From ‘Michael D Rockin’ in the Dáil’ to ‘The Alan Kelly Rap’ – the great election songs of our time

Ruairí Quinn, a former leader of the Labour Party and cabinet minister, was not too proud to have cars blaring out Bob Dylan’s personalised tribute: “You ain’t seen nothing like the Mighty Quinn.”

The adapting of a pop song for political purposes reached its zenith in 1997 when Quinn’s counterparts in the British Labour Party saw Tony Blair swept into No10 on the promise that “Things can only get better” by D:Ream.

The refrain has echoed – when soggy Rishi Sunak was calling the British election in the Downing Street rain last month he was also being drowned by that self-same song from outside the gates at the end.

Ever since that song’s success there have been complaints about songs being pinched for political purposes – and right-on bands disassociating themselves and demanding that their art not be used by tawdry politicians.

In Ireland the use of political songs sometimes also brings a chorus of disapproval, mainly because of their dire nature.

One of the most derided was also one of the most successful. “Arise and follow Charlie” told Fianna Fáilers to block out whatever nasty things they might hear from the Dublin meeja and to trust in the Chieftain, leader of the Soldiers of Destiny.

Vote him 1, vote 2, vote him anyway – make the diff and vote him in, it’s Michael Healy-Rae

Remarkably, however, the melodies lingered on, right to our own time. One Labour Party leader outdid Ruairí Quinn with a personalised anthem designed to show that he was down with the youth.

The Alan Kelly Rap from 2009 is still legendary, along with its assertion that he has “a mind like MacGyver”, an America TV hero who used scientific methods to avoid certain doom – but unfortunately Mr Kelly was no match for his own massed colleagues when they came for his head.

Remarkably, The Rubberbandits made a music video to go along with their Song for Willie O’Dea in aid of the popular Fianna Fáil TD.

The Saw Doctors up the road released a song called Michael D Rockin’ in the Dáil about our current first citizen, who currently is rockin’ in the Phoenix Park. “He was the King of the Arts, Michael D”. There was a speeded-up bit that might have helped generate the Miggledy nickname.

One also can’t ignore the anthem Make the Diff which urged people to “vote him 1, vote 2, vote him anyway – make the diff and vote him in, it’s Michael Healy-Rae”.

And a singer called Pierce Buckley composed a song for a prominent Tipperary TD, now leader of the Rural Independent Group, entitled Mattie’s Anthem. It goes: “Toor-ai-ah, Mattie McGrath… Our guy, your guy, Mattie McGrath.”

So there you are. Who said politics was showbusiness for ugly people?

Many of the above Top of the Pols are available on YouTube. Listen in order of your preference.