8 Days: An Election Soundtrack Challenge

As I walked the dog yesterday morning, listening to Bob Marley on the headphones, I felt inspired about getting up, standing up and not giving up the fight. Over the weekend, our friend at Art Scatter posted a link to Leonard Cohen’s new tune “Democracy” as an apt commentary for this election period. Between that post and the Wailers, I was motivated to take up a BLOG CHALLENGE over the waning days of this long, long campaign: I will post at least one song each day that fits the theme of the election season. I may be straying from Culture Shock’s mission of commenting on “culture and life in Portland,” but that’s only because times are what they are.

My first challenge will be to avoid the easy cliché. Therefore, Lennon’s “Imagine” is out, no matter how great it is. I’ll try to keep Springsteen and Dylan in the bullpen. Some songs may stand out as anthems for a campaign rally, others may be more of a reflection on our times and national mood – perhaps just my mood of the day. Some may be ironic, obscure or silly. I’ll keep my comments short, and let's assume that posts on other topics will keep appearing on Culture Shock. Finally, I welcome and will consider all suggestions that you, our dear readers, may submit for this Election Countdown Soundtrack.

Without further ado, here’s my first entry, with Bob Marley and "Get Up, Stand Up."