In June 2026 at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, U2’s performance of “City of Blinding Lights” rebutted a recent comment at the White House.
On June 18, 2026, U2 performed “City of Blinding Lights” at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The song has long been a favorite of President Obama, who used the song as his entrance theme when he announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2007, before his acceptace speech at the 2008 Democtratic Convention, and at other events. The performance at the center this week put a bow on the history of the song and its connection to the Obamas, including a subtle rebuttal of a recent hateful comment at a Trump White House event.
U2 released the song from How to Dismantale An Atomic Bomb as a single in 2005. But Bono and the band had been working on the song since 1997. Eventually, part of the inspiration for the song came when U2 was playing in the United States following the September 11 attacks in 2001. Perhaps because of the long writing process, though, one may take different things out of the song, such as the inspiration found by former President Obama.
I’ve seen you walk unafraid; I’ve seen you in the clothes you made; Can you see the beauty inside of me? What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?
And I miss you when you’re not around; I’m getting ready to leave the ground.
Oh, you look so beautiful tonight, In the city of blinding lights.
Time, time, time, time, time; Won’t leave me as I am; But time won’t take the boy out of this man.
The U2 performance this week at the Obama Prsidential Center added a new layer to the song. As the song ended, Bono added lines acknowledging the presence of four former presidents as well as a faith in democracy. In closing, without mentioning the current president — or the recent event held at the White House where one of the president’s guests insulted the former first lady — Bono rebutted the hate with a lovely tribute to Michelle Obama, ending with the chorus of the Beatle’s “Michelle” (with Barack Obama mouthing the words too).
“In the company of Jackknife Lee, 46, 42 and 43. Civility. Hold tight to Democracy, community. Isn’t she lovely, 44 and the family. . . . Michelle My Belle.”
It was a stark reminder of what civility and love looks like.
During a period of creating passionate folk and political songs, Bobby Darin write and performed the anti-war song, “Simple Song of Freedom.”
Although Bobby Darin is most well-known for his hits like “Splish Splash, “Mac the Knife,” and “Beyond the Sea,” in the 1960s he turned toward folk music, writing and recording some wonderful music often overlooked today. His turn toward political and folk music was not a marketing ploy, but a sincere artistic direction by a talented man genuinely concerned about the way the nation was heading.
Although Darin was recording some folk music by the mid 1960s, his music became more political after the death of his friend Bobby Kennedy. After Kennedy’s assassination in June 1968, Darin retreated to Big Sur, living in seclusion in a trailer near the beach, writing songs about subjects like Vietnam, poverty, and Civil Rights. Soon, he started his own record label to promote folk and protest music.
Meaning of “Simple Song of Freedon”
In 1969, Darin, having already taken a turn toward folk music on his previous two albums, wrote one of his most popular political songs, “Simple Song of Freedom.” The song protested the Vietnam War by asking people to join together and announce that “we the people . . . don’t want a war.”
Now no doubt some folks enjoy doing battle; Like presidents, prime ministers and kings; So let’s all build them shelves where they can fight among themselves, And leave the people be who love to sing.
Come and sing the simple song of freedom; Sing it like you’ve never sung before; Let it fill the air, tell the people everywhere, We the people here don’t want a war.
The song appealed to the common people who did not want to be led into battle. He asked us to ask questions about what our leaders told us: “Seven hundred million are you list’nin’?/ Most of what you read is made of lies.” (Note that some listings apparently mishear the line as “seven hundred million men are enlisted”).
The song also refers to someone many young listeners may not recognize:
Brother Solzhenitsyn are you busy? If not, won’t you drop this friend a line? Tell me if the man who is plowin’ up your land Has got the war machine upon his mind.
“Brother Solzhenitsyn” refers to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who was a famous Soviet novelist and dissident prosecuted in the Soviet Union. Darin appeals to a brother across the Cold War, highlighting that the average Russian no more wanted war than the average American.
Versions by Darin and Hardin
Tim Hardin first had a hit with the song. But Darin soon began performing “Simple Song of Freedom” live and released his own version in 1971. Hardin’s success with Darin’s song was an interesting turn of events, since Bobby Darin had been the first one to score a hit with Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter” in 1966.
During his folk period, Darin stopped wearing his toupee and grew long sideburns and a mustache. As discussed previously, in 1969, he walked off a national TV show when the producers would not let him sing one of his protest songs unchanged.
But his protest music was not profitable, and many in his audience wanted the old swinging singles, not the folk singer. Darin soon had to sell his record company, songs, and publishing company.
Darin’s Return to Popular Performances
A guy has to make a living. So, Darin returned to show business and began performing more of his old hits and less protest music, donning his toupee again, using a full band instead of just a guitar. He also begin appearing on and hosting television variety shows.
But Bobby Darin stayed true to himself through it all, as he was deep down a great entertainer. And he never gave up on trying to reach people with the message of “Simple Song of Freedom.”
As portrayed in the film Beyond the Sea about Bobby Darin’s life, the song is presented as a turning point in Darin’s career. Darin, played by Kevin Spacey, wants to make a difference despite advice from those in the business. He eventually discovers a way to make his political statement to his audiences by presenting the song as a big stage act instead of an acoustic folk song. In the movie, Spacey performed the vocals of all of Darin’s songs.
The video below features one of these later performances of “Simple Song of Freedon.” Darin performs the song with more than a guitar, donning a tuxedo.
But he is still asking his audience to join in telling our leaders that we don’t want a war.
A little more than two years after releasing his recording of “Simple Song of Freedom,” Darin died on December 19, 1973 at the age of 37 while recovering from open-heart surgery.
Darin had had rheumatic fever as a young child that had weakened his heart.
Bobby Darin knew most of his life he likely would not live to old age and that every day was a gift to make and create what you can. Thus, he lived with a passion for life and tried to make an impact on the world, which of course he did throughout his life.
Read more about Bobby Darin in the book “Bobby Darin: Roman Candle.” Leave your two cents in the comments.
The next-to-last song on Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show was an obscure pick that perfectly captured a joyous — and pointed — finale.
Stephen Colbert closed out his final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert with a couple of musical performances that made a perfect send off. The final song, of course, was the Beatles classic “Hello Goodbye,” led by Paul McCartney. It was a wonderful uplifting ending, saying goodbye to us while reminding us it was not the end. The Beatles song finale was even more touching with the recognition that Paul McCartney was turning out the lights on the show in the Ed Sullivan Theater, a place where the Beatles captured America so many years ago. But what was that acoustic song before “Hello Goodbye”?
This final segment began with Colbert wandering around before sitting and starting to sing, “Everybody’s talking like they can’t sit down / And looking like they can’t stand up.” And then for the next line, the camera moved to the songwriter of that song,”Jump Up,” Elvis Costello. Then, the song continued with Jon Batiste in a touching inclusion of the former Late Show band leader, and then Louis Cato, the current Late Night band leader.
In my music collection, I have “Jump Up” as a bonus acoustic demo song on my special CD edition of Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut album My Aim is True. Of all the songs in the world, why did Colbert choose an obscure bonus track from the 1970s as the penultimate song for his show?
Colbert has been a fan of the song “Jump Up” for a long time, so, as you can see from the look on his face, it was a joy for him to sing a favorite song with the songwriter. And it must have been cool to then “close” the show with the song and “goodnight,” and then go into the encore where the four “Jump Up” singers joined Paul McCartney for “Hello Goodbye.”
Why “Jump Up”?
But why did Colbert choose the obscure Elvis Costello song, as he loves other songs too? The likely reason for Colbert’s fondness for “Jump Up,” and the reason it worked so well in closing the show, arguably cancelled by CBS at least partly for its criticisms of a thin-skinned Donald Trump, is its satirical take on untrustworhty politicians.
Candidate talkin` on the radio from the “Cheaters Jamboree”; It must be their latest fool; `Cause it`s a two-horse race and he changed his bets, Like it was just another brand of cigarettes.
Way back in 2012, Colbert explained his love of “Jump Up” in this interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air: “I love the song because it’s sort of a satirical song. It’s got a parodic nature to it, or not a parodic nature, but it’s really, it’s got sort of a political, satirical song. And I’ve never discussed this song with Elvis, so I might get a message from Elvis Costello after this interview with you, saying, ‘You know nothing of my work. What are you talking about?’ But I’ve always thought of it as a – it’s sort of like a – it’s a person who is talking about insignificance in the name of power or of something that they want, and also talking about the hypocrisy of politicians.”
Colbert further explained how the song captures a young man on a street corner, looking to get noticed, who has no power. And maybe he felt a little like that with his show’s cancellation. But the song, in Costello’s skillful writing, has a power behind it with its uplifting melody, jokingly making fun of those in power. And isn’t that what The Late Show was always about since the first episode with David Letterman?
For those of us who grew up watching The Late Show since David Letterman started the show, through Colbert’s ongoing journey from The Colbert Report to The Late Show, it was a touching send off, looking back and looking forward.
And the look of joy on Colbert’s face as he sang “Jump Up” with Costello, Batiste, and Cato, I’m sure, far surpassed any joy left in the hearts of the politicians in Washington or the people running CBS.
Hello Goodbye indeed.
Jump up–hold on tight, Can`t trust the promise or a guarantee; `Cause the man `round the curve says that he`s never heard, Of you or me.
Justin Townes Earle wrote a rare love song that praises a woman for driving a fuel-efficient car, “Champagne Corolla.”
With the price of gasoline surging recently, it is a good time for the rare song that praises the choice of a fuel-efficient car. Perhaps there is no better song referencing the topic than Justin Townes Earle‘s song about the singer’s love for a woman driving a “Champagne Corolla.” In the song, the singer notes how the woman must have a good head on her shoulders because, “She can run all week on just one tank.”
“Champagne Corolla” appeared as the lead track on Justin Townes Earle’s 2017 album, Kids in the Street. At the time, Allmusic praised “Champagne Corolla” as a “stompin’ exercise in New Orleans-influenced R&B.” The song also appeared on the posthumous 2024 All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) in a version Earle had performed on his father Steve Earle’s Satellite radio show (see below). Steve Earle also recorded a nice version of his son’s song on his 2021 album made in tribute to Justin Townes Earle,J.T.
I don’t care what no man say, She can run all week on just one tank; Goes to show you, Maybe baby got a head on her shoulders, yeah; And she sure looks sweet driving by in that champagne Corolla.
I know every man think that he need some high tone woman, Something built for speed; But you can’t trust a rich girl, No farther than you can throw her; Need a middle class queen riding by in a champagne Corolla.
As for the car, Toyota has been making Corollas since 1966. As the singer in the song implies, the Corolla is seen as a practical compact car known for its fuel efficiency.
In the video below, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away on August 20, 2020, performs “Champagne Corolla” in May 2017 on Steve Earle’s Hardcore Troubadour Radio show on SiriusXM.
Until there is a great song about an electric car, is “Champagne Corolla” the champagne of songs mentioning fuel efficiency? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Although David Allan Coe passed away estranged from several of his children, early in his career he wrote a demo song where the singer says farewell to his children.
Country legend David Allan Coe passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. While articles about his life focus on certain songs he wrote, like “Take This Job and Shove It,” and on certain singles, like “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Longhaired Redneck,” and “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” the man’s vast catalog cannot be summed up by a few songs. And while there will be the usual labels for the Ohio-born Coe, like “Outlaw,” he had a long and complex career full of highs and lows.
And where does one start with David Allan Coe? There were some troubled times, including stints in prison and bankruptcy. But for fans, one has to start with the music. There’s forty-two studio albums, as well as some controversial X-rated independent ones. Among his catalog is some amazing work.
And one way to start is to go back near the beginning. Some of his great songs and recordings came out during the early 1970s before finding wider success and before the rise of Outlaw country. He released his debut album Penitentiary Blues in 1970, including songs he had written in prison.
But before he had much success he worked as a staff songwriter for Window Music publishing, writing songs and creating demos for other artists. In 2005, many of these demos were finally released on For the Soul and for the Mind: Demos of ’71-’74 . Although none of the songs eventually became a hit, as Allmusic notes, they are further evidence that David Allan Coe was a poet.
One of those demos was a song called “Don’t You Cry.” And it seems like a fitting way to say goodbye for now.
Don’t you cry, children; Don’t you cry I’ll see you in the sweet bye and bye.
I’ve been staring at tomorrow, knowing it might never come; I’ve been talking about salvation, Thinking I might get me some.
It’s so hard to beat the devil, When he don’t play by the rules; And I know that the Savior Has a special place for fools.
What is your favorite David Allan Coe song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
