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I didn’t watch the Democratic Debate last night on CNN, but I did read a recap this morning, and it made me sad. Overt bitterness between candidates is nothing new, of course. But I feel angry with the Clintons for introducing the negative tone into the race, and I feel frustrated with Obama for failing to turn it to his advantage thus far.

If anything, Senator Clinton is benefiting from the nastiness at the moment, and not because Obama can’t dish it back. In fact, he’s quite good at this verbal sparring, but it’s unattractive on a candidate whose success is based on our willingness to engage in childlike hope about our country’s future. Meanwhile, it makes Clinton seem tenacious and smug. Maybe Joe Klein thinks that Bill is trying to sabotage her campaign, but right now it looks like tactical brilliance.

Though recorded back in 2005 with Fooled By April, I wrote this song in the fervent political season of 2004. Though John Kerry wasn’t as an inspirational a candidate as I had hoped for, I, like so many others, had been inspired by Obama’s keynote speech at the Democratic Convention. I had a melody I’d been playing with, mumbling a chorus, something like “why didn’t you say so…” Obama’s speech reminded me that words matter. So I tried to take my three minute ditty and make the words matter.

New Song
by J. Gordon Wright

Don’t ask the question
If you don’t like the answer
Don’t ask the question
If you won’t hear the sound

Don’t beg a reason
When you can’t name me one
Give me a reason
I need a reason

Let’s sing us a new song tonight
Let’s make it a sing-along this time
Our voices are strong enough
We’re loud enough to beat the band
So sing out
Let’s sing us a new song

Everyone’s watching
To see who’ll take the first step
Everyone’s watching
To see who’s got the hand

I was just watching
Until I closed my eyes
Now I am moving
Finally I’m moving

Let’s sing us a new song tonight
Let’s make it a sing-along this time
Our voices are strong enough
We’re loud enough to beat the band
So sing out
Let’s sing us a new song this time
Let’s sing like we’ve never sung, tonight
Our voices are strong enough
We’re loud enough
We’ll sing and you’ll find out

I remember a time when a word was easy as wind
I remember a time when I could breathe it all in
But the change that came didn’t last too long
And the breeze that blew didn’t carry on
It’s a long time now
But it’s finally come
And I know that we’ll find out…