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How Barack Obama inspired the defining song of 2009: “Impossible not to get swept up”
The Drums wrote ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ on the day Barack Obama won the 2008 US presidential election, with the band later saying the national mood of excitement inspired its buoyant sound. The song became a defining snapshot of millennial optimism, capturing the belief that Obama’s promised “hope and change” could bring a fresh start.
Guitarist Jacob Graham said people could hardly avoid being swept up in the election, while singer Jonathan Pierce described the preceding eight years as feeling like being “in prison”. Lyrics about a “new kid” moving into the “big house” point to Obama’s arrival at the White House. The article contrasts the song’s hopeful mood with the more complicated legacy of Obama’s presidency, including his expanded use of drone strikes and the later dismantling of the Affordable Care Act.
In short
- Obama’s 2008 election inspired The Drums to write ‘Let’s Go Surfing’.
- The song captured widespread optimism about political change.
- Its hopeful mood now feels bittersweet against Obama’s contested legacy.
Explained simply
Barack Obama won the US presidential election in November 2008, promising “hope and change” after eight years under George W Bush. His election brought a sense of possibility for many supporters, particularly younger voters.
The Drums are an American indie pop band whose members include guitarist Jacob Graham and singer Jonathan Pierce. Their song “Let’s Go Surfing” drew on the excitement surrounding the election; its lyrics about a “new kid” arriving at the “big house” refer to Obama moving into the White House.
The song became associated with millennial optimism, though Obama’s presidency had a more complicated record. It included an expanded use of drone strikes, while the Affordable Care Act, his major health reform, later faced efforts to dismantle it.