People have written songs about leaders at the federal and state level for generations. It’s one thing to have an elementary school teacher write a propaganda song about you and another thing to have a nonprofit write a tune about your (failed) signature legislation.
But it’s a whole new level of excitement and honor when a pair of brothers who happen to be Southern rock legends write a song in tribute to you. That’s what happened to the governor who has become the hero of freedom-loving Americans across the country: Florida’s Ron DeSantis.
Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd and his brother Donnie Van Zant from .38 Special, who also record together as Van Zant, wrote and recorded the song “Sweet Florida” in tribute to DeSantis and the freedom that Florida has come to represent.
The brothers presented DeSantis with a handwritten chord chart and treated him to a world premiere of the tune.
The lyrics are exactly what you’d expect from a celebration of freedom in an era where liberty is in short supply. The first verse and chorus set the tone:
The press don’t like him but he sure does get my business
He stands up for what he believes
So don’t come down here trying to change things
We’re doing alright in the Sunshine State
Stay out of our business – leave our Gov aloneDown in Sweet Florida
Our Governor is Red White and Blue
Down in Sweet Florida
He’s shootin’ us straight – tellin’ us the truth
But it’s the third verse that might resonate with freedom-lovers the most:
Well we ain’t been locked down – we still have our freedom
We can still see our friends and family
Our kids are in school and we can go to church on Sunday
And it’s all because DeSantis knows how to lead
Musically, it’s a midtempo Southern rocker that demonstrates that even though they’re getting older (aren’t we all?), the Van Zant brothers can still rock.
DeSantis said that “Sweet Florida” may become the “song of the summer,” and his campaign has even set up a website where you can watch the video, buy merchandise, and even contribute to his reelection campaign.
DeSantis has given Floridians plenty of reasons to celebrate. Florida was among the first states to reopen after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s led the fight on cultural issues, and he hasn’t backed down from the woke left.
And neither has the rest of the state of Florida. Under DeSantis’ leadership, Republican voter registrations have surged, and now more voters are registered as Republicans than Democrats.
As of this writing, “Sweet Florida” is #2 on the overall iTunes singles charts, and that’s just on the second day of release. That’s a testimony to how popular DeSantis is and how even conservatives can seize pop culture to their advantage. That’s something I’d like to see more of for sure.
Check out “Sweet Florida” for yourself. You just might find yourself singing along.
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