This is Pink’s latest attempt at a political song, targeted at the current Presidential Administration. She had tried this once before, back during the Bush administration, with “Dear Mr. President”, a collaboration with Folk-Rock duo the Indigo Girls. But that song was filled with very specific and temporal details, which not only makes it of little interest to anyone now that its political era is past, but arguably limited its impact even in its own time. From the Almanac Singers to Ani DiFranco, political songs full of specific details have always had their place, but what Pink seems to have realized is that employing universal archetypes and poetic language actually says so much more and has a far greater impact. It also ensures that your anthem will be as suitable for future generations’ ideological conflicts as it is for your own, rather than simply becoming a cultural relic only of interest to historians. To illustrate this point, which song from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan do you hear more often today…”Blowin’ in the Wind” or “Oxford Town”? I, for one, find this a fascinating and beautiful song that has a far more profound impact than the more heavy-handed and ephemeral “Dear Mr. President”.
Verdict: Good.