Anthem

Michele Bachmann vs. Tom Petty: New Theme Song For Michele

Michele Bachmann can’t use Tom Petty’s “American Girl” anymore. Our readers suggest other songs

Tom Petty issued a cease-and-desist letter to Michele Bachmann, asking her to stop playing his 1977 song “American Girl” at campaign events. So we asked our readers on Facebook what her new song should be.

Readers took the opportunity to express how they feel about Michele Bachmann through their choice of song titles—and most of them were not very kind to the newly declared Republican presidential candidate. Suggestions for songs with the word “crazy” in them appeared 20 times.

Reader Karla Wiseman Bronicki suggested ‎"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, but wrote: “Though he probably wouldn't want her to play his song either.”

“Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne had seven champions among our readers.

“Crazy Bitch” by Buckcherry

“Crazy” by Patsy Cline

“Crazy” by Seal

Michele’s last name makes Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s "Takin’ Care of Business” one of the frontrunners.

Bachmann has a reputation for flubbing facts about American history, so some readers suggested “Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke, with its opening line: “Don’t know much about history.”

Perhaps it was the Tea Party’s proclivity for misrepresenting the Constitution that prompted one reader to suggest “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” performed by Nina Simone. We hope Bachmann would be on board with the civil rights struggle subtext in the song.

The first suggestion, liked by nine people, was “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John.

She might not be able to use “American Girl,” but if she wants to stay on the U.S. kick, Bachmann can try “American Nightmare” by the Misfits or “American Idiot” by Green Day.

“American Nightmare” by the Misfits

“American Idiot” by Green Day

Returning to the crazy theme, some readers wanted Bachmann to adopt the 1966 song “They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV, written as a rant by an insane asylum patient.

“They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV

Because Bachmann thought that the actor John Wayne was from her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, while the true native was actually “killer clown” serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a reader thought it’d be a good idea for Bachmann to clear things up by using “Tears of a Clown” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “sung by John Wayne Gacy.”

Bachmann’s critics suggested Beck’s “Loser” (offered nine times) and hoped it would be prescient.

Finally, even if Tom Petty doesn’t want “American Girl” used, reader Stella V Smith came up with the interesting idea that he could donate another one of his songs, “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” to Ms. Bachmann, as a message. Although some readers thought Petty demonstrated the spirit of his homonym last name (“Tom Petty getting petty”), Amy Scheffler Tonai, a fan of the rock star, said, “I'd trust HIM to run the country over an idiot like MB.”

“Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty

“American Girl” by Tom Petty

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Jimmy So

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.