Serenading Bush off on his helicopter.

[HubertHeaver]

The late '60's song, "Kiss it Goodbye" by Steam was used by Nancy Faust (with great effect) at Commiskey Park to stir up White Sox fans during the 1972 season. The yakking heads seem to be totally unaware of this Chicago connection.

The crowd wasn't sending Bush off--they were cheering Obama on, to "hit one out of the park", which he did.

[Occam Bandage]

1. I...er...*really* don't think it was a spontaneous, mass reference to the White Sox. nt

[HubertHeaver]

3. Not a reference to the White Sox....It is a cheer for the next guy up.

Bush has struck out. Obama is coming to bat.

[Occam Bandage]

4. And when Sox fans sing it, it isn't a cheer for the Sox players coming up to bat.

It's a mockery of the guy going to grab some bench.

[HubertHeaver]

6. Your ignorance is astounding.

[Occam Bandage]

7. Hm. Now, who do I trust:

A. Every single Sox fan around me, including myself, including at the dozens of games I have attended at USCF, or:
B. An anonymous dude on the Internet who lives in Texas, can't spell "Comiskey," and doesn't know the title of the song.

[HubertHeaver]

12. Do you, or any of your Sox fan friends, remember Richie Zisk?

The song was originally titled "Kiss it Goodbye" when it came out in the late '60's. It did not last very long and was forgotten until Comiskey Park organist Nancy Faust started to play it during White Sox rallies early in the 1972 season. She said she new she had struck a chord with the fans when the crowd's chant overwhelmed the organ. And it definitely was a rallying cry--White Sox batter pumped full of adrenalin, opposing pitcher full of a case of "oh shit, I'm gonna groove one" and the Sox win. It was re-issued in the Chicago market in the summer of '72 in order to take advantage of its new-found popularity. (rush order, of course. White Sox seasons do have a habit of ending early, as did that one.)

I'm happy you mentioned Texas. When someone asks me where I am from, my answer is that I live in Texas, I am from Illinois. (Just south of Ronnieland)

[chknltl]

2. I had "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" as an ear-worm....

...while watching the helicopter carting off the bush monster. That song and those images would make a fine You-tube vid imo.

[HubertHeaver]

5. The "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" would have been a reference to Bush.

[chknltl]

13. More specifically, the bush administration's attack on America

Somehow, America survived the evil reign of bush, I and much of our nation are very pleased for this. The Munchkins survived the evil reign of the Wicked Witch of the East and were quite pleased also-pleased to the point of singing out their joy at their pleasant turn of events. The throngs below bush's helicopter were as grateful for his departure as were the throngs of Munchkins who celebrated the death of the witch. As bush departed the song felt poignantly appropriate to me from that standpoint.

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Witch is dead!

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I woke up Tues. singing that song from the Wizard of Oz

"We're out of the woods
We're out of the dark
We're into the light!"

[Fire1]

8. Are you all serious??? There was no white Sox or Chicago

connection, imo. That was TOTALLY a SEND OFF to Shrub! Without a doubt!

[peace13]

9. I was there singing and it was totally and completely...

a send off to *!

[TooRaLoo]

10. *blink* nt

[JuniperLea]

11. Ummm this song has been being used by a lot of progressive radio folk for a while...

The lyrics, had anyone in this thread bothered to find them, are about a guy and a girl... guy meets girl... guy loses girl... girl finds another guy... first guy is winning her back by bad mouthing guy #2 and telling her... "I wanna see you kiss him goodbye... na na na na... hey hey hey... goodbye.

It's clearly kissing someone goodbye.

Stephanie Miller has been using this for a very long time, in the context of a final farewell to Bush, and it's been echoed many times on other progressive radio shows.

Additionally, I've heard it played at Dodger Stadium plenty of times when a ball has been hit out of the park.

Edited for your edification:

Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

He'll never love you, the way that I love you
'Cause if he did, no no, he wouldn't make you cry
He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
So dog-gone willin'
So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. Wanna see you kiss him)
Go on and kiss him goodbye, now

Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

Listen to me now

He's never near you to comfort and cheer you
When all those sad tears are fallin' baby from your eyes
He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
So dog-gone willin'
So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. I wanna see you kiss him)
Go on and kiss him goodbye, na-na na-na-na na na

Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

Hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

[Berry Cool]

14. The song is called "Na Na, Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye."

And since its hit record status long ago, it has been sung for many years now by sports fans attending playoff games in the final seconds when it becomes clear that their team is going to win--they sing it to the other team. Also, when a strong, key player on the opposing basketball team fouls out.

That tells you all you need to know. It's become a song sung at people because you are happy they are leaving and you won't have to deal with them anymore.

[wndycty]

15. White Sox fans sing the song for TWO REASONS

Reason 1: When a White Sox player hits a home run

Reason 2: When the opposing teams pitcher heads to the bench when he is pulled from the game.

[kwassa]

17. Bush was getting seranded at the beginning when he first appeared at the Capitol

I was one of the ones singing to him. When he first was shown on the Jumbotron, people started singing.

This was before the swearing-in ceremony.

When he left in his helicopter, people were shaking fists, and giving him the one-finger salute.