The unofficial theme song to George Bush's 1988 presidential campaign was a Grammy-Award winning song with an inspirational title. What song?

In the fall of 1988, this cheerful a cappella tune was a cultural phenomenon, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The George H.W. Bush campaign seized upon its simple, optimistic message of contentment, which aligned perfectly with their goal of continuing the policies of the Reagan era. The song was frequently played at campaign rallies across the country, quickly becoming the campaign's unofficial anthem and cementing its place in political history.

However, the song's creator was deeply unhappy with the association. Bobby McFerrin was a vocal supporter of Bush's opponent, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and was dismayed to see his work used to promote a candidate he opposed. McFerrin publicly demanded the campaign stop using his work and even temporarily stopped performing the song himself to distance it from the political arena.

This incident became a classic example of the frequent tension between artists and political campaigns that co-opt their music. Beyond the political controversy, the song was a landmark achievement.