| "Harry Truman" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Chicago | ||||
| from the album Chicago VIII | ||||
| B-side | "Till We Meet Again" | |||
| Released | February 1975 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 3:01 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Robert Lamm | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago singles chronology | ||||
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"Harry Truman" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII (1975), with lead vocals by Lamm. The first single released from that album, it reached number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Written after the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon, the lyrics are a tribute to a former President that Lamm felt the American people could trust — straight-talking Harry S. Truman. “America needs you, Harry Truman”.
Despite its popularity at the time, the Beatlesque “Harry Truman” only appears on two of Chicago's compilation albums Group Portrait (now out of print) and The Box. It is rarely performed in the band's live shows.
This song was “performed” by Chicago in late 1974 as part of the 1975 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special, in which Chicago guitarist Terry Kath can be seen mocking the band's obvious lip-synching by holding cue cards depicting the song's lyrics.