Back in the 1980’s I never knew that a song from one of my favorite musical artist would be so politically polarizing. My high school boyfriend and I were on the outs (again) because it was a union that was never consummated beyond some heavy petting in the stacks of the Chicago Public Library. During my romantic off seasons, my Sony Walkman was playing some sad tunes. This was how I came to know Tom Petty- at least in song and video. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” summed up my teenage angst perfectly. African American Afrocity in hormonal wonderland- ends up nothing more than a piece of cake to be indulged and devoured piece by piece in the mouths of the pubescent patriarchy. I borrowed the identity of the visual- the wandering girl- little did I know that I would be at the wrong end of Tom Petty’s preferred customer spectrum because I am a conservative.
From an article in the Washington Post:
Tom Petty not pleased with Michele Bachmann’s use of ‘American Girl’
By Sarah Anne Hughes
Michele Bachmann may be an “American Girl.” But Tom Petty wants to make it clear, she’s not his.
NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell interviewed Bachmann on Monday’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” as the presidential hopeful kicked off her campaign in Waterloo, Iowa. During the interview, Bachmann made the now well-known John Wayne gaffe. But there was another mistake made that day.
O’Donnell reported that Petty’s manager has asked Bachmann’s campaign to stop using the song “American Girl,” which was played at the end of the kickoff.
Petty’s people previously asked George W. Bush to not use his music. But Hillary Clinton did use “American Girl” during her 2008 campaign.
Ok Mr. Petty lets be honest here. If it were Hillary Clinton that used your song would you have been okay with it?Do Rock Stars Dislike Democrats, Too?
By Stephen Spencer Davis
Posted Thursday, Jun. 30, 2011
…When news broke of Bachmann’s legal troubles, reporters and bloggers who weren’t already mocking her John Wayne Gacy gaffe happily rattled off the names of other politicians who’d committed similar copyright crimes. The Toronto Star offered a long, decidedly Republican, list: Jackson Browne sued John McCain in 2008, for example, when the then-presidential contender used the song “Running on Empty” in campaign ads. Canadian rockers Rush (politely) told Rand Paul to stop using their song “Spirit of Radio” during his quest for the Senate. And when Sarah “Barracuda” Palin’s campaign team used the Heart song “Barracuda” in its marketing, the band served it a cease-and-desist letter. (Palin’s team responded that it had purchased the rights to the song.) This wasn’t even the first time Petty has barred a Republican presidential candidate from using his tunes: After George W. Bush used “I Won’t Back Down” during his 2000 campaign, Petty’s lawyers threatened to sue unless Bush’s team pulled the song.
That’s gotten some people wondering: Have any Democratic candidates ever been asked to stop using a song in their campaign?
Well, the president has. In February 2008, soul music legend Sam Moore told Obama to stop playing the Sam and Dave song “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” The then-candidate’s team had been blasting the tune at rallies without Moore’s permission, and some audience members had been adopting their preferred lyrics: “Hold on, Obama’s comin’.”































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