The song “Dear Mr President” performed and written by Pink is the fifth title on the album “I´m Not Dead”. In Germany the song appeared on the 27th April 2007. In the USA it was just a part of the album and never released as a single. It´s a slow ballad in the form of an open letter to George W. Bush, the then president. The song has eight verses and the refrain is repeated twice.
The listener’s attention is immediately aroused by the first words, which are “Dear Mr President, …”. I think the listener looks forward to the song and then realizes that it is about a serious matter. In this way the audience can relax but must listen carefully to understand each verse. In the first verse Pink asks the president to take a walk with her so she can ask him some questions. It´s very important to her that they talk honestly with each other and she suggests pretending that they are both just human and neither is better than the other. She tries to open his eyes by confronting him with questions like: What do you feel when you see all the homeless people on the street? What do you feel when you look in a mirror? Are you proud? The following lines ask how he can sleep while the rest of us are crying and need help, how he can sleep while so many people need desperate help and he says that America has no problems with the economy. They also imply he has let bad things happen to people and his country and ask how he can live with saying he is a good person. Pink asks him how he walks with his head held high, how he can be so proud while there are so many poor and homeless people sleeping on the streets. She wants to take the president to task and wants to know if he is able to look her in her eye while he explains his reasons for doing nothing.
Were you a lonely boy? Are you a lonely boy? These questions point out how he is surrounded by people but wonder if he has any true friends. The fourth verse points out that Bush said he would provide equal opportunities for all children, which was a lie. Instead he made it harder for certain races, communities and so on. Furthermore, the song is about how Bush is against women´s rights to make their own choices about their own bodies, for example by having an abortion, and how he is against homosexuals. Pink thinks the first lady is to be pitied because she disagrees with choices her husband makes but she has no power over him. The bridge “let me tell you about hard work” is basically a shout to Bush, telling him there are so many people out there working their asses off and not getting anything in return and he is doing nothing about it, and he doesn´t know the meaning of real work.
At the end of the song Pink returns to the initial walk and concludes that he would never go even a few steps with her. Well actually there is an open end – Pink gives him one more chance, a chance to return.
Because of the important and impressive lyrics, the musical accompaniment is secondary. A simplistic guitar accompaniment, many chords and some powerful sounds, that´s it. Moreover Pink´s voice is perfectly suited to interpreting such a serious topic and she has the courage to look the truth in the eye.
This song is a good way to reach a person who is on the fringes of “normal” society. Pink uses her song to express feelings in the name of the people and demands an answer. Broadcast on the radio, the song reaches everyone.
The Rostock Review 