On Presidents Day, Honoring Vice Presidents With A Song

Why does the U.S. have a holiday for chief executives, but none for their vice presidents? We right that wrong on this Presidents Day with an original vice presidents song.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President's Day - what is it good for - a chance to give a nod to 44 guys who ran America for a period of time - well, fine. But what about the vice presidents? Shouldn't they get a special day, too? Alas, it is not within our powers to right this egregious wrong, but we can and will right now unofficially salute the 48 men who have served just a heartbeat or third-rate burglary away from the Oval Office. And we're going to salute some of them with a song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE UNOFFICIAL VICE PRESIDENT SONG")

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Singing) O, dutiful vice presidents who stand waiting in the wings, obscured by fate to minor state, to them we'd like to sing.

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR #1: (Singing) Vice presidents, vice presidents, let's shine some light on thee and crown you veeps with joyous tweets from sea to shining sea.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Singing) Full presidents - 14 of you - did rise up with a push - Adams first, then Jefferson, Van Buren, Truman, Nixon and first Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR #2: (Singing) Vice presidents, vice presidents, four times did you step in. When bullets flew, we turned to you to lead us through the din.

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR #1: (Singing) Two Johnsons assumed the job - Andrew and Lyndon Baines. Chet Arthur and T. Roosevelt - they saw us through our pain.

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR #3: (Singing) Vice presidents, vice presidents, we hope this song makes sense. Now take your bow if you know how, for now the jobs with Pence.

SHAPIRO: Woof - that was the famed choral group Five NPR Employees Randomly Chosen From The Hallway Who We Hoped Could Sing with their biggest hit, "The Unofficial Vice President Song." And no, I was not one of those voices. NPR's Nicholas DePrey played the piano.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS SONG, "NUMBER TWO")

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