Personal tools
The TMBG Knowledge Base

James K. Polk

From This Might Be A Wiki
Portrait Of James K. Polk
song nameJames K. Polk
artistThey Might Be Giants
releasesFactory Showroom
year1996
first playedDec. 30, 1995 (531 known performances)
run time3:04
sung byJohn Linnell

Trivia/Info

This song was written with childhood friend Mr. Matthew Hill. Originally featured as a b-side, its legacy has grown with hardcore TMBG fans, and now has been resurrected in full hi-fi for Factory Showroom. The lyrics are as factual as we could make them with the reference books handy. James Knox Polk, the 11th President of the U.S., was a dark horse candidate who unexpectedly won the Democratic nomination and the election based on his popularity in the South with his stated goal of annexing Texas, the Southwest, and the Oregon Territories. Once in office he fanned the flames of dispute between the U.S. and Mexico to achieve part of this aim. (The Mexican War is still commemorated in the expression 'Remember the Alamo!') Personally, we find his expansionist policies ruthless and unscrupulous, but the existence of the Western U.S. is largely due to him. The spooky sound halfway into this recording is a 'singing saw,' an actual metal saw stroked with a bow by Mr. Julian Koster.
  • John Linnell:"We were sitting around talking about obscure Presidents in history, and whether they were actually as unimportant during their own time. And the name James K. Polk came up, and we looked him up and found that he was actually a pretty important guy. He started a trumped-up war with Mexico. He supported Manifest Destiny. [...] Basically, he was a real bastard." (Rumpus Magazine, October, 1992)
  • Inspired by The Battle of New Orleans, a song most often associated with Johnny Horton.
  • On the commentary for the Gigantic DVD, Linnell actually reveals that he is somehow related to the Napoleon of the Stump!
  • At the Tucson, AZ City Limits show (August 20, 2004), John Linnell tells a story about how Tucson was the only part not seized by James K. Polk. Then, during the song, there were some lyrics added: "And annex the lands the Mexicans command - except for Tucson!"
  • Had this song been made in Oregon, it would be pronounced ORE-gun, not Ore-GONE. Linnell often sings this line using the correct pronunciation live.
  • It isn't really accurate to describe Martin van Buren as an "abolitionist," or someone who believed that slavery should be abolished immediately. Rather, he was a "free soiler," someone who believed that slavery should not be allowed to expand. Other than that, the song is extremely accurate.
  • During live shows, cannons often fire colorful confetti into the audience at the word "expansionist!" in the line "Louis Cass, a general and expansionist."

Song Themes

Cities, Educational, History, Numbers, People (Real), Politics, Presidents, Rhymes, Titles And Honorifics, US States, War, Military

Videos

  • Watch it on  - Clip recorded live on November 9, 2000 with confetti cannon firing
 
Current Rating

You must be logged in to rate this. You can either login (if you have a userid) or create an account with us today.

James K. Polk is currently ranked #78 out of 846. (348 wikians have given it an average rating of 9.00)
Retrieved from "http://tmbw.net/wiki/James_K._Polk"