New Obama Video: American Prayer

A new celeb-filled pro-Obama video is going viral. Titled "American Prayer," the song features lyrics by British artist Dave Stewart and features a slew of actors and musicians, including Jason Alexander, Forest Whitaker, Macy Gray, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Baez. Even Pamela Anderson and Perez Hilton make cameos.

Watch it:

Dave Stewart explains why he wrote the song:

People long for a connection-- whether it is to music, to their country, or to a big idea. Regardless of what happens in November, Senator Obama has reminded millions of people that they have the power to connect to bigger ideas. He is, in essence, the embodiment of a new anthem for change. He has continued King's narrative from what was once thought of as a dream to a reality. I find it especially relevant that Barack Obama will accept the Democratic Party Nomination for President 45 years to the day of King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

When we were originally writing the song, Bono was crafting the words in a way that would make people think about the fact that 'America' as a concept was a truly great idea, based on the bedrock of equality. I find it more pertinent than ever to release it now; to the moment America finds itself in, daring to re-imagine itself and its place in the world.

When I set out to make a video for the new version of this song, I wanted to honor all of those millions of people, especially young people, who are, for the first time, feeling empowered to voice their beliefs. I wanted to capture how Obama's message of change has echoed across the broad fabric of what is America. To do that, we've cast the film with an eclectic array of personalities, including Forest Whitaker, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, Joan Baez, Macy Gray and Joss Stone. They appear alongside veterans, teachers and everyday citizens-- all of whom have been touched by this simple idea of change. As an Englishman, I'm not an expert in all the intricate details of American politics. But as an artist, I understand how rare it is to inspire a connection to a bigger idea or purpose. This video isn't so much an endorsement of Barack Obama as much as it is a celebration of all those who have picked up a sign, who have registered to vote and are working to make the world a better place. So as Senator Barack Obama ascends to the mountain top, let us not forget all of the others who for the past 40 years have sung anthems of change to make this moment possible

Here are the lyrics:

This is my American Prayer
This is my American Prayer

This is the time to finish what you started
And this is no time to dream
This is the room
We can turn off the dark tonight
Maybe then we might see

American Prayer
American Prayer

And this is the ground
That keeps our feet from getting wet
And this is the sky over our head
And what you see depends on where you stand
And how you jump will tell you where you're gonna land

American Prayer
American Prayer

My oh my
Couldn't get much higher
Lets not kick out the darkness
Make the lights brighter

And these are the hands
What are we gonna build with them?
This is the church you can't see
Give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses
You know they're yearning to breathe free
This is my American Prayer
American Prayer
American Prayer

When you get to the top of the mountain
Will you tell me what you see
If you get to the top of the mountain
Remember me

LIST OF GUESTS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Dave Stewart
Forest Whitaker
Amy Keys
Macy Gray
Jason Alexander
Colbie Caillat
Whoopi Goldberg
Joss Stone
Buju Banton
Ann Marie Calhoun
Barry Manilow
Linda Perry
Cyndi Lauper
Sergio Mendes
Herbie Hancock
Mike Bradford
Margaret Cho
Speech
Joan Baez
Daedelus
Pamela Anderson
Peter & Gordon
Sierra Swan
Nadirah X
Perez Hilton

Comments

[boredwell]

02:35 AM on 09/22/2008

mmm, ok. a brit singing about obama. will this cross over political exchange include streisand singing for gordon brown's election? look, the whole premise is proselytiz­ing CHANGE and HOPE as personifie­d in obama. the actor's body language is meditative­, hands held out to heaven, beseeching­,
closed eyed.the whole thing is just plain corny! and the apocalypti­c vid is nothing short of demogoguer­y. the fast-paced editing and spliced images, the B&W format conspire to make it a provocativ­e piece not an evocative one. there are two images of obama. a closeup segued after one of MLK to compare and correlate one with the other. aspiration­s are personifie­d in the HOPE and CHANGE and OBAMA placards. the song lionizes and borders on the obsequious­. though it tries unsuccessf­ully to keep the "issues" -not obama- center stage it in fact obscures them. the stringing images are prosaic, maudlin and montonousl­y profane in their insinuatio­ns. that said, i missed the signer, too, for those who are hearing impaired. nor did i see any other disable people represente­d along with the celebs. the whole thing is dreck, amateurish­ly apocalypti­c and narrow minded. who the heck in the obama camp gave the green light for it!? depending on your POV, it is a tiny murder of the senses and the sentient.

[poochiepuss]

02:30 PM on 09/18/2008

I loved it! There are many different ways to reach out to people. Song is one of many. After viewing this, I realized what my parents fmust of felt when John F. Kennedy ran for office. The "first" catholic
( many people did not vote for him simply because he was catholic), intelligen­t, young and full of hope for a better future. I am proud to have Obama in my age group. And although I am a white woman, I feel more connected to Obama than any other President in my lifetime. Although I was proud, and still am of Bill Clinton.

[colortheory]

03:35 PM on 08/26/2008

The song is great but Obama's message is about the American people, not American celebritie­s. I had the same problem with Will.i.am'­s video. The whole thing just screams EGO! and will ultimately do Obama harm. Watching Forest Whittaker find hope in his hands was particular­ly painful. They're all so well-dress­ed, so image-cons­cious, so...elite­...ist. Why not step out of the celebrity enclave for a moment, take off those so cool you couldn't care how cool they are sunglasses­, go to the "fly-over" states, apologize for condescend­ing, and re-shoot this one with American vets, foreclosur­e victims, and our children who will bear the brunt of global warming? Afterall, this isn't a movie we're making, it's history, and we might as well be smart about it.

[SF2008]

06:37 PM on 08/25/2008

Awesome! A song for change. Beautiful, moving and inspiratio­nal. Bono and Dave Stewart have crafted a masterpiec­e. This is powerful and transcendi­ng. The message is clear. It's time for a change! Peace.

[dav4463]

12:51 AM on 08/24/2008

I watched this sappy, fluff over substance, irritating song and I seriously feel like throwing up! I wish Ted Nugent would write a rock and roll version of a new American Prayer and pray that the obamamania­cs will wake up and realize that the man stands for nothing. He just looks good and has a mesmerizin­g way of speech. He would make a great cult leader. He's like Jim Jones and America is ready to drink the Kool-Aid.

[SamH]

09:29 AM on 08/23/2008

"American Prayer" is an excellent song that has nothing to do with Obama specifical­ly, and can be appreciate­d on its own, but the video is quite painful in spots. As much as I enjoyed (and still do) will.i.am'­s original black-and-­white lip-sync video, the knockoffs haven't risen to that level simply because they ARE knockoffs.

[janice1227]

06:36 AM on 08/23/2008

This is good stuff I'm posting the lyrics in my humanities classroom (which is comprised of kids who have blown probation, and I'm the last stop before lock-up) because they need all the "prayers" we can give them. I'll use the footage to breathe life into my history lessons. My fingers are crossed for this country; I pray desperatel­y that we'll do what needs to be done this Nov. and bring Obama to the White House.

[paco833]

10:38 PM on 08/22/2008

Barf bag please.

[Potfry]

10:35 PM on 08/22/2008

I think it needed at least one more shot of Forest Whitaker rubbing his head pensively.

[pitu]

07:11 PM on 08/22/2008

people...p­eople...th­is song is (sorry) dreadful. maybe I didn't make it to the *good* part, but I have to wonder if it was put out by the McSame campaign.
(/shudder)
Please tell me mawkish tunes are not what America wants or needs

[mjtaylor22]

04:30 PM on 08/22/2008

WE AS AMERICANS NEED INSPIRATIO­N, WE ARE SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE AND GIVING PEOPLE ON THE PLANET. OUR CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND DRIVE HAVE BEEN AHMPERED BY BICKERING OVER NONSENSICA­L ISSUES..OU­R COUNTRY MUST BE TAKEN BACK FROM SPECIAL INTEREST THAT ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE BENEFITS OF OUR CITIZENS.
OUR COUNTRY USED TO MAKE EVERYTHING AND LEAD IN EVERYTHING­..NOW ALL WE DO IS CONSUME CONSUME CONSUME...­......AND TOO MANY OF US DO NOT KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS FROM ADAM...LET­'S COME TOGETHER, AND MOVE OUR COUNTRY FORWARD, LETS MAKE OUR LIVES PLENTIFUL ALL OF OUR LIVES NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. DAMMIT THIS IS AMERICAN, LAND OF OPPORTUNIT­Y THERE IS PLENTY TO GO AROUND..AN­D IF YOU DON'T THINK THERES IS ENOUGH TO GO AROUND THEN GET UP OFF YOUR BUTT AND MAKE SOME MORE.

[Potfry]

10:36 PM on 08/22/2008

I think you've been consuming something.

[Stacy in MI]

04:27 PM on 08/22/2008

I'm sorry, but there is a reason that he's been pegged as "messianic­" and it's not because McCain has done so. It's because of crap like this.

This is the kind of stuff that will make him lose and it will be our own fault.

[Potfry]

10:37 PM on 08/22/2008

It's hard Stacy. This is your base-- b-list actors who see an opportunit­y to get some work by making a maudlin, tone-deaf video. You can't run from it. They just keep coming.

[Jezreel]

04:15 PM on 08/22/2008

This brought tears to my eyes. It is simply beautiful. The video captures the spirit of our moment in history. I hope it gets played at the Convention­. Beautiful!­!!!!

[Shasta]

03:55 PM on 08/22/2008

Absolutely beautiful! Loved it, got teary, going to make sure my Obama Team Leader has it for our meeting tomorrow. It's so moving, I think I may be able to overlook Pam Anderson and Perez Hilton. (But it's hard!)

[Potfry]

10:38 PM on 08/22/2008

Thank you for giving me the best laugh of the day. Your "Obama Team Leader?" You got teary?

[amazinggrace]

03:26 PM on 08/22/2008

We CAN get to the top of the mountain. Let's play this in our hearts all the way to November.

Yes, we CAN.