Executive Privilege

This is the third of a series of 14 short posts which illustrate the tracks from the forthcoming album The Mint Hotel. The songs on the album are inspired by the 'Beat' generation of writers, artists and revolutionaries working from the 1950s to the early 1970s, providing an alternative view of the 'wholesome' American society advertisers and politicians wanted you to see. Each post features a piece of artwork related to the song, created using Artificial Intelligence software; and also an explanation of the inspiration for that song.

During the 1972 Watergate scandal, President Richard M. Nixon attempted to invoke ‘Executive Privilege’ as his reason for withholding secret tapes he had made of private conversations in the Oval Office - conversations which would have implicated him in a web of corruption and lies. He was eventually pardoned and allowed to live a long and untroubled life outside of politics without criminal charges. But he was never the same man.

In this song, he’s past-it, depressed and friendless, living on a California beach, and his woman has had enough of him. His ‘executive privilege’ has run out.

Vocals by Sula Mae.