WE ARE...WE SAY
(To the tune of "I Am...I Said", a Top Five hit record for Neil in 1971.)
L.A.'s fine,
the party will shine, our turn this time
and we'll get our momentum back.
Support for us grows,
Republican rankings will be low.
Yes you know I keep thinkin' 'bout
makin' our way back.
Well, our party's philosophy is with what I was born and raised,
but for awhile, our candidates lost in places between two shores.
L.A.'s fine, as delegates come from their homes.
Their homes will be fine, as Democrats win once more.
"We are," we say
to everyone there.
And everyone will hear it all,
Even the RNC chair.
"We are," we plea.
"We are," say we.
This race won't be lost,
And I can even say why,
We have work to do still.
Did you ever read about a politician who thought he was a king?
Well, except for the names and a few other changes,
You can talk about the Republicans,
The story's the same one.
But we've got an excitement deep inside.
And we've tried, but it won't let us go.
And though the Republicans may make us start to swear,
We really like the thought of being number one.
"We are," we say
to everyone there.
And everyone will hear it all,
Even the RNC chair.
"We are," we plea.
"We are," say we.
This race won't be lost,
And I can even say why,
We have work to do still.
The story behind this one:
This was written for the 2000 (pronounced "twenty hundred") Democratic National Convention, which was in Los Angeles. I am a Democrat, in case you couldn't tell. Neil Diamond has been known to lean towards the Democratic Party, too (although he is not the reason that I'm a Democrat). I saw Neil perform at a fundraiser for the 1972 Democratic Presidential nominee, George McGovern, on October 15, 1972, in Rockville, MD. On the T.V. show "GMTV" aired on November 13, 1992, in the United Kingdom, Neil expressed support for Democrat Bill Clinton, who had just been elected President. Incidentally, the chairman of the Democratic Party in Berkeley County, South Carolina, is named Neil J. Diamond. ("Our" Neil is Neil L. Diamond.)
For a parody I did about the 2000 Republican National Convention, which was in Philadelphia, see (They're Coming To) Philadelphia.