Rant #3,534: Harry Truman

Since the most recent debate took place, I want to focus not on politics, not presidents--

As they relate to the music we listen to, of course.

And that brings us to Harry Truman, or "Harry Truman."

No, I am not going to immerse you in an entry about our 33rd president of the United States.

I am going to focus this Rant on one of the most obscure hit singles during the rock era, the aptly titled "Harry Truman."

You say you never heard of this song, which reached the appropriate (for today, Friday the 13th) number 13 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 in February 1975?

Well, join the crowd, because up until.a few years ago, I had never heard of this single, either.

And who sung this most obscure of hits?

Probably one of the top rock acts at the time, already with a bushelful of hit singles and LPs--

Chicago.

This 45 was sandwiched between huge hits "Wishing You Were Here" and "Old Days," tunes that gained extensive airplay during this period, but I have to say, I have never heard "Harry Truman" on the radio, then or now.

I discovered the record a few years back.

I was at a local record store, and peaking from inside a cavernous bin of 45s was Truman's face, which is on the picture sleeve (see above).

I originally thought that this was one of those promo 45s they put out on just about all the modern presidents during this time oeriod--mainly on John F. Kennedy but also including other commanders in chief, including Richard Nixon--but when I saw it was by Chicago, well, my curiosity got the best of me, and I bought it.

I listened to it a couple of years ago, and honestly, it didn't ring a bell.

I listened to.it again earlier this week, and I still don't remember it.

It leads me to believe that it reached number 13 on the charts because of heavy sales--I mean, Chicago was red hot then--and not by much airplay.

The song was written by band member Robert Lamm right after Nixon resigned in the Watergate scandal.

It is a tribute, a paean to presidents we could trust, one of them being Harry Truman ... the president who agreed to drop the Atomic bomb on Japan to end World War Ii, and even today, stands as one of our more popular leaders.

The song, incredibly, was the first single released from the "Chicago VIII" album, but at least in New York, I don't think it got much airplay.

It has kind of an old-timey.feel to.it, and the lyrics speak of a simpler time ... a theme which I think the song "Old Days" and "Saturday In the Park" did a much better job on.

But Harry Truman was both a president and a song, and I think it might still be the only song ever to make the Billboard Hot 100 featuring an American president's name as its full title.

I checked up on the song, and to this day, the band rarely plays it in concert, and it doesn't show up on too many greatest hits compendiums ... so even Chicago, the band itself, pretty much ignores its existence.

In fact, the one time I saw Chicago in concert, they didn't play this song.

As we move.into the weekend, and get closer to Election Day, give a listen to this song, and absorb its sentiments ...

Even nearly 50 years after the song made the charts, I think the sentiment It talks about is still there.

Can you imagine such a song about Kamala Harris, Donald Trump.or Joe Biden?

Like the Little Rascals' Buckwheat used to say,

"Me neither too, humph!"

Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

https://youtu.be/GHx_IgH4y5Q?si=t2STKPSu3XReYPhf