Today We Celebrate... Music for a King

The great Stevie Wonder played a pivotal role in getting Dr. King's Birthday declared a national holiday. He wrote this song, "Happy Birthday" as an anthem for the cause. Here's the track with a bit of King speaking dubbed on top. The singing starts at about 1:30.



Public Enemy's savage declaration of defiance in the desert, "By The Time I Get to Arizona"



This is U2 performing live at today's inauguration party, on the very spot where Martin Luther King said "I have a dream…" The bands plays "Pride (in the name of love)," a song that is, duh, about Dr. King. The appearance is, really, a little cheesy and more than little presumptuous. U2 are Irish and everything. We also could argue with Bono whether inaugurating Obama really means that King's "dream has come to pass." But, whatever. This is no time to quibble. It's a neat moment. Watch it now before HBO gets it yanked for copyright infringement.



Finally, the wonderful Marvin Gaye covering Dion's lovely "Abraham, Martin and John," and almost crying into the mic. Lovely stuff.