Over the course of February, I had the honor of reviewing David W. Jacobsen’s latest album, POTUS right before President’s Day, February 15th!
POTUS is a “whimsical collection of historically-oriented songs about overlooked or awful U.S. Presidents.” (http://davidwj.com/potus.shtml ).
After hearing most of this album, I can say that these first-person narratives are quite like nothing I have ever heard before. I have also decided to put my two cents in on what I considered to be my favorite songs of the 11 presidents, all of whom have their own songs where they capture their stories!
Old Man Eloquent – Old Man Eloquent is about John Quincy Adams’s time spent in the House of Representatives after being president. Personally, I know truly little about Adams’s presidency, but this song caught my eye because of its catchy lyrics like “I’ve got a purpose and I’ll see it through” and its folksy attitude. Jacobsen also states on his website that John Quincy Adams was his favorite president out of the bunch. Overall, a nice song!
Source- http://davidwj.com/potus/OldManEloquent.shtml
Swing Around the Circle- Swing Around the Circle can be described as a song you would hear a villain in a musical sing. So, it comes as no surprise that this song is about the “monstrously racist” president, Andrew Jackson! Jacobsen states that Jackson was our worst president, and you can feel his anger and Johnson’s relentless acts in the organ playing through the song and with lyrics like “Do you know how far I’ve come?.” It is also ironic that this song has an air of “dignity” around it, considering how awful of a person Andrew Jackson was. An enormously powerful, yet “scary” song.
Source- http://davidwj.com/potus/SwingAroundTheCircle.shtml
Nothing Left to Do – Nothing Left to Do is a complete opposite from the previous song, with an upbeat folksy feel to it. This song is about Franklin Pierce, who is the only president to seek out a second term but be declined by his own party for renomination. The title of this song is part of the repeating lyric, “There’s nothing left to do but get drunk,” stating that Pierce was a notorious drinker who eventually died because of liver problems. One similarity this song must Swing Around the Circle, is that both presidents were very awful at their jobs. A surprisingly upbeat song if I do say so myself.
Source- http://davidwj.com/potus/NothingLeftToDo.shtml
POTUS by David W. Jacobson is a unique experience of songs. It is perfect for history buffs who want to replenish their knowledge, or for fans who enjoy the musical Hamilton, that want a distinct experience.
POTUS and other music by Jacobson can be found at his website, http://davidwj.com/bio.shtml or on Spotify, Apple Music, and other social medias!
