Bush Isn’t the One, Musician Says

The songwriter who helped pen the 1970s’ hit, “Still the One,” is demanding that President Bush stop using the tune at campaign events, arguing that he’s no fan of the Republican incumbent and the campaign never got permission to use the song.

John Hall, a former Democratic county legislator in upstate New York, co-wrote “Still the One” and recorded it with his band Orleans in 1976.

The cheery pop tune was played at Bush events Thursday and again Friday to open and close a rally for the president in New Hampshire.

“I was watching TV, and there all of a sudden was my song, my guitar playing, my voice coming out of the speakers,” said Hall, 56, still a working musician.

Hall wrote “Still the One” with his then-wife, Johanna D. Hall.

The two, as well as surviving members of the band, are supporters of Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry and don’t want their work used to promote Bush’s reelection, Hall said.

“I’m not just some guy that’s stoned out and happened to write a song, and even if I were, it would still be a problem, because you should always ask permission to use the work,” Hall said.

Hall’s lawyers are drafting a formal letter of complaint to the Bush campaign. A spokesman for the Republican did not immediately return calls for comment.

“If you have protectable copyrights to a song and someone is using it without permission, and especially if they know they’re using it without permission, there is some sort of legal liability there and it may be that they could be required to pay royalties at the very least,” said Daniel Healy, an intellectual property lawyer at the firm Anderson, Kill & Olick.

Among Hall’s concerns is that political use of the song could hurt its commercial appeal, scaring away advertisers.

“Still the One” has been used by Appleby’s, Burger King and the ABC network, according to Hall.

Hall, who lives in Dutchess County about 90 miles north of New York City, said his band recently declined an offer of $10,000 to perform at a fundraiser for Maryland Republicans.