James K. Polk (song)
| "James K. Polk" | |
|---|---|
| Song by They Might Be Giants from the album Istanbul (Not Constantinople) | |
| Released | May 14, 1990 |
| A-side | "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 03:16 |
| Label | Elektra |
| Writer(s) |
John Flansburgh Matthew Hill John Linnell |
| Composer(s) | John Flansburgh John Linnell |
| Producer(s) | They Might Be Giants |
| Istanbul (Not Constantinople) track listing | |
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"James K. Polk" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, about the United States president of the same name. Originally released in 1990 as a B-side to the single "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", its first appearance on a studio album was 1996's Factory Showroom. It also appeared on their compilation albums Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants and A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants. The song is about James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States, beginning with a description of the 1844 Democratic National Convention and going on to cover some of the highlights of Polk's presidency. Although the band set out to write a song consisting entirely of historical facts, it includes a few errors or misstatements.
The Factory Showroom re-recording of "James K. Polk" includes an interlude featuring Julian Koster playing a musical saw. The song has become a fan favorite and is frequently played live, although the band has expressed antipathy towards Polk himself; John Flansburgh has described Polk as "evil".
According to John Flansburgh, John Linnell wrote "James K. Polk" with Matthew Hill, a childhood friend of theirs and a history buff. The concept for the song came from a conversation the two had about writing a song that was based entirely in fact. They were specifically drawn to James K. Polk due to his relative obscurity despite his tremendous influence during his presidency. They proceeded to write the song despite personal disagreement with Polk's policies as president. Flansburgh speculated that if they had included their opinion that Polk was "evil", it would have defeated the purpose of writing a song of pure fact.
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