Yes We Can (will.i.am song)

This article is about the will.i.am song. For other uses, see Yes We Can (disambiguation).

2008 promotional single by will.i.am featuring various artists

"Yes We Can"

Promotional single by will.i.am featuring various artists
Released| February 2, 2008
Recorded| Ethernet and Record Plant, Los Angeles, January 31, 2008
Length| 4:05
Label| will.i.am
Songwriter(s)|

* will.i.am
* Barack Obama
* Jon Favreau
* George Pajon Jr.

Producer(s)|

* will.i.am
* Mike Jurkovac
* Dylan "3-D" Dresdow (mixed by)

Music video
"Yes We Can" on YouTube

"Yes We Can" is a song produced by The Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, released as promotional single on February 2, 2008.

## Production

[edit]

Although the lyrics are entirely quotations from Obama's concession speech in the New Hampshire presidential primary,[1] the Obama campaign had no involvement in its production.[2] The speech was written by then-Obama speechwriter  Jon Favreau.[3] The viral music video, shot in a sparse black-and-white, features Obama's image in collage fashion; the performers, among them celebrities including musicians, singers and actors, echo his words in a hip-hop, call-and-response manner as his voice plays in the background. The song was produced by will.i.am, mixed by Dylan "3-D" Dresdow, and the music video was directed by Jesse Dylan, the son of singer Bob Dylan.[4]

## Release

[edit]

will.i.am performs "Yes We Can" during the final day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Since the original posting on YouTube, the video has been re-posted a number of times by other users and as of February 23, 2008, the video had been watched a combined total of more than 22 million times among all of the postings.[5] It had also been viewed more than 4 million times on Dipdive, for a combined web total of more than 26 million viewings. By July 22, 2008, the video had been watched over 21 million times on YouTube and other sites.[6] The video also won will.i.am a Webby Award for "Artist of the Year".[7] It was criticized, however, by conservative commentators for being over-the-top and worshipful.[8][9] John Legend and will.i.am performed the song on the final day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention at INVESCO Field, Denver, Colorado.[10]

## Music video

[edit]

The music video was released on Dipdive.com and also on YouTube.com under the username 'WeCan08'.[11] It was honored with the first-ever Emmy Award for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment.[12] The video is a collage-style music video inspired by Barack Obama's popularization of the slogan "Yes we can", which became a secondary slogan for his campaign. During the 2008 US presidential campaign following the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, then-Senator Barack Obama, used the similar English translation of the slogan of United Farm Workers (UFW) – "Sí, se puede" (Spanish for "Yes, you can" or "Yes, it can be done") in his speech. The slogan dates back to 1972 when Cesar Chavez and the UFW's co-founder, Dolores Huerta, came up with the slogan during Chavez's 24-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona.[13] The music video premiered on television on ABC News Now's What's the Buzz on February 1, 2008.[4] On February 2, 2008, it was featured on the Obama campaign's community blog,[14] and later promoted as a viral video by the campaign on its website.[15] The clip was played prior to a February 12, 2008, campaign rally of nearly 20,000 at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The video was edited by Terence "Biff" Butler of Rock Paper Scissors, and executive producers included will.i.am, Mike Jurkovac, Fred Goldring, Jesse Dylan, Priscilla Cohen and Sheri Howell and Lilo. Associate producers included Sean Larkin, Sarah Pantera, Carol Cohen, Steve Koskie, Wendi Morris, and Scott Spanjich. The following celebrities were featured in the video:[16]

* Scarlett Johansson \- 0:05
* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar \- 0:21
* Common \- 0:23
* John Legend \- 0:32
* Bryan Greenberg (guitar) - 0:37
* Kate Walsh \- 0:44
* Tatyana Ali \- 0:44
* Harold Perrineau Jr. \- 0:49
* Aisha Tyler \- 1:01
* Samuel Page \- 1:03
* Enrique Murciano \- 1:07 "Sí, podemos" - 1:17
* Maya Rubin - 1:08 "כֵּן אָנוּ יְכוֹלִים (Ken Anu Yekholim)" (Hebrew)
* Esthero \- 1:10
* Eric Balfour \- 1:23
* Nicole Scherzinger \- 1:30
* Taryn Manning \- 1:40
* Amber Valletta \- 1:52
* Auden McCaw (in Valetta's arms) - 1:52
* Kelly Hu \- 1:52

* Adam Rodríguez \- 1:56 "Sí se puede"
* Eric Christian Olsen \- 2:02
* Sarah Wright \- 2:02
* Shoshannah Stern (American Sign Language) - 2:05
* Ed Kowalczyk (guitar) - 2:19
* Fonzworth Bentley (violin) - 2:38
* Amaury Nolasco \- 3:24
* Hill Harper \- 3:27
* Nick Cannon \- 3:36
* Trott Felipe - 3:38
* Herbie Hancock (piano) - 3:41
* Johnathon Schaech \- 3:45
* Austin Nichols \- 3:50
* Tracee Ellis Ross \- 4:00
* Fred Goldring (guitar) - 4:03

|
|

### Parodies

[edit]

Protesters against the NSA surveillance program PRISM.

The song inspired the spoof songs "john.he.is" and "No You Can't" satirizing the Republican candidate John McCain.[17] Another parody, created by Attack of the Show!, replaces Obama with the G.I. Joe villain Cobra Commander.[18] It inspired yet another parody on Best Week Ever, which made fun of Lindsay Lohan for an online interview in which she both allegedly called Obama "colored" and discussed her collection of leggings.[19] MADtv did a parody called "Yes I Can," about how North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il (played by Bobby Lee) has the power to eventually destroy the world.

A parody of the song was made on the July 15, 2009 episode of The Chaser's War on Everything, in which a song and video was created based on Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speeches. It also featured celebrity appearances (from the likes of Shaun Micallef, Lisa Wilkinson, Stuart MacGill, Tony Martin, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee among others).[20]

## See also

[edit]

* It's a New Day (will.i.am song)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Klein, Joe (February 7, 2008). "Inspiration vs. Substance". Time. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008.
2. ^ Huffington Post (2008). Obama's Star-Studded YouTube Music Video. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
3. ^ ""Tuck Around and Find Out."" (Podcast). Pod Save America. 2023-03-09. Event occurs at 24:50. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
4. ^ a b ABC News (2008). New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
5. ^ Wallsten, Kevin (2010). “Yes We Can”: How Online Viewership, Blog Discussion, Campaign Statements, and Mainstream Media Coverage Produced a Viral Video Phenomenon, Journal of Information Technology and Politics.
6. ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-03-27). "Finding Political News Online, the Young Pass It On". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
7. ^ Greene, Brittany (2008-05-06). "Will.i.am Wins a Webby". VIBE.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
8. ^ Taranto, James (2008-02-07). "Obama, a Love Story". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
9. ^ Stein, Joel (2008-02-08). "He's got Obamaphilia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-02. [dead link‍]
10. ^ Stirland, Sarah Lai (2008-08-28). "Will.I.Am: From Online Video To Convention Floor". Wired. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
11. ^ YouTube (2008). Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video on YouTube. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
12. ^ Video Awarded Emmy(R) for New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment. Emmy for 'Yes We Can' Song Archived 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
13. ^ Rodriguez, Arturo S. (March 31, 1998). "Statement from Arturo S. Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America, Celebrating Cesar Chavez's Birthday 3/31/98-La Paz, Keene, Calif" (Press release). United Farm Workers. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
14. ^ Obama for America (2008). The 'Yes We Can' Song Archived 2008-02-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
15. ^ Obama for America (2008). Share this video and invite your friends to join our movement Archived 2008-02-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
16. ^ Dipdive.com (2008). Credits Archived 2012-08-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
17. ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 12, 2008). "Obama Video Spawns McCain Spoofs". MTV. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
18. ^ ""Yes, We Shall" Music Video - Vote Cobra '08". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-04-08.[dead YouTube link][dead YouTube link]
19. ^ Collins, Michelle. ""BWE Preview: Lindsay Lohan on Leggings" show clip". Bestweekever.tv. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
20. ^ "In Due Season". The Chaser's War on Everything. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 13 June 2010.

## External links

[edit]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama on New Hampshire Primary Night

* DipDive.com
* Yes We Can on YouTube
* (UK version) JSB-Yes We Can on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

will.i.am

* Discography
* Production discography

Studio albums|

* Lost Change
* Must B 21
* Songs About Girls
* #willpower

Soundtrack albums|

* Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Singles|

* "I Got It from My Mama"
* "Heartbreaker"
* "One More Chance"
* "Check It Out"
* "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)"
* "Great Times"
* "This Is Love"
* "Scream & Shout"
* "#thatPOWER"
* "Fall Down"
* "Bang Bang"
* "Feelin' Myself"
* "It's My Birthday"
* "Boys & Girls"
* "Mind Your Business"

Featured singles|

* "Beep"
* "I Love My Bitch"
* "Fergalicious"
* "Hip Hop Is Dead"
* "A Dream"
* "Baby Love"
* "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)"
* "Be OK"
* "I Want You"
* "In the Ayer"
* "What's Your Name"
* "All My Life (In the Ghetto)"
* "3 Words"
* "I'm in the House"
* "OMG"
* "Wavin' Flag" (Celebration Mix)
* "Forever"
* "Free"
* "Hall of Fame"
* "In My City"
* "Crazy Kids"
* "Something Really Bad"
* "It Should Be Easy"
* "Home"
* "Ew!"
* "I'm So Excited"
* "The Girl Is Mine 2008"

Promotional singles|

* "Here I Come"
* "Yes We Can"
* "It's a New Day"
* "America's Song"
* "I Wanna Go Crazy"
* "Reach for the Stars (Mars Edition)"

Other songs|

* "I Like to Move It"
* "Big Fat Bass"
* "Let's Go"

Related articles|

* Atban Klann
* Black Eyed Peas

Awards for "Yes We Can"

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video

1990s|

* "Unforgettable" – Natalie Cole (1991)
* "Black or White" – Michael Jackson (1992)
* "I'm Every Woman" – Whitney Houston (1993)
* No Award (1994)
* "Waterfalls" – TLC (1995)
* "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly (1996)
* "Stomp" – God's Property (1997)
* "Just the Two of Us" – Will Smith (1998)
* "Wild Wild West" – Will Smith (1999)

2000s|

* "I Wish" – R. Kelly (2000)
* "You Rock My World" – Michael Jackson (2001)
* "Little Things" – India Arie (2002)
* "Dance with My Father" – Luther Vandross (2003)
* "If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004)
* "Unbreakable" – Alicia Keys (2005)
* "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige (2006)
* "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (2007)
* "Yes We Can" – will.i.am (2008)
* "I Look to You" – Whitney Houston (2009)

2010s|

* "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" – Alicia Keys (2010)
* "Where You At?" – Jennifer Hudson (2011)
* "Girl on Fire" – Alicia Keys (2012)
* "Q.U.E.E.N." – Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu (2013)
* "You & I (Nobody in the World)" – John Legend (2014)
* "Shame" – Tyrese Gibson (2015)
* "Formation" – Beyoncé (2016)
* "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (2017)
* "This Is America" – Childish Gambino (2018)
* "Juice" – Lizzo (2019)

2020s|

* "Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Saint Jhn, and Wizkid featuring Blue Ivy Carter (2020)
* "Essence" – Wizkid featuring Tems (2021)
* "Lift Me Up" – Rihanna (2022)
* "Sensational" – Chris Brown featuring Davido & Lojay (2023)

* v
* t
* e

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song

Song
(1971–2015)|

* "Theme from Shaft" – Isaac Hayes (1971)
* No Award (1972–1994)
* "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – Whitney Houston (1995)
* "I Believe I Can Fly" – R. Kelly (1996)
* "A Song for Mama" – Boyz II Men (1997)
* "Lean on Me" – Kirk Franklin (1998)
* "Spend My Life with You" – Eric Benét featuring Tamia (1999)
* "Open My Heart" – Yolanda Adams (2000)
* "A Woman's Worth" – Alicia Keys (2001)
* "Brighter Day" – Kirk Franklin (2002)
* "Dance with My Father" – Luther Vandross (2003)
* "If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004)
* "Unbreakable" – Alicia Keys (2005)
* "I Am Not My Hair" – India Arie (2006)
* "Like You'll Never See Me Again" – Alicia Keys (2007)
* "Yes We Can" – will.i.am (2008)
* "God in Me" – Mary Mary (2009)
* "Bittersweet" – Fantasia (2010)
* "I Smile" – Kirk Franklin (2011)
* "I Look to You" – Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (2012)
* "All of Me" – John Legend (2013)
* "We Are Here" – Alicia Keys (2014)
* "Back Together" – Jill Scott (2015)

Contemporary
(2016–2019)|

* "Freedom" – Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar (2016)
* "HUMBLE." – Kendrick Lamar (2017)
* "Boo'd Up" – Ella Mai (2018)
* "Before I Let Go" – Beyoncé (2019)

Traditional
(2016–2019)|

* "I See Victory" – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams (2016)
* "That's What I Like" – Bruno Mars (2017)
* "Long as I Live" – Toni Braxton (2018)
* "Spirit" – Beyoncé (2019)

Soul/R&B
(2020–present)|

* "Do It" – Chloe x Halle (2020)
* "Pick Up Your Feelings" – Jazmine Sullivan (2021)
* "Cuff It" – Beyoncé (2022)
* "ICU (Remix)" – Coco Jones featuring Justin Timberlake (2023)

Hip Hop/Rap
(2020–present)|

* "Savage (Remix)" – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020)
* "Fye Fye" – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (2021)
* "Hotel Lobby" – Quavo and Takeoff (2022)
* "Cobra" – Megan Thee Stallion (2023)

International
(2020–present)|

* "Lockdown" – Original Koffee (2020)
* "Essence" – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber (2021)
* "No Woman, No Cry" – Tems (2022)
* "Me & U" – Tems (2023)

* v
* t
* e

Barack Obama

* 44th President of the United States (2009–2017)
* U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005–2008)
* Illinois Senator from the 13th district (1997–2004)

| Life and
politics|

* Early life and career
* Illinois Senate career
* 2004 Democratic National Convention
* U.S. Senate career
* Political positions
* Administration foreign policy
* Cannabis
* Mass surveillance
* Social
* Space
* 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
* West Wing Week

|

Presidency
(timeline)|

* Transition
* 2009 inauguration
* 2013 inauguration
* First 100 days
* Timeline
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* January 2017
* Foreign policy
* Middle East
* War in Afghanistan
* Iraq withdrawal
* Killing of Osama bin Laden
* Benghazi attack
* Return to Iraq
* War in Syria
* Iran nuclear deal
* Pivot to Asia
* Cuban thaw
* Obama Doctrine
* Europe
* Economic policy
* Affordable Care Act
* American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
* Dodd–Frank Act
* Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
* Energy/Environmental
* Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act
* Marine policy
* New Energy for America
* Regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act
* Clean Power Plan
* Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014
* Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
* New START
* MAP-21st Century Act
* FAST Act
* Pardons
* Presidential trips
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016–17
* international
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court
* Sotomayor
* Kagan
* Garland
* controversies
* Cabinet
* Presidential Library and Center
* Executive actions
* Executive orders
* Memoranda
* Proclamations
* Trump transition
* Plantation Estate

Books|

* Dreams from My Father (1995)
* The Audacity of Hope (2006)
* Of Thee I Sing (2010)
* A Promised Land (2020)

Speeches|

* "The Audacity of Hope" (2004)
* "Yes We Can" (2008)
* "A More Perfect Union" (2008)
* "Change Has Come to America" (2008)
* "A New Birth of Freedom" (2009)
* Joint session of Congress (2009)
* "A New Beginning" (2009)
* Joint session of Congress (health care reform) (2009)
* State of the Union Address
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* Tucson memorial speech (2011)
* Joint session of Congress (jobs) (2011)
* "You didn't build that" (2012)
* Selma 50th anniversary (2015)
* Farewell address (2017)

Elections|

| Illinois|

* State Senate
* 1996
* 1998
* 2002
* U.S. House of Representatives
* 2000

|

U.S. Senate|

* 2004

Presidential|

* 2008 campaign
* endorsements
* GOP/conservative support
* staff members
* primaries
* primary campaign
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election
* 2012 campaign
* endorsements
* primaries
* convention
* debates
* election

Family|

* Michelle Obama (wife)
* Ann Dunham (mother)
* Barack Obama Sr. (father)
* Lolo Soetoro (stepfather)
* Maya Soetoro-Ng (maternal half-sister)
* Stanley Armour Dunham (maternal grandfather)
* Madelyn Dunham (maternal grandmother)
* Auma Obama (paternal half-sister)
* Malik Obama (paternal half-brother)
* Marian Robinson (mother-in-law)
* Craig Robinson (brother-in-law)
* Bo (family dog)
* Sunny (family dog)

* v
* t
* e

Public image

News and
political events|

* Oprah Winfrey's endorsement
* Citizenship conspiracy theories
* litigation
* Religion conspiracy theories
* Bill Ayers controversy
* Jeremiah Wright controversy
* Republican and conservative support (2008)
* Assassination threats
* 2008 Denver
* 2008 Tennessee
* First inauguration invitations
* Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
* Citizen's Briefing Book
* Tea Party protests
* New Energy for America
* Gates–Crowley Rose Garden meeting
* Firing of Shirley Sherrod
* Impeachment efforts
* Tan suit controversy

Books about|

* Bibliography
* Obama: From Promise to Power
* Barack Obama: Der schwarze Kennedy
* Redemption Song
* The Case Against Barack Obama
* The Obama Nation
* Culture of Corruption
* Catastrophe
* Barack and Michelle
* The Speech
* The Obama Story
* Between Barack and a Hard Place
* Game Change
* Obama Zombies
* Conservative Victory
* The Bridge
* The Obama Diaries
* The Obama Syndrome
* The Obama Identity
* O: A Presidential Novel
* Where's the Birth Certificate?
* Obama's Last Stand
* Barack Obama: The Story
* Game Change 2012
* Buyer's Remorse
* Rising Star
* Shade
* The World as It Is

Music|

* Obama Girl
* "I Got a Crush... on Obama"
* "Barack the Magic Negro"
* will.i.am
* "Yes We Can"
* "The President Sang Amazing Grace"
* "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama"
* "Sí Se Puede Cambiar"
* "My President"
* "Deadheads for Obama"
* "Air and Simple Gifts"
* Change Is Now
* Hope! – Das Obama Musical
* "Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney"
* Barack's Dubs
* "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"

Film, TV,
and stage|

* By the People: The Election of Barack Obama (2009)
* Change (2010)
* Obama Anak Menteng (2010)
* 2016: Obama's America (2012)
* The Road We've Traveled (2012)
* Southside with You (2016)
* Hillary and Clinton (2016)
* Barry (2016)
* America's Great Divide (2020)
* We the People (2021)
* Renegades: Born in the USA (2021)
* Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (2021)
* The First Lady (2022)
* Picturing the Obamas (2022)

Other media|

* Social media use
* Artists for Obama
* "Hope" poster
* "Joker" poster
* Hair Like Mine
* Situation Room
* Iman Crosson
* The Forgotten Man (2010 painting)
* President Barack Obama (2018 portrait)
* Obama logo
* In comics
* Barack Obama's summer playlist

Related|

* Barack Obama Day (Illinois)
* Obama Day (Kenya)
* Awards and honors
* Namesakes
* Higher Ground Productions
* "One Last Time (44 Remix)"
* Sunlight before signing

* ← George W. Bush
* Donald Trump →

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template