One of the better anti-Trump protest songs was written about Donald Trump’s father. It featured lyrics by the iconic folk singer Woody Guthrie, who died in 1967.
During a two-year period starting in December 1950, Guthrie lived in an apartment owned by Fred Trump. In his journal, he wrote bitterly of Trump’s racist attitudes. One of the more biting entries was “racial hate, he stirred up, in the bloodspot of human hearts.” He also addresses Trump’s refusal to rent to black people by describing the Beach Haven apartments where he lived as a place “where no black ones come to roam.”
In 2016, Ryan Harvey wrote the music and adapted portions of Woody’s journal entry into the song “Old Man Trump.” With help from Ani Difranco and Tom Morello, the song was now extended to Fred’s heir Donald. In an interview with the Washington Post, Donald declared that “my legacy has its roots in my father’s legacy.” When you examine the evidence, that legacy includes shady business practices and racist rhetoric.
In a video introduction to preface the reworking of Woody’s lyrics, Morello made the following statement “I’m standing up against Old Man Trump. When it comes to race relations, he’s like an old-school segregationist. When it comes to foreign policy, he’s like an old-school napalmist. When it comes to women’s issues, he’s like a frat-house rapist. So let’s not elect that guy.” Sadly, that guy did get elected.
I’m sure Woody would have had a lot to write about if he was still alive to witness the 2016 election and pursuing aftermath.