Rocking the Vote #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday.  It's time for music!

 

Who are the #MusicMovesMe bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  First, there is XmasDolly,   Her co-conductors are:  Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy Uncorked   and, finally, me.  

One more note:  This is a music blog only - please post at least one You Tube or Vimeo video so we can dance with you.  No music, no dance!   

Each month we have a guest conductor. This great month of November our guest conductor is Songbird from Songbird's Crazy World

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States - a day provoking anxiety (on top of the pandemic).

I decided to just go with some music that moves me today.  Some are Presidential campaign songs. Some are just...you'll see.

This song has been stuck in my mind.  It was originally written in 1929 and was included in a 1930 movie "Chasing Rainbows".  However, it's better known as Franklin Roosevelt's campaign song in 1932.  It's been covered by many artists, including Barbara Streisand, but I'm going with this 1930 performance by Leo Reisman and His Orchestra.

"Happy Days Are Here Again" complete with pops and crackles we of the record era remember well.  We can only hope that happy days will be here again, some day.

Al Smith, the 1928 Democratic candidate, used a song called The Sidewalks of New York for his campaign.  The song was written and is still well known today.  I love this video with the vintage photos.

But we need to move along to the recent past and present.

I think I've had this on my blog before but it's perfect for this week - Disturbed, and their cover of "Land of Confusion."

The Rolling Stones performed "You Can't Always Get What You Want." for the Global Citizen virtual concert during lockdown earlier this year.  This song was used by our current President, Donald Trump, in 2016.

Neil Diamond's America, from 1980 and the movie "The Jazz Singer", was used by Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988.  This is one of my favorite all time songs.

And finally: A random comment on a television show about the late silent film star Charlie Chaplin writing a song called "Smile" sent me on some research.  I know the song; it was covered by Nat King Cole.  What I didn't know is that the music was written by Charlie Chaplin, who also wrote the music for many of his movies.  "Smile" was based on music in the 1936 movie Modern Times.  Lyrics and a title were added in 1954.  The song with the title and lyrics was originally recorded by Nat King Cole in 1954, became a hit, and has been covered many times since.

I discovered that Charlie Chaplin was much more than a silent film star.  I knew he had other talents but "multitalented" doesn't begin to cover it.  

Sadly, his life also had more of its share of controversy.   

But nevertheless, I will end today's post with "Smile", sung by Nat King Cole, music by Charlie Chaplin, lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.  The video has even more vintage movie clips (Chaplin and others you may recognize).  Not a Presidential campaign song, but a song many of us may be taking to heart this year.

I hope you have enjoyed today's post.  And, if you live in the United States and haven't voted yet:

PLEASE VOTE TOMORROW!