Vote!

a song about voting

Hi all,

Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Vote Song”, by GoNoodle. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. 

Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1. 

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Voting badge, circa 1960s. Seattle municipal archives (Wikimedia Commons)

(526 words)

Today, we look at a song by GoNoodle that teaches children why it’s important to vote.

In the U.S., there are three branches different parts to the government, called branches. The Legislative Branch makes the laws. It’s made up of two groups, the House of Representatives, which is responsible for spending money, and the Senate, which writes laws. Together, they are called the Congress.

The Executive Branch makes sure that the laws are followed. The President is in charge of this branch.

Finally, the Judicial Branch is in charge of deciding what laws mean and if they are fair. It includes judges and the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country.

The first line of the song is playing with the words “in the house”. One meaning is “here”. Another meaning is “House of Representatives”. That’s why they say, “And the Senate”, meaning democracy is in both parts of the Legislative Branch.

Democracy in the house
And the Senate
Raise up your hands and
You better take a stand (decide on an issue) and
You can make a game plan
The future is in your hands

Back in the day (a long time ago) we had kings and queens
We had to beg them if we wanted anything
A dictator doesn't get elected that's autocracy
The people are in charge here, let's hear it for democracy

Why is it important to vote? Because it’s a way to say (express) the direction in which you want the country to go or the policies you want the country to follow. If you don’t vote, other people will decide things, and they may not be the things you want.
Your beliefs really matter it’s important to express ‘em
Voting’s the best way to profess ‘em
If nobody votes, then a few will decide 

(photo: unsplash)

In the U.S., people have the right to vote when they turn 18. However, you have to register to vote. It’s not automatic as it is in Japan and other countries.

You can vote for the government when you turn eighteen
But before that you can still vote for other things
Class president, or your favorite TV shows,
What you eat for lunch, or the greatest sports pros
Your voice can be heard all you gotta do is use it
Tell a politician what you think
I bet they listen to it
Kids these days have a lot to say
And the world of tomorrow is created today 

Do you have a point of view?
Who is reppin it? This means “Who is representing your opinion in your government?”

Do you see my vote dance?
Yeah, I’m high steppin it! (I’m dancing my steps.)
Do you wanna be the one who didn't speak up? 

Did you ever think, “Hey, who made that rule?”
Voting is democracy’s most powerful tool
Read about the issues and choose a favorite candidate
You may be a kid, but I know that you can handle it. 

Wherever you are in the world, if you have the right to vote, you should use it because it is your chance to say which way you want your country to go.

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Question:

Do you think it’s important to vote? Why or why not?

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Vocabulary

legislative branch 立法府
house of representatives 下院
senate 上院
executive branch 行政府
judicial branch 司法府
democracy 民主主義
beg 頼む,強請る
dictator 独裁者
autocracy 独裁政治
profess 公言する
pros (professionals) 専門家
politician 政治家
represent 代表する
candidate  候補者
you can handle it　あなたならできます