I was in Vietnam over the New Year, and during the Iowa caucuses. When I learned Barack had won Iowa, I was elated. I was on a bus, driving to the Mekong Delta from Saigon, and we stopped in a beautiful rubber tree forest. For as far as the eye could see, there were rubber trees in perfect rows stretching in all directions. It was absolutely beautiful.
And a song came into my head as we pulled away and I stole a last glance at the rubber trees. It has become my own personal theme song for Barack Obama and it fits perfectly with the YES WE CAN/ SI SE PUEDE chant of the campaign.
It is really corny, I know. But I think it captures the spirit of the campaign and is a rejoinder to those who claim we are naive or are victims of false hope.
It was recorded and made most famous by Frank Sinatra. My Mom was a big fan so I grew up with this song floating through my home and want to share it. Hum it to yourself today and tonight as we wait for the primary results.
Enjoy!
High Hopes (recorded by Frank Sinatra)
Just what makes that little old ant
Think hell move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, cant
Move a rubber tree plant
But hes got high hopes, hes got high hopes
Hes got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your gettin low
stead of lettin go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant
When troubles call, and your backs to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought hed punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin that dam
cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time your feelin bad
stead of feelin sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam
All problems just a toy balloon
Theyll be bursted soon
Theyre just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop