Thanks again to Mónica Redondo
20 April 2021
¨"Dear Mr President" by Pink
| «Dear Mr. President» | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sencillo de Pink del álbum I'm Not Dead | ||
| Publicación | 2007 | |
| Grabación | 2005 | |
| Género(s) | Pop, Balada | |
| Duración | 3:59 | |
| Discográfica | La Face | |
| Autor(es) | Pink, Billy Mann | |
| Productor(es) | Billy Mann | |
Watch the musical video and then discuss with your classmate.
Who do you think the " Dear Mr President" is?
What´s the song about?
What feeling does this song provoke you?
Which are Pink´s feelings?
Pink's "Dear Mr. President" is an emotional anthem to the political sentiments of Anti-Bush activists. Her lyrics have been criticized by supporters of the president, reasoning that her statements are biased or exaggerated accounts of events. Regardless of these opinions, each line is at the very least based around an element of truth from the president's personal or professional life. To get a better understanding and appreciation of the song, here is an analysis of the key lyrics to Pink's "Dear Mr. President."
Pink's "Dear Mr. President" is an emotional anthem to the political sentiments of Anti-Bush activists. Her lyrics have been criticized by supporters of the president, reasoning that her statements are biased or exaggerated accounts of events. Regardless of these opinions, each line is at the very least based around an element of truth from the president's personal or professional life. To get a better understanding and appreciation of the song, here is an analysis of the key lyrics to Pink's "Dear Mr. President."
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.
With this phrase Pink tells him that she wants to be honest with him and tell him all the things everyone is thinking about him, but because of the lack of courage no one ever would pronounce loudly. In return she expects him to be as fair-minded as she’ll be and that he’d give her an honest answer or at least an answer at all.
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.
With this phrase Pink tells him that she wants to be honest with him and tell him all the things everyone is thinking about him, but because of the lack of courage no one ever would pronounce loudly. In return she expects him to be as fair-minded as she’ll be and that he’d give her an honest answer or at least an answer at all.
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
With this line Pink may refer to the people which were left homeless after the hurricane Katrina in 2005 because Bush was very slow with his reaction to the threat as well as with the help after the destruction. [4] Another important fact, referring to this line, could be the increase of the homeless people in the United States, whose number has quadrupled in the last twenty years, but it is said, that it didn’t have anything to do with the presidency of Bush.
“Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep? What do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are you proud?
” With these three questions she asks him if he has kept his promise to help people. He had the chance to change society or have a positive influence on it, but he failed to do so.
With this line Pink may refer to the people which were left homeless after the hurricane Katrina in 2005 because Bush was very slow with his reaction to the threat as well as with the help after the destruction. [4] Another important fact, referring to this line, could be the increase of the homeless people in the United States, whose number has quadrupled in the last twenty years, but it is said, that it didn’t have anything to do with the presidency of Bush.
“Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep? What do you feel when you look in the mirror? Are you proud?
” With these three questions she asks him if he has kept his promise to help people. He had the chance to change society or have a positive influence on it, but he failed to do so.
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
These two lines seem to refer to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the death of many American Soldiers. Bush always did send a lot of them to fight for their country, but has made a huge loss of soldiers and also innocent children and their parents, especially mothers, who have lost their children without having a chance to say goodbye.
“How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye and tell me why?
” Here she wants him to show some emotion. She knows that he isn’t proud of himself and uncomfortable to face his own actions, but she would like to hear him admit that he is proud ofhis actions and doings.
These two lines seem to refer to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the death of many American Soldiers. Bush always did send a lot of them to fight for their country, but has made a huge loss of soldiers and also innocent children and their parents, especially mothers, who have lost their children without having a chance to say goodbye.
“How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye and tell me why?
” Here she wants him to show some emotion. She knows that he isn’t proud of himself and uncomfortable to face his own actions, but she would like to hear him admit that he is proud ofhis actions and doings.
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells while you pave the road to hell.
” With the “No child left behind act” he wanted to improve the education system in the United States, but this never worked out during his president ship because the government wouldn’t provide any money to support it, a huge amount of money was wasted for making war instead.
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells while you pave the road to hell.
” With the “No child left behind act” he wanted to improve the education system in the United States, but this never worked out during his president ship because the government wouldn’t provide any money to support it, a huge amount of money was wasted for making war instead.
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
This part is referring to George Bush’s policy of anti-abortion, he wanted to deny a woman the right to abortion because as a Methodist he believes that life begins at conception and therefore abortion would be a murder, a crime.
This part is referring to George Bush’s policy of anti-abortion, he wanted to deny a woman the right to abortion because as a Methodist he believes that life begins at conception and therefore abortion would be a murder, a crime.
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
This line demonstrates Bush’s attitude towards homosexual relations, which violates the Methodist standards as well. He also wanted to create a piece of legislature which would define marriage as the union between one man and one woman solely, called Marriage Protection Amendment. [5] You can recognize his attitude from the example of the daughter of Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, who declared herself homosexual, living with her partner and they had a child together.
This line demonstrates Bush’s attitude towards homosexual relations, which violates the Methodist standards as well. He also wanted to create a piece of legislature which would define marriage as the union between one man and one woman solely, called Marriage Protection Amendment. [5] You can recognize his attitude from the example of the daughter of Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, who declared herself homosexual, living with her partner and they had a child together.
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.
-This refers to allegations that Bush had an affinity for alcohol in his youth. Pink refers to cocaine here because of Bush's supposed arrest and ensuing discovery of cocaine possession in 1972. Bush neither confirms nor denies these allegations, saying only "when I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible."
Regardless of your political viewpoints, Pink's song is a thought provoking listen. While I have attempted to remain neutral in this piece, the song stirs your opinion either to one side or the other. As it ends with the words, "Dear Mr. President, you'd never take a walk with me, would you?" I urge you to use it to encourage discussions of your own.
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