librarian.net at the DNC

July 28, 2004

Wyclef!

Wyclef Jean just sang his "If I was president" song that I saw on the Chapelle show a few weeks back. The lyrics are below. He was interviewed by Allhiphop.com in May.

AllHipHop.com: What do you think about John Kerry saying he understands hip-hop and the culture?

Wyclef: I mean, I think somebody coached Kerry on what to say, but I hope he can really get inside of the culture and really understand it 'cause it's a deep thing, it would be a great thing if he does understand it.

[chorus]
If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.

If I was president...
If I was president

An old man told me, instead of spending billions on the war,
we can use some of that money, in the ghetto.
I know some so poor, they use the spring as the shower,
when screaming "fight the power".
That's when the vulture devoured

[chorus]
If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.

If I was president...
If I was president...
If I was president...
If I was president

But the radio won't play this.
They call this rebel music.
How can you refuse it, children of moses?

[chorus]
If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.

If I was president...
If i was president

Tell the children the truth, the truth.
Christopher Columbus didn't discover America.
Tell them the truth.
The truth
YEAH! Tell them about Marcus Garvey.
The truth YEAH! The truth.
Tell them about Martin Luther King.
Tell them the truth.
The Truth.
Tell them about JFK

If I was President
[chorus]
If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.

If I was president...
If I was president

At the Kerry/Edwards fundraiser, he sang these lyrics. “If I was president,” he sang, “I’d be elected on Friday, hire Edwards on Saturday, have a big party on Sunday, start work on Monday. Kerry is the president, yah, yah.” I can't say for sure what he said this evening, it's all echoey up here. Posted by jessamyn at July 28, 2004 07:07 PM

Comments

Thanks for transcribing his wonderful song. Reminds me of my favorite line from Rev. Al Sharpton last night:
One of his best lines ---" I suggest to you tonight that if George Bush had selected the court in '54, Clarence Thomas would have never got to law school. "

Posted by: Kathleen de la Pena McCook at July 29, 2004 08:19 AM

I heard the version of "If I was President" that Wyclef Jean sang at the convention and it was different from both the original and the version for the fund raiser.

If I was presidnet - Wyclef Jean - the DNC version:

If I was President, I get elected on Friday,
call a peace treaty Saturday, stop the war Sunday, Send the troops back home Monday,
If I was President, if I was President, if I was President, yeah ...

Instead of spending billions on the war,
I can use that money so I can feed the poor,
'Cause I know some so poor when it rains that's when they shower, screamin', "Fight the power,"
that's when the vulture devours,

[during the chorus I heard on the radio he left out being assasinated and burried but that might have been edited in some way because there was a pause at the moment when he would normally sing those lyrics and being very familiar with the song it struck me immediately]

I know some soldiers who sleep but they can't dream, wake up and scream, sounds of M-16,
So take this Medal of Honor for your bravery,
I wish you the best kid, you and your family ...

[chorus]

But the radio won't play this, they call it rebel music, How can you refuse it, children of Moses, tell the children the truth, the truth is not all I play Mr. Diamonds, tell the truth, is that you wear cubic zirconias Tell them the truth, the truth, your life is worth more than
diamonds and gold ...

If I was President, If I was President, If I was President ...

I was listening to it on NPR (this is the World?) and that's where they cut it off.

Posted by: Elise at July 31, 2004 12:50 AM