CHUCK PROPHET
If you are frustrated with listening to President Trump talk about the coronavirus pandemic at press conferences, and would rather listen to Anthony Fauci and Sanjay Gupta, you are not alone. Singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet would like Trump to get off the stage, too. His stop-motion video of his latest single, “Get Off the Stage” (co-written with klipschutz), is perfect for NJArts.net’s Songs to See Us Through series, created in response to the crisis.
With his usual humor and clever phrasing, Prophet delivers his sentiments about our president without heavy-handed statements, and doesn’t mince words. He honestly expresses the feelings felt by many that Trump needs to move on. While I have heard Prophet say that he is not a political man, he takes a position that echoes public dissatisfaction with Trump’s inadequate response to the threat that the coronavirus poses.
The colorful video (see below), directed by Kendra Morris and co-created by Morris and Julia Haltigan, features an animated figure with orange hair, representing Trump. Prophet compares Trump’s life to his own, singing:
Me I’m just one man
Up on the stage, I make my stand
Yes, it’s true I have a band
Up here behind me
While you, you’ve got your crew
And the Secret Service, too
And your wife from the EU
But you’re no good at rhyming
President Trump in the video.
So hey, get down off that stage
We’ve heard everything you’ve got to say
You’ve been calling all the shots
You’ve got us all tied up in knots
C’mon man, get off the stage.
Prophet tells us that he has spent his life in an “Econoline van with my band and wife” while Trump has been busy obstructing “democracy’s bowel, and the patient is dying.” Our feelings are affirmed, but we also have a moment to laugh, which is needed now more than ever.
Hailing from California, where all residents have been ordered to stay at home to slow the growth of the virus, Prophet first hit the music scene in the rock group Green on Red in the 1980s. He then launched a prolific solo career, and has continued to maintain a busy touring schedule. He was recently in Montclair for a concert at the Outpost in the Burbs, where he sang “Get Off the Stage” to a very appreciative audience, along with songs from his 2017 album Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, and other material.
Emotionally resonant and compelling onstage as well as a master storyteller, Prophet sometimes plays with a backing band, The Mission Express, that features his wife, singer-keyboardist-guitarist Stephanie Finch, as well as bassist Kevin White, drummer Vicente Rodriguez and guitarist James DePrato.
To support Prophet, visit facebook.com/chuckprophetofficial or lnk.to/getoffthestage.
NJArts.net’s Songs to See Us Through series is designed to spotlight songs relevant to the coronavirus crisis and encourage readers to support the artists who made them (and won’t be able to generate income via concerts at this time). Click here for links to all songs in the series.
We encourage artists to email us submissions (newly recorded, if possible) at njartsdaily@gmail.com. Please include links to sites such as Patreon and Venmo. Readers can also make suggestions via that email address.
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