This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, April 7, 2010 - While Missouri GOP state auditor candidate/former Bush ambassador Thomas Schweich is at Yale University delivering a policy speech on Afghanistan, the political world back home is abuzz over his rock video.
Schweich said the video, "Gimme Back My Freedom," was created in one studio session last month, has nothing to do with his political campaign and wasn't financed with any campaign dollars.
Rather, it's an extension of his 30-plus years playing a guitar, writing and publishing songs, Schweich said during a telephone interview this afternoon.
Schweich said he used to play in a band when he was with the State Department. One of the video's instrumentalists is a former Washington co-worker who flew in for the recording session, which was conducted after only two rehearsals, Schweich said. Others in the video include some Webster University students, he added.
Schweich said the video was quietly posted on YouTube, and is definitely NOT going to end up on his campaign website.
He acknowledged that the lyrics reflect his national political views, and not any issues in the state auditor contest.
But he was most upset today by allegations on the Democratic-leaning site, Firedupmissouri.com, that the tune is patterned after Courtney Taylor-Taylor's "Bohemian Like You,'' recorded in 2000. Schweich said that's absolutely not true. "The words and music are my own,'' he said.
His music heroes, Schweich continued, are a bit more well-known -- namely, members of the legendary rock band, the Rolling Stones. He's attended a dozen of their concerts.
That may explain why Schweich is sporting a striped T-shirt in the video -- one of Mick Jagger's favorite pieces of attire, back in the day.
