Tuesday, January 12, 2016

State Of The Union - The Musical!
"Bye Bye Barry" Edition


Welcome to the Dividist's annual coverage of the Presidential Address to Congress - aka State of the Union - The Musical!

In 2007, as a blogging toddler, the Dividist despaired at finding a unique approach to the SOTU when so many other bloggers would be traversing the same ground. The answer came from Bob Woodward. In an on-line Washington Post forum the Dividist asked whether the SOTU had any real relevance. Woodward responded by saying it was "mostly theater." Genius. That was the answer. What better way to frame the SOTU, media and blog reactions than within the lyrics of a Broadway show tune?

The game is to start with a Broadway song then find blog posts, news stories, tweets, essays and commentary that can be vaguely referenced in the song and link them to the lyrics. It keeps the Dividist awake and blogging throughout the speech and mandatory drinking game.

The program so far...
2007 - "Comedy Tonight" 
2008 - "Georgy Girl Boy"
2009 - "Razzle Dazzle" from "Chicago" 
2010 - "The Wizard of Oz" 
2011 - Intermission 
2012 - "Do you hear the people sing?" from Les Miserables" 
2013 - "I don't know how to love him" from "President Obama Superstar" 
2014 - "How to Succeed as President Without Really Trying" 
2015"Let It Go" from "Frozen"
And now, for 2016, despite being pointless political theater, this SOTU holds out hope for a couple of interesting wrinkles. 1st -  It is President Obama's last State of the Union, and 2nd - The administration is hinting at something "different" for this edition. Based on the teaser, the President is going to be backed by a heavy handed organist...



And now, the last Barack Obama State of the Union. There's only one appropriate Musical selection for this edition - "Bye Bye Barry!" For a warm-up we'll start with the title song. Because Ann Margret. I don't have the time or the skills to hack the video, so please substitute "Barry" for "Birdie" every time it occurs in this song and pretend Ann-Margret is every annoying Obama acolyte you have ever met...


That was the warmup. We'll use another song for the linked lyrics. Since the word out of the White House is that this speech will not be so much of the "State of the Union" and a lot more of the "State of President Obama's Legacy" and a Reminder of the Greatness of His Administration the appropriate song selection is - "Honestly Sincere". 

We'll post the lyrics now then update with links to live-bloggers, pundits, twitteratti, analysts and reporters before, during and after the speech. It'll be over when we get tired of the speech or too drunk to type.

The Dividist welcomes any and all suggested links, in comments or twitter, for any and all lines anywhere in the lyrics, from any who accidentally stumble across this post, at any time.

To help get you into the spirit. Music up... Raise the Curtain...


You gotta be sincere!
You gotta be sincere!
You gotta feel it here,
'Cause if you feel it here,
Well, then you're gonna be honestly sincere!
If what you feel is true,
You really feel it you
Make them feel it too,
Write this down now
You gotta be sincere,
Honestly sincere!
Man, you've got to be sincere!
If you're really sincere,
If you're really sincere,
If you feel it in here
Then it's gotta be right!
Oh, baby! Oh, honey!
Hug me! Suffer!
In ev'rything I do,
My sincerity shows thro'
I looked you in the eye,
Don't even have to try,
It's automatic!
I'm sincere!
When I sing about a tree,
I really feel that tree!
When I sing about a girl,
I really feel that girl,
I mean I really feel sincere!
If you're really sincere!
If you're really sincere!
If you feel it in here,
Then it's gotta be right!
Oh, baby! Oh, honey!
Hug me! Suffer!
You gotta be sincere!
Oh oh, oh, you gotta be sincere!
Oh, my baby, oh yeah!
Yeah, YEAH!

No comments: