Six Times Musicians Told Antigay Politicians To Piss Off

This week, Survivor made headlines after one Kimberly Davis of Rowan County, KY used one of their songs — “Eye Of The Tiger” — as her freedom-America-homophobic anthem.

“The song has motivated thousands through the years to reach beyond their limits,” band co-founder Jim Peterik told Billboard. “Its use for the release of Kim Davis does not support my views or my politics.”

A few days later, out R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe had these words for one Donald Trump after Stipe learned Trump has been using “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at campaign rallies:

“Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you – you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men,” Stipe said in an email to The Daily Beast. “Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.”

How about we take this to the next level?

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We wanted to take a look back at the rich American tradition of musicians telling antigay, conservative politicians to — in Stipe’s poetic words — “go fuck yourselves.”

Here’s what we found:

Survivor to Newt Gingrich: Stop playing “Eye of the Tiger”

Survivor must be having the worst kind of de ja vu with this Kim Davis nonsense.

Here’s Newt Gingrich making his waddling entrance to the 2011 CPAC convention to the tune of, that’s right, “Eye of the Tiger”:

Survivor member Frankie Sullivan sued, and Gingrich settled for an undisclosed amount.

Heart to Sarah Palin: Stop playing “Barracuda”

Palin burst onto the political scene in 2008 with the help of Heart’s 1977 rock classic “Barracuda.”

The band issued this statement:

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

Tom Petty and Katrina and the Waves to Michele Bachman: Stop playing “American Girl” and “Walking on Sunshine”

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Queen of antigay rhetoric Michele Bachman tried to co-op these American Classics into her batshit crazy campaign. Clearly the tunes weren’t enough to convince voters she had anything redeemable to offer the nation.

Silversun Pickups to Mitt Romney: Stop playing “Panic Switch”

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Mitt Romney trying to gain indie cred is like Queerty trying to gain cred with any of the above politicians.

Here’s what Silversun Pickups had to say to Mitt:

“We don’t like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don’t like the Romney campaign,” singer and guitarist Brian Aubert said in a statement. “We’re nice, approachable people. We won’t bite. Unless you’re Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that ‘Panic Switch’ really sends the message he intends.”