P!nk’s “Dear Mr. President”

On my old blog I had an occasional “thing” I liked to call Music Monday where I would share a song or artist that I feel is under-appreciated. And I figure why not continue that tradition here, since everybody needs an occasional break from the typically serious topics we discuss on Thinking Critically.

I’ve been a fan of P!nk since her second album came out (although admittedly the first album does have a few really good songs as well, I just wasn’t into the image she had at the time of the first album).

However, despite some very personal lyrics on her first three albums, I did not really think of her as being a “serious” artist until I heard this song  for the first time. If I had thought about it at all, I would have said I viewed her a pop star with an edge. Sure she wasn’t Britney, but her music was not something I thought would stand the test of time. Then I heard “Dear Mr President”, and my views of her changed drastically.

She has said that this song is one of the most important songs she had written, which I believe is actually a bit of an understatement. This is actually one of the most import songs of the decade by any artist. And whether you are Liberal or Conservative, you should listen to this song and understand that one of the great things about this country is the right to speak your mind without censorship.

Dear Mr. President, Come take a walk with me.
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me.
I’d like to ask you some questions if,
We can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye,
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say,
No child is left behind?
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind.
They’re all sitting in your cells,
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say,
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don’t know nothing ’bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You’d never take a walk with me. Would you?