POTUS #18: Ulysses S. Grant, by Waterloo

I am continuing the revival of a lapsed songwriting project, previously devoted to dead U.S. presidents, but now (out of respect to the 44th president of the United States, whom I would like to see live a very long and productive life) dedicated to anyone who ever held the office of POTUS.

The revival begins by finding and uploading songs written and recorded for the project - and, in many cases, released - back in the late-'90s when I first had the idea.

Waterloo was then a band working in St. Louis, since fragmented by the departure of leader Mark Ray to Oregon (if I'm not mistaken). Mark signed up to write a song about President Ulysses S. Grant and turned in a beautifull crafted and recorded ballad titled "For One Who is True" that appeared on the band's In the Light of Day CD.

I'm not surprised Mark wrote a gorgeous song or recorded it with such satisfying atmospherics (especially since my buddy and coproducer Lij engineered the recording and Matt Pence of Centromatic helped Mark to produce it). The surprise is that it presents a war president as a lover and family man.

When I started the project, I didn't give any instructions to the writers who signed on, though I hoped for a mix of cradle-to-grave portraits and more initimate snapshots like this one. So Mark's piece was gratifying, and it still sounds perfect to me.

Free mp3

"For One Who is True"
(Mark Ray)
Waterloo
From In the Light of Day
(Undertow)

*

Photograph of Ulysses and Julia Grant with their son Jesse from the Ulysses S. Grant Homepage.

*

Also in this series

POTUS #17: Andrew Johnson, by William Tonks