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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)