I believe this will be my last politically themed #TuesdayTop10 of the year; one can only be snarky about Mitt Romney for so long. With the listlessness of the Republican party right now, seemingly marching into inevitability, “Super Tuesday” has never seemed so un-super. Unless the race gets really interesting over the next few weeks or months, my guess is we will see Mitt Romney emerge from the convention as the GOP nominee for President.
10. Bad Plus “Super America”
Since “America, Fuck Yeah!” did not have the word “super” in its title, the next best selection was “Super America.” Although “Super America” is slightly less fun considering it an instrumental track from Minnesota jazz trio The Bad Plus, but the sentiment remains the same.
MP3: Bad Plus “Super America”
09. The Flaming Lips “Waitin’ For a Superman”
I thought that the Flaming Lips’ “Waitin’ For a Superman” was a particularly poignant choice for the countdown. For one, the phrase “Waiting for Superman” has become synonymous with the debate over education since the 2010 documentary of the same name. Secondly, the Republican party is still clearly waiting for their superman. There was a resurgence in talks of maybe Jeb Bush gaining the nomination if the party is not more taken with Mitt Romney by convention time. That is how desperate the party is for a “superman.”
MP3: The Flaming Lips “Waitin’ For a Superman”
08. Lupe Fiasco “Superstar”
In Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar,” Matthew Santos sings “If you are what you say you are, a superstar/Then have no fear, the crowd is here/And the lights are on/And they wanna show.” Superstars are supposed to draw a crowd and excite them. Mitt Romney has the crowd (although some half empty Detroit area stadiums last week said differently) but he just does not get them excited. They want the show but always seem to leave sadly disappointed.
MP3: Lupe Fiasco “Superstar”
07. Hot Rod Circuit “Supersad”
It is hard to write little political barbs when the word that must be in common in all the song titles is “super.” “Super” is generally paired with positive words but leave it to defunct Connecticut emo band Hot Rod Circuit to change that. “Supersad” seems like the perfect anthem for Super Tuesday. Super Tuesday is generally the day when one candidate separates himself from his opponents and truly begins to be embraced by his party but there are no signs of Mitt Romney feeling that warm embrace despite being almost assured the nomination. Instead if his wins on Super Tuesday are met with a lukewarm reaction from the party’s base then it will only heighten talks of a brokered convention making Super Tuesday feel super sad for the GOP.
MP3: Hot Rod Circuit “Super Sad”
06. Say Hi To Your Mom “Super”
When I listen to this song today, I like to pretend that Eric Elbogen, aka Say Hi To Your Mom is singing it directly to Mitt Romney. The track drips in sarcasm as Elbogen sings “You’re super/you really are/just like your tee-ball trophy says you’ve come so far” and perhaps even better “you take a bow/the crowds all cheer/it took a lot of super stuff to get you here.”
MP3: Say Hi To Your Mom “Super”
05. Our Lady Peace “Superman’s Dead”
Our Lady Peace’s “Superman’s Dead” seemed like an appropriate selection today as people think about what super Tuesday actually means. Last election cycle it was when Obama gained momentum and garnered the enthusiasm he needed to become the first black president. At this point, no candidates for the Republicans and not even Obama himself are garnering much enthusiasm. Is the political “superman” dead? Has the country become too jaded to be taken with a candidate? Only time will tell but it seems we have for at least this election cycle.
MP3: Our Lady Peace “Superman’s Dead”
04. Nicki Minaj “Super Bass”
Two great occurrences happened in May 2011. On May 13th, Nicki Minaj released her track “Super Bass.” Just two days early on May 11th, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich formally announced that he would seek the Republican Party Presidential nomination. We know Nicki Minaj’s track went on to be one of the biggest singles of the year. As far as Newt Gingrich goes, we do not definitively know his fate but most can see the writing on the wall barring a huge super Tuesday comeback.
MP3: Nicki Minaj “Super Bass”
03. R.E.M. “Superman”
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has been an outspoken political activist since the mid-80s. He was a critic of the both Bush administrations and a supporter of president Obama. He has kept a pretty low profile since the disbandment of R.E.M. but one can guess his opinions on the current cast of the Republican primaries.
MP3: R.E.M. “Superman”
02. David Bowie “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”
Regardless of your political affiliation, I think everyone can agree this republican race has had some super creeps in it. Between Newt Gingrich’s extra-marital affairs and the accusations against Herman Cain, there have been and still are some less than savory candidates. I’m sure the British-born David Bowie could not careless, although if rumors are true that he lives in Manhattan maybe he could.
MP3: David Bowie “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”
01. The Clash “Lost in the Supermarket”
The Clash‘s ode to lost identity, “Lost in the Supermarket” seems like an obvious choice when choosing “super” songs. Especially regarding what I talked about in the open, “Lost in the Supermarket” is all about sleepwalking through life just as the republicans seem to be sleepwalking towards the convention. I do not see the race being very exciting from Super Tuesday forward. It will almost certainly not be as exciting as listening to “Lost in the Supermarket” is.
MP3: The Clash “Lost in the Supermarket”