"Police On My Back": My Playlist For Today's "Teachable Moment" at the White House

Today's the day that President Obama will attempt to share a "teachable moment" with Sgt. James Crowley and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. I'm not sure what food and beverage will be served -- I'll leave that up to the White House Mess. But we all know there's nothing like some good tunes to really set the right mood.

In order to avoid any awkward teachable moments, I've intentionally left off some more provocative police songs from N.W.A. or Body Count, and even "I Shot The Sheriff" by Bob Marley & The Wailers and "Piggies" by those dangerous gangsta rockers The Beatles.

So here's my playlist for a "Teachable Moment." Please reply with your far more arresting ideas for some songs to really get this potentially uncomfortable party of three started.

"Police On My Back" - The Clash
"State Trooper" - Bruce Springsteen
"Gee, Office Krupke" - West Side Story
"Sound Of Da Police" - KRS-One
"Dream Police" - Cheap Trick
"Don't Stand So Close To Me" - The Police
"Everyday People" - Sly & The Family Stone
"Karma Police" - Radiohead
"Build Your Own Prison" - The Boxmasters
"Let's Stay Together" - Al Green
"Jailhouse Rock" - Elvis Presley
"Authority Song" - John Mellencamp
"I Fought The Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four

And let's not forget "Mr. Policeman." Who's that one by, you ask? Rick James, bitch.

Comments

[icastico]

Seems like some Fela needs to be in there...

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and The Egypt 70
Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense?

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and The Africa 70
Authority Stealing?

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and The Africa 70
I Go Shout Plenty?

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and The Africa 70
Opposite People?

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and The Africa 70
Before I Jump like Monkey Give Me Banana? ;^)

[MikaS]

We need a new playlist topic!

[keene]

It Take Two-Rob Bass

BETTER YET, listen to the original whcih this was sampled from . One of my all time favorite songs and which Crowley, Gates, Obama and Biden should have gotten down to. Now THAT would have been a teachable moment- the great Lyn Collins' THINK.

Here it is. Now listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiqxkdhzi_M

[learntofly]

You Learn - Alanis Morissette
Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd
Learning to Fly - Tom Petty
Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
Teach your Children - Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Teach Me Tonight - Amy Winehouse

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Good educational messages, learntofly

[countfloyd]

Say it Loud - I'm Black an I'm Proud - James Brown
White Discussion - Live
Framed - Cheech and Chong
Living For The City - Stevie Wonder
Know Your Rights - The Clash

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

More Clash!

To me Stevie Wonder gets any party going, with or without beer, thanks.

[Raiderfan0524]

I was going to say "Know Your Rights". I love that record.
If we're going with more Clash, we could also say "Police and Thieves".
You could also go with KRS-One's "Black Cop" if you really wanted to stretch it.

[kapalabhati]

Ball of Confusion: The Temps

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Powerful comment, kickass song

[kapalabhati]

That's what the world is today, hey hey.

[RobinSeattle]

A few More:

"What's Your Name?" Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Clampdown" The Clash
"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" The Beatles
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" ABBA
"Invaders" Iron Maiden
"Who Are You?" The Who
"Mr. Big Stuff" Jean Knight

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

More Clash!

[RobinSeattle]

I haven't read any of the responses yet, but here are my selections (I hope there aren't many repeats):

"Teacher I Need You" Elton John
"Black and White" Three Dog Night
"Badge" Cream
"For What It's Worth" Buffalo Springfield
"Talk Talk" The Music Machine
"Let 'em In" Paul McCartney
"....And Justice for All" Metallica
"Raw Power" The Stooges
"Our House" Crosby, Stills and Nash
"Show Me" The Pretenders
"Why Can't We be Friends?" War

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

"Let "Em In" -- funny and what an upbeat take on the subject
Thanks

[Forsetti]

Guilty-Gravity Kills
Never Been Any Reason-Head East
You've Got Another Thing Coming-Judas Priest
It Take Two-Rob Bass
A Stranger in My House-Tamia
The Violence of Truth-The The
Don't Come Around Here No More-Tom Petty
Breaking the Law-Judas Priest

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Oddly, I never heard "Never Heard Any Reason" until last year -- must not have gotten much airplay on New York radio, but I did its Midwestern Arena Rock Vibe
Love the Petty too

[a m l]

More than "Police on my Back", I'd think of the Clash's cover of "Police and Thieves" (originally a Reggae song by Junior Murvin) in which describes the increasing aggression of both sides being directed against the citizenry instead of each other.

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

It's funny how the Clash seemed to thrive when dealing with songs of crime and punishment.

[kapalabhati]

Two words: Margaret Thatcher.

[stevefromkelso]

I fought the law---Bobby Fuller four
I hear you knocking----Dave Edmunds
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer---George Thorogood ( I know he wasn't the original )
Give peace a chance----Plastic Ono band

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Had "I Fought The Law" on my list, but "I Hear You Knocking Is Good."

[jhamm1]

"Delicious Donuts" - Mr D., The Letter People
"Givin' Up, Givin In" - The Three Degrees
"All This Time" -Tiffany
"Crime of Passion" - Duran Duran
"That's What Love Is For" - Amy Grant
"More Than Words" - Extreme

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Very interesting, jhamm1. May I ask, where did you grow up?
I thought I was the only Three Degrees fan around here.

Thanks so much!

[jhamm1]

Thanks.

In response to your queiry, the city in question would be Columbus, Ohio, a largely conservative city with reasonably varied musical tastes.

[Forsetti]

I haven't had the time to read all the comments so I apologize for any repeats.

Welcome To My Nightmare-Alice Cooper
Set Me Free-ATC
I Heard a Rumor-Bananarama
No More Words-Berlin
In The Middle of the Night-Billy Joel
Paranoid-Black Sabbath
Shakedown-Bob Seger
Our House-Madness
Don't Be Cruel-Elvis
Gimmie Some Slack-The Cars
Couldn't Get it Right-Climax Blues Band
Under Pressure-David Bowie and Queen
Something In My House-Dead or Alive
Walking In My Shoes-Depeche Mode
World in My Eyes-Depeche Mode
Land of Confusion-Genesis
Watching the Detectives-Elvis Costello
This is the House-Eurythmics
One Thing Leads to Another-The Fixx
It Wasn't Me-George Thorogood

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Wow, I thought I was one of the few "Gimme Some Slack" fans out there.
"Watching the Detectives" -- funny in this context
Thanks

[Absolon]

Holy sheep sh*t! I swear, I actually had a tee-shirt with the phrase "I want to shake like Liguardia" printed upon it. My sis' would not be seen with me when I wore it!
I always though that Panorama was completely misunderstood and waaaaaay underplayed. Listen to Easton's screaming guitars all over that album; especially at the end of "Panorama" and "Cruiser." God help me, but all these years later....
"I (STILL) want to float like Euripides!"

[OttoMann]

"Many Rivers To Cross" - Jimmy Cliff
"It Doesn't Have To Be That Way" - Jim Croce
"Can We Still Be Friends?" - Todd Rundgren
"(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon
"What Kinda Guy?" - Steve Forbert
"Right Between The Eyes" - Graham Nash ("A man's a man who looks a man right between the eyes")
"Two Of Us" - The Beatles
"Come On In My Kitchen" - Robert Johnson
"From Now On" - Supertramp

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Good ones OttoMann, especially good call with Graham Nash -- who is the nicest man on earth, and in his group, probably has to be.

[JeffmChicago]

Person to Person - Average White Band
Hail To The Wrong - Chaka Khan
You Met Your Match - Marc Broussard
Talk To Me - Anita Baker
You're Welcome, Stop On By - Bobby Womack
Turn It Into Something Good - Earth Wind & Fire
Yes We Can Can - Pointer Sisters
Wake Me Up On Judgement Day - Steve Winwood
Can We Still Be Friends - Robert Palmer

[David Wild - Huffpost Blogger]

Jeff, love you songs, but can we go for "Friends" by its writer, the great Todd Rundgren, instead?

[JeffmChicago]

All right by me. I like Todd Rundgren, I don't listen to him enough. Might just go and check out some of his stuff I hadn't listen to in a long time.

[Absolon]

"The great Todd Rundgren" is right!! The first time I saw Todd live and heard "10th Lowest Common Denominator," I felt like I'd been present for the creation of man. After that illuminating show, I was crushed and blue thinking of all the Todd shows I never saw......I still wince thinking about it.
Everyone who sees Todd live becomes a convert. Go see the dude!!!!