Pitchfork

Hey, it's been awhile. Let's check in with Meghan McCain's blog. What has Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain's daughter been listening to lately?

Let's see. She's been rocking some Tokyo Police Club, some Klaxons, some Au Revoir Simone. A Hot Chip remix of the Pharcyde. All right. And... what's this?

OK, let me get this straight. For a blog post about her father's debate with Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama on Friday night-- a debate that centered a whole lot around our country's recent economic catastrophe-- the "Song of the Day" was Stereolab's "Ping Pong"?! Really?!

Here are the lyrics to "Ping Pong" (according to various lyrics websites, and verified by going back and listening to the song again):

it's alright right 'cos the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

you see the recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry for things will look after themselves
it's alright recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry if things can only get better

there's only millions that lose their jobs and homes and sometimes accents
there's only millions that die in their bloody wars, it's alright

it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing
it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing

it's alright 'cos the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

don't worry be happy things will get better naturally
don't worry shut up sit down go with it and be happy

dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah
dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah

OK. OK. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that Meghan McCain didn't just pick this song randomly, since she usually picks songs that have something to do with what her blog posts are about. So what the hell is going on here?

A) Meghan McCain completely doesn't understand sarcasm and truly believes that this song is about how the economy will just work itself out and everything will be all right. (See also: Ronald Reagan's re-appropriation of Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.")
B) Meghan McCain is using this song as a critique of people who are against the government's proposed $700 million bailout of Wall Street, which her father supports. "Uh huh, the free market is going to fix everything, ha ha," she says. "Riiiiight."
C) Meghan McCain wants to overthrow the entire capitalist system!

Ponder this brain-twister while going to see Stereolab on tour in support of their new album Chemical Chords, at one of the dates and locations below:

Stereolab:

10-02 New York, NY - Irving Plaza #
10-03 New York, NY - Irving Plaza !
10-04 New York, NY - Irving Plaza *%
10-06 Boston, MA - Paradise *%
10-07 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda *%
10-08 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre *%
10-09 Detroit, MI - The Crofoot *%
10-10 Chicago, IL - The Vic *%
10-12 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *%
10-14 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre *%
10-17 Seattle, WA - Showbox *^
10-18 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *^
10-19 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom *^
10-21 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ^
10-22 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
10-23 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre *^
10-24 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *^
11-10 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
11-11 Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
11-14 Cologne, Germany - Kulturkirche
11-14 Berlin, Germany - Maria
11-17 Munich, Germany - Ampere
11-28 Schorndorf, Germany - Manufaktur
11-29 Hamburg, Germany - Stage Club
12-12 Cork, Ireland - The Pavilion
12-13 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod
12-14 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Black Box
12-16 Glasgow, Scotland - Òran Mór
12-17 Manchester, England - Academy 3
12-18 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
12-19 London, England - KOKO

# with Atlas Sound
! with Anti-Pop Consortium, Hospitality
* with Monade
% with Le Loup
^ with Richard Swift