The new They Might Be Giants single, "Who Are The Electors?", is a pop-rock civics lesson that belongs up there with "I'm Just A Bill" from Schoolhouse Rock. As the band explained in their newsletter:
Please note this song is FACT-BASED and does not represent They Might Be Giants' personal views on the Electoral College system. No one is sure how long we can all go along with presidents being elected in spite of losing the popular vote, but right now it seems we should dance with the Constitution that brought us.
The song originally debuted on CNN this past August, but somehow, I missed it then; luckily, the band just re-released it as a single. I particularly enjoy how it straddles the line between their kid-friendly output, and their standard adult pop-rock fare. It truly belongs in both sets!
Here are the lyrics, so you can sing along:
Who are the electors?
They're the ones who elect
The ones that you vote for
Who will vote in your stead
You signal your choice, you give them your trust
But it's up to them, and not up to us
We're only the voters
They are the electors
The Electoral College, explained
The Electoral College, explained
In article two of the US constitution
The framers spelled out how the chief executive is chosen
They laid out the rules for elections
They wanted a system that would be free from corruption
The winner would be chosen by an unaligned delegation without partisan affiliation
They're called the electors because they elect
They're like our protectors, adding one extra step
You signal your choice, you give them your trust
But it's up to them, and not up to us
We're only the voters
They are the electors
Every state gets a number of electors that's exactly the same
As the number of senators and representatives they claim
Plus three added on for DC
They are the electors
All five hundred and thirty eight
They are the electors
Giving smaller states extra weight
You signal your choice
You give them your trust
But it's up to them, and not up to us
We're only the voters
They are the electors
