Many politicians through the years have used famous songs for their campaigns. Many of which were used without seeking out permission from the artists. That’s what happened to singer/songwriter Bobby McFerrin during George H. W. Bush’s presidential campaign in 1988. McFerrin, though, didn’t just let it happen. Not only did he protest the political use of his song, but he (temporarily) stopped performing the hit altogether. And it worked.
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The Origins of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
Just about everyone out there knows the melody to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. The iconic song by Bobby McFerrin was released in 1988. Today, it’s one of the most famous reggae/pop songs of all time.
The song was the first single from his album Simple Pleasures and became a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. At the time, it was also the only completely acapella song in music history to hit no. 1 on the Billboard charts. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” also went on to win several Grammy Awards the following year, notably for Song Of The Year.
McFerrin based the song around a common expression that mystic Meher Baba would often use. The phrase “don’t worry, be happy” could be found all over the US on motivational posters during the 1960s. McFerrin took a liking to the expression, notably for its simple nature and charm.
Why Bobby McFerrin Stopped Performing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” For A While
It’s hard to imagine such a positive song could be at the center of political conflict, but alas, it was. George H. W. Bush used the song as his official presidential campaign tune in the late 1980s. Not only did he not ask McFerrin to use the song, but he didn’t really seem to care that the singer was not interested in endorsing his campaign.
McFerrin was a longtime Democrat at the time and found the use of his song appalling, particularly because it was being used without his permission. He protested the use of the song for Bush’s campaign and noted that he had no interest in voting for the politician.
To take things a step further, McFerrin stopped performing the song live and removed it from his setlist to drive the point home. Eventually, the Bush campaign stopped using the song.
The moral of the story: Don’t use a musician’s work without even bothering to ask for permission. It’s not that hard!
Photo by APA-PictureDesk GmbH/Shutterstock
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