On Friday, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States. That evening, at the Liberty Ball, the new president and first lady will celebrate by dancing to "My Way," a song written by Paul Anka (who dropped out of performing at the inauguration) and made famous by Frank Sinatra. Maybe they should have read the lyrics first.
Related: Sinatra: Centennial celebrations for an American icon
"Just remember the first line of the song," Nancy Sinatra tweeted on Wednesday night, in response to a tweet asking if the family was OK with the choice of song. She was referring to the words "And now, the end is near." Following her response, the questioner made her Twitter account private.
The singer and actress (and Frank's eldest daughter) has been a vocal critic of Trump. She stayed up late responding to others who tweeted back at her, pivoting from her initial sarcasm to a message of hope (and then a little bit more cheekiness to top it all off).
Tommy: Perfect answer, Nancy. Just, perfect.
Nancy: Sorry to be a smart aleck.
Andrew: Couldn't have been a better answer.
Nancy: If a bit mean spirited.
Mdhaus72: Hi @NancySinatra. I can't imagine that this story is making you very happy. I'm sorry. :( https://t.co/ORMdSGQHsu
Nancy: Actually I'm wishing him the best. A good president helps the entire world. I don't believe anyone tries to be a bad president.
Beth: then there's hope.
David: There is always hope.
Nancy: At this point I'm happy to have hope. My dad would say, "Don't despair."
Ben: What hope is there? I see only despair? I do not wish to feel this way.
Nancy: The pendulum must swing back.
Ben: yes, but this is a disaster waiting to happen. What will be left to govern?
Nancy: We the people will still be here, standing together.
Ben: I have a 14 year old daughter. I care primarily about the world she will grow into
Nancy: You must show her by example that you won't quit. Hang tough.
Ben: Honestly, simply knowing you're not fighting alone is a huge help.
Nancy: That's why I'm still out here when I should be sleeping. I'm really too old for this.
Edith: "the final curtain" = impeachment‼️
Nancy: Ta da
Nancy Sinatra seems to share some of her late father's views. Ol' Blue Eyes spoke out against racism and other forms of discrimination early and often throughout his career. He was a founding member of the Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, which unlike many other country clubs at the time did not ban Jews or African-Americans from joining.
And in 1946, a short film he starred in won an honorary Oscar and a special Golden Globe. In The House I Live In, Frank takes a break from recording and steps outside the studio for a smoke to find some kids chasing and taunting a Jewish boy. "We don't like him, we don't want him at our neighborhood or going to our school," one tells him.
"You must be a bunch of those Nazi werewolves I've been reading about," Frank says, intervening. "Religion makes no difference, except maybe to a Nazi or somebody as stupid," he adds. "Do you know what this country is made of? It's made up of a hundred different kinds of people, and a hundred different ways of talking, and a hundred different ways of going to church, but they're all American ways. Wouldn't we be silly if we went around hating people because they combed their hair differently than ours? Wouldn't we be a lot of dopes?"
And then he sings:
What is America to me?
A name, a map or a flag I see?
A certain word, "democracy"?
What is America to me?The house I live in, a plot of earth, a street
The grocer and the butcher, and the people that I meet
The children in the playground, the faces that I see
All races and religions, that's America to me
It's not hard, then, to understand why Frank's daughter might think the inauguration of Trump—who made grotesque racist, sexist comments throughout his campaign—makes it feel as if "the end is near" for progressive causes and perhaps America itself. But, considering the brewing scandals surrounding Trump's ties to Russia, perhaps the same could be said about his political future.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Stav is a general assignment staff writer for Newsweek. She received the Newswomen's Club of New York's 2016 Martha Coman Front ... Read more
