It is President’s Day though when I was growing up we celebrated Lincoln’s birthday first on the 12th then later in the month, the 22nd, Washington’s. We got Lincoln’s birthday off while Washington’s birthday usually fell during the February vacation. Then somebody got the idea of a President’s Day as a Monday holiday. A mess followed after that with some days ignoring the title as they believed certain presidents didn’t deserve recognition; however, the name stuck and it stayed a Monday holiday.

If you’re looking for U.S. presidential campaign songs and political ditties dating from 1800 to 1950, you’ll find them on this Smithsonian-Folkways collection, Election Songs of the United States, which includes a “Yankee Doodle” spin-off urging “Fair and Free Elections” and Lincoln’s “Rally Round the Cause, Boys” to the tune of “Battle Cry of Freedom.” A few losers’ songs are featured as well. You’ll notice this song ends with Eisenhower. That would be because the collection was released in 1960.