Trump's playlist for bizarre song fest was filled with songs often requested for funerals

Rufus Wainwright is livid about Donald Trump using his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” calling it “the height of blasphemy” for the former president to play the song at his bizarro town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, that turned into a joyless listening party.

After answering some questions at the Monday night event, Trump cut the program short after two members of the audience fainted inside the steaming Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds and had to be treated for medical emergencies.

Trump said:

“Let's not do any more questions. Let's just listen to music. Let's make it into our music. Who the hell wants to hear questions? Right?"

Trump then swayed to the music, mouthed the words to some lyrics, pumped his fists, and occasionally moved his hands as if he were a conductor for nearly 40 minutes as the audience sweated through the oldies from a play list of 11 songs that Trump considers among his favorites.

Now why would any candidate play songs at a rally, including "Hallelujah," that are among those often requested to be played at funerals. And he's clueless about what many of the songs actually mean – and how embarrassing they are for him to play.

About midway through the song fest, Trump played Wainwright’s cover of Cohen’s iconic melancholic ballad “Hallelujah.” Wainwright’s version was featured in the soundtrack to the 2001 animated film “Shrek,” although John Cale’s cover was heard in the film itself.

The next day, Wainwright joined the growing list of musical artists, including Celine Dion, Beyonce and Foo Fighters, who have objected to Trump using their music at  his events.

Wainwright in posts on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, wrote:

The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I’ve been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance. Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy. Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.

And needless to say: I am all in for Kamala!

Wainwright, who previously slammed Trump in a 2018 song and video “Sword of Damocles,” told Rolling Stone in an interview that he found it “pretty shocking” when someone sent him a link to his version of “Hallelujah” being treated as an Evangelical hymn at the Trump event.

Wainwright said:

”When I actually watched it, and saw everybody praying and enraptured by my voice and Leonard’s lyrics …. It was pretty eerie and disturbing. Oddly enough, it was also revealing, in a sense, because Trump is obviously a sick and spiritually bankrupt person and is probably in need of healing. He’s someone who needs redemption probably more than anyone else. So it was pretty intense.”

In his social media posts, Wainwright added: “The publishing company for the Leonard Cohen estate has sent the Trump campaign a cease and desist  letter.”  Rolling Stone reported that a representative for Cohen’s publishers, Sony Music Publishing, declined to comment.

But in 2020, “Hallelujah” was repeatedly played on the last night of the Republican National Convention, even though Cohen’s estate had denied permission. The Cohen estate said it would have allowed Trump to use another Cohen song “You Want It Darker” if asked.

Cohen always insisted that ”Hallelujah” was not meant to be a religious song. But Trump’s evangelical backers might be surprised to learn that the song references the scandalous story of David and Bathsheba — a Biblical version of Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tape. The Israelite king lusts after and impregnates a beautiful woman who is married to one of his soldiers away at war.

“Ultimately, this story is about the abuse of power, all in the name of lust. The lust leads to adultery, murder, and brokenness,” wrote Liam Flynn, head editor at the Music Grotto website.
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Right from the beginning there were some truly weird moments in Trump’s song fest. As medics rushed to treat two audience members who had fainted, Trump requested that “Ave Maria” be played.

What was played was an instrumental version by a musical artist named “Rachel Conwell,” who has released several volumes of “Soothing Dog Sounds” albums intended to calm dogs down.

Too bad the town hall’s moderator, South Dakota Gov. Kristi “Cruella” Noem, didn’t have a “Soothing Dog Sounds” album before she shot and killed her “untrainable” and “aggressive” wirehaired pointer puppy Cricket. She might have ended up as Trump’s running mate instead of Ohio Sen. JD Vance. 

Trump then complained that they “gave me the `Ave Maria’ with no voice,” so he requested that Luciano Pavarotti’s version be played. Pavarotti sings in Italian, so the MAGA cultists had no idea that at one point the English translation of the lyrics reads:

My lost soul turns to you/ And full of repentment, humbles at your feet/ It invokes you and waits for the true peace/ That only you can give/ Ave Maria.

And that was followed by an operatic Italian song, first released in 1995, “Con te partiro” (“Time to Say Goodbye”) performed by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. We can only wish that time comes after Nov. 5. 

Both “Ave Maria” and “Time to Say Goodbye” are frequently played at funerals.

But Trump didn’t say goodbye quickly enough on Monday night. Instead, he lingered on stage doing his weird moves as eight more songs were played. Spotify put out a play list from Trump’s Pennsylvania party. Here are some of his selections:

— James Brown, “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” 

Here’s how the music website BeatCrave described the song:

At first glance, the title may seem to suggest male dominance and superiority. However, upon closer examination, “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” reveals a more nuanced message. It is an introspective commentary on the contributions and significance of women, particularly in the context of a male-dominated world. …

The song offers a poignant lesson about the world we live in by encouraging reflection on gender roles and the powerful contribution women make to society. It serves as a reminder to recognize and uplift the voices of women, ensuring a more equitable and inclusive world for all.

And that means electing Kamala Harris.

— The Village People, “Y.M.C.A.”

The only happy, upbeat song played during the song fest was Y,M.C.A., which MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell called “the gayest song any presidential candidate has ever decided to lose himself in. It’s somewhat incongruous to see Trump, Noem and the anti-woke mob trying to dance to a disco song that was adopted by the LGBTQ+ community as an anthem. 

Village People front man and co-founder Victor Willis (The Cop), who supports Harris, has given up on trying to stop Trump from using “Y.M.C.A.” 

Willis, in a statement to Billboard after the rally, said that he’s been “inundated with hundreds of complaints” about Trump’s use of the song. “Me, and the Village People as well, have in the past opposed Trump’s use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and we have made this very clear to him.”

But he acknowledged that Trump is “legally entitled” to play the song because he acquired a political use license from Willis’ performing rights company, BMI.

— Sinead O’Connor, Nothing Compares 2 U.”

At the rally, they played a music video of O’Connor performing her cover of Prince’s song about loneliness, longing and unrequited love. But to watch Trump preening and pumping his fists during the song — and Noem pointing her finger at him — Trump probably thinks the song ‘s title refers to himself. 

Back in March, the Irish singer’s estate asked Trump to stop using her music at campaign rallies. 

The BBC wrote:

A joint statement from O'Connor's estate and her longtime label Chrysalis Records said: "Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O'Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings.” …

"It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a 'biblical devil'."

And it's a strange choice for a candidate presumably trying to appeal to socially conservative Catholic voters in this swing state.

Back in 1992, O’Connor tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live” as she reached the end of an acapella version of Bob Marley’s “War” while singing the lyrics: “We have confidence in the victory of good over evil.” She then threw pieces of the picture toward the camera and declared, “Fight the real enemy.”

— Elvis Presley, ”American Anthology”

Now who could have imagined that someday the candidate representing the Party of Lincoln would play “Dixie,” the unofficial anthem of the pro-slavery, secessionist Confederacy. Even the University of Mississippi has banned playing “Dixie” at athletic events. What’s even more outrageous is that Trump played “Dixie” at a campaign event in a Pennsylvania town only 120 miles northeast of the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

“Dixie” was the first part  of Elvis' “American Trilogy” song medley that also includes “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” a marching hymn of the Union Army during the Civil War, and “All My Trials,”  an early 19th-century Southern gospel song that travelled to the Bahamas, where it survived as a lullaby.

— Guns  N’ Roses, “November Rain”

GNR singer Axl Rose has slammed Trump in social media posts for years. In a Fourth of July message in 2020, Rose began by writing:

“My disdain 4 r current administration n’ what I perceive as it’s threat to r democracy is no secret.” 

Rose has repeatedly requested that Trump stop playing GNR music at his rallies.

But Trump went ahead and played GNR’s “November Rain” in his songfest. It's a curious choice since the 1992 song that is linked to a music video that last year surpassed 2.2 billion views. And that video tells the depressing story of a rock star struggling to deal with the suicide of his girlfriend, who shot herself because of his infidelity.

It’s another song that’s played at funerals. Rose himself performed “November Rain” at the funeral for Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ daughter, at Graceland on Jan. 24, 2023.

— Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording, “Memory.”

Trump finally walked off stage to another song that’s popular at funerals — “Memory” from the hit Broadway musical “Cats.” Back in 2020, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s firm sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s campaign over using “Memory” at campaign rallies. Webber was acting on a request from Betty Buckley, who starred as Grizabella in the original 1982 Broadway production. 

“Memory” is sung by Grizabella (Buckley), the one-time glamour cat, who is described on the official “Cats” website as follows:

Grizabella is a sad and lonely cat, who spends her days lost in her memories of when she was young and adored. The older Jellicles remember her time in the tribe, and how she left them, so as she crawls back, begging forgiveness, many of them scratch and claw at her, turning their backs as she slinks slowly away. All alone in the moonlight, she reflects on her “Memory” of a happier time…

Buckley. who supports Harris, was upset to find out about Trump playing “Memory” again at his Pennsylvania rally when a fellow musical performer Kim Criswell wrote on her X page: “Pretty sure you’d like to throttle him for playing that recording after he’s been denied permission. Am I right, Betty?”

Buckley responded, “Yup. Awful…”

Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who quit the Trump administration immediately after Jan. 6 and has since endorsed Harris, explained in her tell-all book ”I’ll Take Your Questions Now” why Trump has “Memory “ played for him.

The New York Times, in a story about Grisham’s book, wrote:

At one point, she writes, Mr. Trump’s handlers designated an unnamed White House official known as the “Music Man” to play him his favorite show tunes, including “Memory” from “Cats,” to pull him from the brink of rage.

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Now, I have a song recommendation for Trump for his next song fest – The Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown.“  Of course, the Stones have also asked Trump not to play their songs at his rallies, but perhaps Mick and Keith could make an exception:

You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown