Election, the playlist

Herewith, after significant consultation with Peter, a playlist on the theme of electoral politics. Swing states have been given disproportionate attention. Some songs are more pertinent than others. Because today I’m in an optimistic mood, Morrissey’s “November Spawned a Monster” has been omitted.

1. X, “The New World”
   “It was better before, before they voted for what’s-his-name”

2. Rickie Lee Jones, “Little Mysteries”
   “A trail of lies leads us to Orlando”

3. The New Pornographers, “The Laws Have Changed”
   “It was crime at the time but the laws have changed, yeah”

4. The Wrens, “Everybody Chooses Sides”
   “Poorer or not this year and hell’s the difference”

5. Elvis Costello, “Oliver’s Army”
   “We could be in Palestine”

6. The Pretenders, “My City Was Gone”
   “I went back to Ohio”

7. Sufjan Stevens, “The Upper Peninsula”
   “I live in America / with a pair of Payless shoes / the Upper Peninsula / and the television news”

8. Rosanne Cash, “Save the Country (Laura Nyro)”
   “Fury’s going to take me to the glory goal”

9. The Lucksmiths, “I Prefer the Twentieth Century”
   “I suppose that I’ll get used to it eventually”

10. Elliott Smith, “A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity To Be Free”
    “You disappoint me / you people rake it in on the world”

11. Sam Phillips, “Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon)”
    “All I want is the truth”

12. Game Theory, “Throwing the Election”
    “I’ve got a feeling it’s all rigged”