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If the theme song unveiled at the Republican National Convention last week sounded unfamiliar, it's because it still hasn't been released. Billy Ray Cyrus' recording of "We the People," which will appear on his upcoming Monument Records debut Southern Rain, was chosen by George W. Bush's campaign, even though the song isn't due for release until this fall.
The song, penned by songwriter Monty Powell, is Cyrus' third
collaboration with the man who wrote his previous hits "Could've
Been Me" and "Words By Heart." "When the head of my label played me
the song, he told me that Monty said that this is a hit for you.
When I heard it, it hit me like an anthem. And [label head Alan
Butler] wanted to make an event out of it. So we put
Waylon Jennings, Montgomery Gentry, Danny
Lee and Yankee Gray and John Anderson on it."
Cyrus says that despite the song's embrace from the George W. Bush
camp, he recorded it with country music's blue-collar sympathies
(rather than party politics) in mind. An ode to America's
workforce, the song job-checks the spectrum of bluecollar workers
who "run the country."
"I didn't record it to be either a Republican anthem or a Democrat
anthem or an Independent anthem. I just recorded it to be a working
people's anthem. It's to encourage people to go out and exercise
their right to vote. That's what makes this the greatest country in
the world to live in; we have the power to go out and elect our
officials. And if we don't vote, we aren't using our power."
According to Cyrus, Monument Records recently shipped advance
copies of the song to both the Republican and Democratic
presidential campaign camps. "From what I heard, Bush's campaign
manager heard it and within thirty minutes had contacted [Monument]
and said, 'We want this song for our anthem.' He heard it that
morning and by lunchtime they had lawyers on the phone working out
the details."
As for consumer release, Monument is now trying to find a way to
get the tune to the people as quickly as possible. Another song,
"You Won't Be Lonely Now," had already been chosen as the first
single from the album (due Oct. 17), and according to Monument
those plans won't change. But the label is planning to make a "We
the People" video. "I'm anxious for the album to get out because a
lot of radio stations are beating the door down at the record
company to get them a copy of it," Cyrus says.
ANDREW DANSBY
(August 10, 2000)