Dear Mr. President

Album: Bigger, Better, Faster, More (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • 4 Non Blondes are best known for their hit "What's Up," but this was their first single ("What's Up" was the second). Both songs were written by Linda Perry, who later became a top songwriter for other artists; her hits include "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera and "Get The Party Started" by Pink. In 2006, Pink released her own "Dear Mr. President," but it's a totally different song and Perry didn't write it.
  • 4 Non Blondes bass player Christa Hillhouse told Songfacts: "George Sr. was president at the time, and we were having a hard time getting airplay in certain places. In Texas, they wouldn't play it because they looked at it as an assault on the Bush administration. It's kind of funny because it wasn't about the president in office, it was about the hierarchy of power and government. It wasn't specifically pointed at him. I remember being really surprised when it happened. It's a song about looking around and seeing problems and feeling like there's someone in charge who is responsible."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Daniel Lanois

Daniel LanoisSongwriter Interviews

Daniel Lanois on his album Heavy Sun, and the inside stories of songs he produced for U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.