While running for president in 2012, Mitt Romney used the alt-rock tune "Panic Switch" by Silversun Pickups. The irony of the song's lyrics — "When you see yourself in a crowded room / Do your fingers itch? Are you pistol whipped?" — being used for a political campaign wasn't lost on the band, who said at the time, "We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good," adding, "While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends."
That wasn't the end of Romney's musical controversy. After his camp released an attack ad that featured Barack Obama singing "Let's Stay Together," he was admonished by the hit's original singer, Al Green. He was also threatened with legal action by Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan after using his anthem "Wavin' Flag" during a victory rally in Florida. The musician explained his reasons for not wanting to be associated with the Romney campaign, saying, "I'm for immigrants. I'm for poor people, and they don't seem to be what he's endorsing."
