Dee Snider to Paul Ryan: Stop playing my song

Dee Snider, Paul Ryan

/ CBS/Getty

(CBS/AP) Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has asked Republican vice presidential running mate Paul Ryan's camp not to play the band's 1984 hit song, "We're Not Gonna Take It."

Ryan spokesman Brandon Buck wrote a pithy email in response: "We're Not Gonna Play It anymore."

Snider said in a statement that he does not support Ryan and denounced use of the song, an anthemic hit for the glam metal band.

"I emphatically denounce Paul Ryan's use of my song 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as recorded by my band Twisted Sister," Snider explained. "There is almost nothing on which I agree with Paul Ryan, except perhaps the use of the P90X."

"We're Not Gonna Take It" joins a long list of songs that musicians have asked politicians to stop using. Most recently, the rock band Silversun Pickups asked likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney to stop using the song "Panic Switch" last week. The campaign said the song's use was inadvertent.

[Timmy2186]

*sigh* Only conservatives get cease-and-desist orders from musicians when they use their songs, all the time. Democrats can use them whenever they like. It's very limiting.

[BWB2020]

Probably because the heightened sense of empathy common to most musicians makes such people as now call themselves "conservatives", or "GOP", or right wing, extremely repugnant for musicians.

[guest173]

the GOP should see how to pay royalty fees for public performances, they love fees, or is that only when they're the ones charging?

[WorkingStiff00]

Ever notice that you never see Dee Snider and Sarah Jessica Parker in the same room? Just sayin'

[BWB2020]

Nor do you see Ryan and Eddie Munster in the same room.

[Valhalla0907]

Tell'm Dee!

[cushing1961]

Wow, if you are playing your music for EVERYONE, why do you care what politician uses your material? You gonna snub half your fans because you don't like the person who is running? You are a musician and a business- playing to people you may not really like in real life. You are an entertainer to everyone , not a political outlet!

[BWB2020]

So if you wrote a song, to which you have the rights of publication, I suppose you wouldn't mind if someone you dislike totally used the song, which gives the impression that you support the hated person, right?

[bobnjersey]

[The campaign said the song's use was inadvertent.]
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the campaign is lying ... as they most certainly are with everything else they claim.

[opinionseveryonehasone]

To every Polotician:

Before using a song, simply ask permission. Is that really so hard? Do I think it's a big deal??? NO way... but we see this all the time at election time so you'd think the poloticians would get a clue by now. JUST ASK PERMISION FIRST. TA DA!!!!

[guest173]

life's too short, but in an ideal world that's the right idea

[snm1025]

Can I ask what a Polotician is?

[twolaneflash]

The Romney campaign has a blanket contract with ASCAP & other licensing organizations allowing use of all music in their catalogues. Dumb Dee Dumb Snider can complain and gain publicity with her snit and snot, but unless she's willing to un-license her song, there's not a legal thing she can do. Romney has Snider's pre-approval by virtue of her contract with ASCAP, so You're Gonna Take It, Dee Dumb. Stupid celebrities need to shut up and sing.

[kat-wonders]

@twolaneflash
tell us how you REALLY feel about this. you seem to be a little upset by this newsflash. :)

[kat-wonders]

OOPS sorry. one more comment. DEE Snider is a MAN. not a woman. Please get your facts correct before making comments thanks

[lawkwfl]

Gotta love these bands who start whining when someone they don't support starts using their tunes. Hey Dee, did you forget that once you publish a song through ASCAP its out there for the general population to license and thus use for their own purposes. If you don't want others using your stuff, then don't license it for public use, you have that option you know.

[BWB2020]

Wrong, it is not for public use, but for those to whom the owner gives the right to use. ASCAP simply collects the royalties, but they do not have any power to decide who can or cannot use material.

Besides, what musician, who makes their living from the public, wants their work to be associated with a person whom the musician's audience would find repugnant?

[twmat311]

I thought you had to request permission to use most songs in a public setting (copyright issue?)

Both sides are making mistakes you expect form inexperienced 1st-timers; remember when politicians were smooth and didn't constantly have egg on their faces?

[jsmitt]

A big part of why it might seem like that these days is the dramatic increase in communication, news, press, photos, etc. The Internet has made everything anyone says news. There are a thousand photos being taken by a thousand "photographers" at any second and every word gets recorded and interpreted by every Joe Sixpack, so I'd say politicians just seemed smoother in the past because we had much less access to their every nook and cranny.

[bobnjersey]

[I thought you had to request permission to use most songs in a public setting (copyright issue?) ]
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you thought correctly.

these same people claiming they used it inadvertently were likely authors of ... or voted for ... intellectual property legislation that protects the creators.

it's a 'what can you get away with' world ... and politicos are often the worst offenders of the practice.