UPDATED! Over a dozen celebratory songs to play tonight after Trump’s loss is official
After all the hard work of campaigning, nail-biting anxiety, and nearly four years of enduring the demonstrably worst president in American history, tonight the media will most likely announce that Donald Trump has gone to defeat at the hands of his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
While many of us have spent countless hours contemplating the various scenarios that may take place in the event of a close election that could be thrown to the courts and be stolen through legal, if essentially undemocratic, means, we may perhaps not have expended nearly enough effort thinking about what we will do at that glorious moment when Donald Trump goes down to ignominious defeat.
For me, I know my immediate instinct will be to turn to my sound system to loudly blast a celebratory tune for every neighbor nearby to hear and to burst into an ecstatic dance of jumping and shouting.
In that spirit, here is a list of suggested tunes to blare through your speakers (or headphones, if the results don’t come in until after a reasonable hour.)
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead
Nothing says the threat of evil has been eliminated better than this tune from the classic musical The Wizard of Oz. If you want a more swinging version of the tune you can go for an alternate jazzy rendition of the song by Ella Fitzgerald or the sunshine pop version by The Fifth Estate which hit #11 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1967.
Celebration
No wedding DJ worth their salt would ever think of showing up at their gig without this 1981 Kool and The Gang song in their library. An all-purpose floor-filler at any happy occasion, no song could be more appropriate for the joyous occurrence of a Biden victory.
We’re a Winner
This 1968 song from Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions expresses the proud transition from oppression to freedom after a victory over the forces of adversity in the most soulful manner possible. Particularly applicable to this election are its prescient lyrics of optimism and progress:
“We’re a winner
And never let anybody say
Boy, you can’t make it
‘Cause a feeble mind is in your way
No more tears do we cry
And we have finally dried our eyes
And we’re movin’ on up (movin’ on up)”
We Are The Champions
Add your name to tell Democrats to EXPAND THE COURT in 2021!
Yes, playing the Queen song that has become a cliche of the sports world at championship series may seem excessively obvious, but it just feels so damn good to be able to proclaim and sing along with.
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
Another staple of the sports stadiums perfect for ushering a losing candidate off the national stage with a taunting refrain, this 1969 classic will feel good to hear as you’re dancing in celebration.
Loser
One can imagine being a DJ and cueing this one up on the turntable (or computer playlist) to blast in dedication to Donald Trump on the occasion of his repudiation. Beck’s lyrics seem an apt description of the outgoing fallen wanna-be monarch.
“Soy un perdedor
I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me?The forces of evil in a Bozo nightmare
Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
‘Cause one’s got a weasel and the other’s got a flag
One’s on the pole, shove the other in the bag.”
Landslide
Depending on the magnitude of the expected Biden victory, this Fleetwood Mac song could be a crucial addition to your celebratory playlist.
Hit the Road Jack
Donald Trump needs a definitive send off and Ray Charles provides the perfect sentiment.
Don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more, Donnie!
Get Up Stand Up
Any proper celebration of Trump’s defeat should include an acknowledgment of how the victory was achieved. This classic from the original Wailers helps remind us of what motivated us to accomplish this win.
Forces of Viktry
Another inspirational reggae anthem from the great British poet and dancehall intellectual Linton Kwesi Jonson
Here Comes The Sun
This long cold lonely winter has lasted almost four years already. That sun has never been more welcome.
Happy
How could you not be?
Feeling Good
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me and I’m feeling good!” Certainly better than any time since 2016.
If the Nina Simone version isn’t enough for you, you can also spin a copy of Traffic’s rendition of this song originally written for the Broadway musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.
Hallelujah
With so many versions of this Leonard Cohen song available to chose from, whether to play the original from the late Canadian song-writing genius or one of the many other wonderful covers by John Cale, Rufus Wainwright, k.d. Lang., Bob Dylan, or any other of the other artists who have recorded it comes down to personal preference.
This version by Jeff Buckley is among the most transcendent of them all and can help cap the evening of celebration with a gentle lullaby before retiring for a restful night’s sleep assuming that the final election results can be determined before bedtime.
There are likely hundreds of other songs that would be equally appropriate to play in the eventuality of a Trump defeat.
Obviously, my choices are reflective of my age, but folks on Twitter contributed some of their own suggestions for songs of joyful pride and ecstatic partying to crank up when Joe Biden is declared the winner.
— Michael Waldrop (@MadAsAHatter425) November 3, 2020
Whatever you decide to play as you celebrate the defeat of Donald Trump, make sure that you act respo0nisbly and don’t overdo the partying after you hear the news.
We have a country to reclaim and rebuild and the work starts tomorrow.
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