Roger McGuinn: The Politician Song

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Did you know that Roger McGuinn, co-founder of the legendary folk-rock band The Byrds, wrote songs for a Broadway musical in the 1970s? The show never made it to the stage, but thankfully for the rest of us, the The Byrds recorded and released those songs on several albums in the 1970s.

One of the those songs is “I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Politician,” and even today, its sharp-witted satire has made it a favorite of many.

Roger explains the story behind the song and why he still gets a special thrill when he hears it playing on NPR, which frequently uses it for shows like “Talk of the Nation” and “Car Talk.”

Find out why Roger thinks the song still resonates in today’s political environment. Then watch a special Growing Bolder exclusive performance of the song, recorded in Roger’s home studio.