Inspired by the silly kerfuffle about President Biden’s supposed memory issues in his five-hour interview with a partisan special prosecutor, conducted while Biden also was involved in issues about the Middle East, and perhaps also inspired by the death of Toby Keith, I asked GPT-4 to take on the persona of an experienced writer of hit songs and write me a country music song on the theme “I’m voting for Grandpa (because the alternative is so much worse)”. The results were not half bad:
“I’m Voting for Grandpa”
(Verse 1)
Out here where the wheat fields meet the sky,
I’ve been watching the days and years go by.
I’ve seen leaders come and go, it’s true,
But this time around, I know what I gotta do.I hear the talk in the diners and the bars,
About how we’ve got dreams bigger than the stars.
But dreams need hands to guide them right,
To turn our darkest hours into daylight.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s so much worse,
In a world of chaos, he might just be our cure.
With a steady hand and a heart that’s tried and true,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to lead us through.(Verse 2)
I’ve listened to the promises, the plans, and the pleas,
Sifted through the noise to find what I believe.
It’s not about the left or right, but finding middle ground,
Where the lost can be found, and the silent have a sound.In the fields where my father worked, under the same sun,
I learned that before the harvest comes, there’s work to be done.
Grandpa’s got a vision, not just for the few,
But for every hardworking soul, through and through.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s so much worse,
In a world of division, he speaks to our better verse.
With wisdom gleaned from years and a spirit tough and true,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to see us through.(Bridge)
It’s more than politics, it’s about who we want to be,
A nation of the free, living in harmony.
So I’ll cast my vote with hope, for a brighter day,
For Grandpa’s guiding light to lead the way.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s just too grim,
In the fight for our future, I’m putting my faith in him.
With a lifetime of service and a belief in the common good,
I’m voting for Grandpa, like I believe we all should.(Outro)
So when the day comes, and it’s our time to choose,
I hope you’ll join me, we’ve got so much to lose.
In the heart of this country, let’s make our stand,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to heal this land.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how to write music, much less country music, and the online tools for doing it with AI assistance look like they have a steep learning curve.
If anyone knows of an easy tool, or feels like pitching in, get in touch.
(My efforts to elicit an urban country version and a crossover version were not as good…)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt described December 7, 1941 as “a date which will live in infamy” in his speech the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 12/7 was a date seared into the memory of those who lived through it, although I think not nearly as meaningful to those who like me were born considerably later. Even infamy may have a half-life, and I suspect that today most people look at ‘Pearl Harbor Day’ on the calendar and don’t think that much of it.
