In the wake of last month’s presidential election results, “Same Love” rapper Macklemore turned his profound disappointment into a call to action for justice and equality. A month after Hillary Clinton conceded the election to Donald Trump, Ellen DeGeneres persuaded him to perform the resulting song on her show.
“I told this next guest that he had to perform this song on our show,” Ellen announced on her Friday show. “And he said, ‘I need time to rehearse it,’ and I said, ‘I will see you tomorrow.’ And that’s really true.”
Accompanied only by auto-tune effects and against the backdrop of a black and white video montage featuring images of patriotism and protest, Macklemore performed “Wednesday Morning.”
In the song, he wonders how the future will impact his young daughter and commits himself to fighting for all, including “queer folk” and marriage equality:
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And we fight for the people that haven’t had a voice
Fight for the first amendment, fight for freedom of choice
Fight for women’s rights, if she does or doesn’t care
We ride for all the Queer folk and fight for all to get married
I’m not moving to Canada, not fleeing the nation
No time for apathy, no more tears and no complainin’
Gotta fight harder for the next four and what we’re faced with
Got my daughter in my arms and he is not gonna raise her
Macklemore said on Instagram that he was “disappointed, shocked and shaken” by the results of the election. Like so many, he had gathered with his family and friends expecting to celebrate.
“My daughter had this little blue dress on. I was ready to pop the Martinelli’s and hold her, watching Hilary Clinton become the first female president of the United States of America. But,” he said, “It didn’t happen.”
Instead, he was left with a bad taste in his mouth. So he wrote this song.
The line about raising his daughter seems inspired by a post-election essay on Instagram where he shared his process for dealing with the grief.
“After hours of a growing pit in my stomach, it was over. I left the TV, grabbed my daughter and took her to bed. But now, as I’m laying next to my her as she sleeps, I remember. Remember what I have control over and what I don’t,” Mackelmore explained. “I don’t have control over Donald Trump becoming president. That has been decided. But what I do have control over is where I go from here.”
The Grammy award-winning hip-hop artist said his daughter inspired him to focus on the positive impact he can have through the way he raises her because, while that man was elected president, “Donald Trump is not raising my daughter. I am.”
“I will teach my daughter to love,” he wrote. “All people, regardless of the color of their skin, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or where their birth certificate says they’re from. I will teach her how important it is to be an advocate for humanity. Not just the portion of humanity that benefits her.”
And despite Hillary Clinton’s defeat, he’ll also teach her that she has as much shot at the Oval Office as any man.
“I get to encourage and nurture her to be who she wants to be. Teach her that her voice and actions can change the world,” Macklemore said. “Teach her that she can do anything that a man can do. And one day, even become president of the United States of America. I have work to do. It starts now. And that work is the only thing bringing me peace at the moment.”
