I'm glad it wasn't directed at me.

[helen99]

I missed this entirely: MSNBC coverage of George Bush leaving Washington DC.

Here's a much longer, larger, and clearer version on Youtube -- the singing occurs around the middle of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNdVj_jeWJI&feature=related

When the helicopter took off, the entire crowd of a million or more people started cheering and chanting "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye". It is quite audible over the voices of the show hosts, who were discussing everything but the singing. I don't think any president in history has received a comparable sendoff, and I hope no future president is ever worthy of that again...

In case anyone is curious, what they sang is from a song called "Kiss them goodbye" by Steam. Steam was one of those 70s bands that got a lot of air play (at least for a song or two) but nobody ever knew who they were. The only reason I know is because I looked it up and found this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwnqqj5Q1BU&feature=related

Oh, the bad comb-overs. Oh the shirts. Oh the soup-trainer mustaches. Oh 70s fashion, no.

Comments

[arahitogami.livejournal.com]

Holy crap. That was...something else. I was going to say epic but holy crap.

Having said that, ultimately, one really shouldn't expect anything different, considering that his inaugeral motorcade was egged and had bottles thrown at it.....

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Yeah, true. I guess the unexpected part was the two million people. They didn't throw things or act angry or anything - they just ... sang. It gave me chills.

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

I was continually surprised, being there and being part of the crowd that didn't actually get in to see the main events, that no one was being riotous in the least. But really, what it all boiled down to was that every single one of us including the one lone man on a street corner with an 'arrest bush' sign, well, we were all just so damned happy and relieved that it was *over*, really for honest to goodness *over*. For that moment, there was no room left in our hearts for anger.

I've started believing in humanity again, just a little.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

This time I hope we've finally gotten it - not like the 60s when everyone had lofty ideals but didn't live up to them. This time I hope we live up to them and make them work from the most basic and practical level to the deepest spiritual ideal.

This decade has slammed different people in different ways... Some physically, some emotionally, and some in ways that do not show, but the scars are deep and permanent. The fear that I feel now is from those scars. Difficult to walk through. Here goes.

[ivy]

I have faith in us.

[keyake.livejournal.com]

thanks for posting that. singing is much better than shooting, or throwing eggs, or anything like that. Reading some of the comments made me mad, though...

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the comments on youtube are almost always pretty pointless, unfortunately.