Forget about the election, I'm waiting on the recording contract.
January 20, 2012 10:29 AM   Subscribe

I, I'm so in love with you. The soulful side of President Obama. (slyt)
posted by Hoenikker (50 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
He's a funny guy.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:32 AM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


He should have kept going. The audience was behind him and he was doing pretty well.
posted by 2bucksplus at 10:32 AM on January 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


If he'd kept going he would've been arrested by MPAA goons and sent off to Gitmo, dude.
posted by elizardbits at 10:34 AM on January 20, 2012 [55 favorites]


ha, America.
posted by 2bucksplus at 10:35 AM on January 20, 2012


I would pay good money to see ANYONE from the Republican slate of candidates sing Al Green.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:35 AM on January 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Up next: Mitt Romney sings "Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 1031)"
posted by joe lisboa at 10:36 AM on January 20, 2012 [27 favorites]


I'm sorry, I meant: Mitt Romney's handlers program the RomBot to squawk out something remotely resembling Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 1031).
posted by joe lisboa at 10:37 AM on January 20, 2012


Admiral, with all due respect to your rank, I would pay better money to prevent that from happening. The republicans have smeared verbal shit all over everything good about America *except* the Reverend Al Green.
posted by spitbull at 10:37 AM on January 20, 2012 [2 favorites]




Does he drop in on the Guantanamo inmates and sing them this, so he let's them know how much he wants them held w/o trial?
posted by mctsonic at 10:38 AM on January 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


It reminds me of that Obama/baby video, where he picks up a crying baby and as it calms down, you see him shoot his wife this smirk, like "Yeah, I got it, I have the daddy magic"-- just this funny, tremendously human touch. More of these moments please, Mr. President!
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:39 AM on January 20, 2012 [5 favorites]


Also, the President sings better (and with no pitch reference, maintains his key over the long pause perfectly) in those 2 lines than anyone who has yet won "American Idol." And I say that as someone who spent years singing for a living.
posted by spitbull at 10:39 AM on January 20, 2012 [7 favorites]


Newt Gingrich is also willing to sing "Let's Stay Together" provided you agree to a few conditions...
posted by unsupervised at 10:42 AM on January 20, 2012 [33 favorites]


nice finds, birdherder!
posted by Hoenikker at 10:43 AM on January 20, 2012




"The Obamas" mentions that the President has a decent singing voice, and clearly it's true. I would like to see President Obama and whoever the Republican nominee is do a karaoke showdown as part of the general election campaign. 3 songs each, different genre/artist for each song to properly demonstrate range, costumes encouraged but not required.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:44 AM on January 20, 2012 [21 favorites]


Also, the President sings better (and with no pitch reference, maintains his key over the long pause perfectly) in those 2 lines than anyone who has yet won "American Idol." And I say that as someone who spent years singing for a living.

Dude has two Grammies for a reason.
posted by kafziel at 10:44 AM on January 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


nice finds, birdherder!

I must credit Wonkette.
posted by birdherder at 10:44 AM on January 20, 2012


Newt Gingrich hearts his Abba ringtone.
posted by box at 10:46 AM on January 20, 2012


Miles Davis on Al Green: "you know, if Al Green had one tit, I'd marry that motherfucker."
posted by billcicletta at 10:55 AM on January 20, 2012 [26 favorites]


The the only other example I know of a president doing any Motown in public is when Lincoln sang a few bars of "Reunited" in a post-Civil War address.
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:57 AM on January 20, 2012 [13 favorites]


Are you kidding me? Newt is going to use this against Obama.
posted by kgasmart at 10:57 AM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


I am a singer and journalist with presidential campaign experience. I am very serious about all three of those things. SERIOUS, people.

But god I would fucking hit that.
posted by Madamina at 10:58 AM on January 20, 2012 [9 favorites]


"Let's stay together", Obama's new 2012 reelection campaign slogan.
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 11:10 AM on January 20, 2012 [10 favorites]


Well, if November doesn't work out, He's definitely got a future selling albums on late-night television.
posted by crunchland at 11:18 AM on January 20, 2012


I still like him.
posted by 4ster at 11:19 AM on January 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


Newt Gingrich is also willing to sing "Let's Stay Together" provided you agree to a few conditions...

I figured Newt to be a fan of "Afternoon Delight."
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:22 AM on January 20, 2012 [9 favorites]


When I was a lad, I never imagined the day would come when, not only would the US president be my age, but he would have the same damn record collection.
posted by pracowity at 11:27 AM on January 20, 2012 [16 favorites]


Does he drop in on the Guantanamo inmates and sing them this, so he let's them know how much he wants them held w/o trial?

Maybe he'll take some requests for B. B. King or Johnny Cash.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:32 AM on January 20, 2012


Maybe he'll take some requests for B. B. King or Johnny Cash.

I would love to hear Obama's version of the Wreck of the Old 97. Whoo, whoooooo!
posted by KokuRyu at 11:41 AM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


Obama soothes a crying baby video

Obama attempts to eat baby video
posted by homunculus at 11:47 AM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


He must be a big hit at the office karaoke parties.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:48 AM on January 20, 2012


Saw this earlier and that "Iiiiii" was it. You know that made Al Green smile.
posted by cashman at 11:51 AM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


Not to nitpick, but he should have brought it home to the "let's stay together" lyric, no? Considering?
posted by thinkpiece at 12:09 PM on January 20, 2012


homunculus: Obama attempts to [a] eat baby

To be fair, babies are delicious, and they know this fact. Why do you think babies are always shoving their own hands and feet in their mouths? This baby was just being considerate and sharing his deliciousness with the President.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:16 PM on January 20, 2012 [6 favorites]


There needs to be a mashup of this with Gingrich urging people to kill their enemies and Romney hedging about tax returns. Best campaign ad ever.
posted by angrycat at 12:18 PM on January 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


This is going on my iTunes playlist The Presidents Sing the Hits right after Rutherford B. Hayes doing 'The Loco-Motion' and before Richard Nixon mumbling his way through that Baz Luhrmann 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)' track.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:10 PM on January 20, 2012


I would like to see President Obama and whoever the Republican nominee is do a karaoke showdown as part of the general election campaign. 3 songs each, different genre/artist for each song to properly demonstrate range, costumes encouraged but not required.

I've been in a competitive karaoke league and I'm here to tell you, Obama could hold his own against most of the people I've sung with. He'd beat a lot of them on points even without the Hail to the Chief bonus.
posted by immlass at 4:23 PM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


The Constitution should be amended to allow for a third term if he can channel Luther.
posted by New Frontier at 6:12 PM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


I don't remember where, but I heard someone say that all politicians have to be actors, speakers, and writers, and some are better than others at the individual elements. Obama has the "actor" role nailed - he totally knew his audience and what they wanted. (I know that can be read as critical/cynical but in this case i mean it in a positive way)
posted by thedaniel at 6:16 PM on January 20, 2012


His writers definitely need to work on the plot, then, if he wants his series renewed in the fall.
posted by crunchland at 7:03 PM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


I like it when Obama goes to tell a joke and starts giggling before the punchline because he knows it's going to be funny. His first correspondents' dinner speech has a lot of these. Maybe with practice he doesn't do it as often as he used to (I don't follow political news as closely as I did before), but it cracks me up. He's such a dad-dork (I mean that in a nice way).
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:09 PM on January 20, 2012 [6 favorites]


He should have kept going. The audience was behind him and he was doing pretty well.

I was thinking carefully about this, and I think I know why he stopped. The lines "whatever you want to do / is all right with me" would be EXCELLENT ammunition for bashing that anything goes liberal, and it would have been a feature of vicious attack ads.

Should we follow God, or just our primal urges?
Should we do what's right? Does or president have any moral compass at all???
(cut to him crooning "whatever you want to do, is all right with me")
posted by Meatbomb at 9:33 PM on January 20, 2012


I am a singer and journalist with presidential campaign experience. I am very serious about all three of those things. SERIOUS, people.

But god I would fucking hit that.
posted by Madamina at 10:58 AM on January 20 [6 favorites]


Wow, a "serious" journalist who is smitten with Barack Obama? You find the most curious things on Metafilter, I guess. I wonder if this is the start of a trend.
posted by Slap Factory at 10:08 PM on January 20, 2012


For future readers you should know that President Obama broke into song around the same time that Newt starting beating Romney in the South Carolina polls. Now I don't actually believe that Newt will get close to becoming the Republican nominee for president. On the other hand, Barack Obama can carry a tune and he's been insanely lucky throughout his political career.
posted by rdr at 10:17 PM on January 20, 2012


why the snarky scare quotes around the word serious? that just seems spiteful for spite's sake, man.

on topic: the man's got a nice natural vibrato, for sure.
posted by palomar at 10:26 PM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


John McCain covers The Beach Boys on the campaign trail in 2007.
posted by saiwol at 10:52 PM on January 20, 2012


I made a six-hour drive to Memphis to see Al Green preach when I was in graduate school. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Graceland was amazing as well.

But yeah, Obama has some pretty slick political chops. Doing this at the Apollo theater no less?

Republicans love to dog-whistle about him being a "food stamp president," but rest assured GOP troglodyes -- other than Herman Cain there are only about two dozen living African Americans who will vote for you in November.
posted by bardic at 11:49 PM on January 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best president ever.
posted by electricsandwich138 at 5:36 AM on January 21, 2012


Also, the President sings better (and with no pitch reference, maintains his key over the long pause perfectly) in those 2 lines than anyone who has yet won "American Idol."

you missed an "except Kelly Clarkson" in there somewhere

just sayin
posted by mightygodking at 6:54 AM on January 21, 2012 [2 favorites]


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