According to The Cut, President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, had a punk phase like every edgy teenager; however, it seems like Ivanka’s has since transcended her punk phase — and to cement that transition the post-punk band Gang of Four recently released an Ivanka Trump-inspired song, entitled “Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have).”
As Pitchfork reports, Ivanka is the muse for Gang of Four’s impending extended play (EP), Complicit. The title of the album itself is inspired by Ivanka’s interview with CBS This Morning back in April 2017. After being asked to respond to claims that she was complicit regarding what is happening in the White House, Ivanka told host Gayle King, “If being complicit is wanting to, is wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact then I’m complicit. I don’t know that the critics who may say that of me, if they found themselves in this very unique and unprecedented situation that I am now in, would do any differently than I am doing,” Trump said. “So I hope to make a positive impact. I don’t know what it means to be complicit, but you know, I hope time will prove that I have done a good job and much more importantly that my father’s administration is the success that I know it will be.”
Although Saturday Night Live (SNL) quickly parodied this candid interview with Ivanka, Gang of Four revives this nearly forgotten interview in their song about Ivanka. As Bustle notes, the band wavers between two points of views in their song.
In the first few words of the song, Gang of Four tells Ivanka’s story from a third person perspective. “Where once were her eyes, Ivanka now sees through pearls,” the band uses these rather cryptic introductory lyrics to set the tone for the song. However, the band later switches to a first-person narrative perspective to build the story from Ivanka’s viewpoint. Later on the song, Gang of Four includes, “I saw how hard daddy worked for his money/Daddy loves women and he believes in family,” to build the song’s lyrical storyline.
While this Ivanka-inspired song won’t necessarily allow Ivanka to revisit her punk phase (seeing as Gang of Four specializes in the post-punk genre, which is inherently an experimental rock style that’s inspiring by punk music), Ivanka is actually the face of the EP’s cover.
Regardless, Gang of Four fans seem to be praising the band’s new song. One fan tweets, “I LUV EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS Gang of Four’s latest album “Complicit” features @IvankaTrump on the cover AND the EP includes a track called “Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have)” EP drops April 20.”
I LUV EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS
Gang of Four’s latest album “Complicit” features @IvankaTrump on the cover AND the EP includes a track called “Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have)”
EP drops April 20. pic.twitter.com/CYaHIZoiHr
— Maggie Jordan: (@MaggieJordanACN) April 5, 2018
Whereas other Twitter users are more fascinated with reading the comments about the band’s Ivanka-induced song. “Eating my lunch and reading the comments on the new Gang of Four Song,” the user tweets. (Same @fortunamajor, same.)
eating my lunch and reading the comments on the new Gang of Four song
— 3PY (@fortunamajor) April 18, 2018
However, Ivanka isn’t the only political figure that the Gang of Four references in the song. At one point in the song, the band adds, “In the morning daddy wants me in his room, it’s where we get together/It’s not true that daddy calls my name in stormy weather.”
Aside from the pseudo-sexual/incest-y insinuation that Ivanka meets her father in his bedroom, the mention of “stormy weather” is a clear reference to Stormy Daniels. In case you’re unaware, Stormy Daniels allegedly had an affair with Trump and recently filed a lawsuit against the president.
Nevertheless, we can’t help but wonder if Gang of Four will look to another member of the Trump family for musical inspiration.