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lyrics

Religious man from Ohio
Last President to fight in the Civil War
Loved the gold standard
Raised tariffs higher than they'd ever been before
Took care of sick wife Ida
Said destiny was in God's hands (oh yeah)
Twice he defeated the charismatic speaker William Jennings Bryan
Believed in Manifest Destiny
But didn't want to be labeled an expansionist
Unknowingly sparked the beginning of U.S. imperialism
The Spanish American War
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guam, The Philippines
Were taken and soon it would seem the U.S. empire achieved its dream

William McKinley striked gold
Didn't know bad things would unfold
William McKinley was bold
Influenced by lies they told

First not expansionist
Later imperialist
Hawaii, Philippines, Panama Canal
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, Boxer Rebellion
Justify it, by saying it's "God's will"

He freed the colonies from Spain
Then ordered them under U.S. control
He never wanted wars of conquest but public pressure would change his mind

Helped the country gain power
But assassinated in his second term
And his vice TR would soon do much more than was ever done before

credits

from The Presidents of the United States of America (Volume 2), track released February 20, 2012
Matt Beat

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Electric Needle Room Lawrence, Kansas

Electric Needle Room are an indie pop band based in Lawrence, Kansas. It is mostly a solo project for Matt Beat, but his brother, Steven Beat, also helps with percussion. Emcee DL, Bryan Poole, Dave Thomas, and Chris Huggard have all helped the band with live performances throughout its history. ... more

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