff

Last night, when President Obama addressed the nation about the debt ceiling, and Speaker of the House John Boehner responded, there was an overwhelming sense of deadlock: Obama pointed at House Republicans for refusing to compromise; Boehner shot back that the President was irresponsibly seeking a “blank check.” (Amy Davidson has more on the speeches.) The frustration on both sides was palpable. Since music soothes the savage Congress, we thought that there might be some songs to help both Democrats and Republicans get through this crisis. At the very least, they can’t hurt. (Note: We couldn’t find any songs that had the word “loggerheads” in the lyrics.)
Marvin Gaye, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” (1962)
President Obama was just a year old when Gaye had his first major Motown hit with this song. The lyrics aren’t specifically about the debt ceiling: they are a declaration of romantic persistence. At the time of the song’s release, the debt was a relatively paltry $250 billion...

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Ben Greenman @'The New Yorker'

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