Talk:Yes We Can (will.i.am song)

message: This page needs a full paragraph description of the contents of the music video, which should come immediately after the introduction and before the production section.  As the page is currently structured, it assumes the reader has already seen the music video or has the time to watch it--an unhelpful approach for most readers of Wikipedia.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zakethtrarr (talk • contribs) 05:22, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Detailed Description Needed 

message: I added David Blaine, as he is feautred in the video as well.  He says the famous Chavez line "Sí se puede."  It means "Yes, It can be done."  I think that both the David Blaine, and Yes We Can should reference each other.  I am new to this, so if anyone knows how to do it, thanks.
Spaceman32002 (talk) 18:38, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  David Blaine 

message: This is not a song that is primarily about voting, except for one text 'vote' at the end.  Just like no one is questioning whether the contributors are registered Democrats or Republicans (which has a major effect to whether they can vote for Obama anytime in the near future, if ever), it is not pertinent to discuss in this song which nation the contributors claim citizenship.  It is a song about what we can do as a nation -- and citizenship is no bar to contributing to this nation.  Just ask any of the non-citizens who work in and contribute to the U.S.  Thus the remark at the end is just a perspective bias.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.35.249.129 (talk) 22:45, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: A fair case, and you've raised an interesting point.  Obama's not just for American citizens (those who have the franchise); there's definitely a supra-national appeal as well. I only pointed out the foreign national(s) because AFAIK it's unprecedented for such to play such a role in a presidential campaign.  If Esthero has in this regard any precursors whatsoever in previous election cycles, I'd like to hear about them; she might be sui generis.  Then again, viral videos are a fairly new phenomenon! kencf0618 (talk) 15:28, 4 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Citizenship 

message: Esthero is Canadian - anyone know why she was in the video?
:Uh, because she supports Obama?  Although she doesn't have the franchise here, she can lend her talent in support of the campaign every bit as much as Yael (whom I presume has dual French-Israeli citizenship).  If anyone can further nail down the cites on the citizenship status of these two, feel free!  kencf0618 (talk) 18:24, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Esthero 

message: A previous editor added Cameron Diaz to the list of song contributors. But I don't believe Diaz was actually present in the video, and that the editor may be mistaking Amber Valletta for Diaz. Feel free to revert if I am mistaken. -asx- (talk) 04:42, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Cameron Diaz?

message: Here's an alternative formatting of the lyrics if anyone wants to use these instead of the current version. This version includes the chorus.
===Yes We Can===
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. (x2)
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. 
Yes we can. (x16)
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. (x2)
Yes we can heal this nation. 
Yes we can repair this world. 
Yes we can. (x12)
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change. (x3)
I want change. 
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
We want change.
I want change. (x3)
The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
Yes we can.
-asx- (talk) 03:32, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Lyrics

message: It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. (x2)
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. 
Yes we can. (x16)
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. (x2)
Yes we can heal this nation. 
Yes we can repair this world. 
Yes we can. (x12)
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change. (x3)
I want change. 
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
We want change.
I want change. (x3)
The hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
Yes we can.
</blockquote>
-asx- (talk) 03:32, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Yes We Can

message: Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Can we fix it?  Yes we can!
I'm sure it's just coincidence, but I'm quite amazed.  Tim (Xevious) (talk) 08:39, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I'll admit it: I'm stunned you were able to find another example of someone using the words "Yes we can." It's just astonishing. I mean, really, who could have ever imagined those words having been put together in that order before, and that you were able to find them? Truly remarkable. Maybe they will make a TV show our of your remarkable discover. Perhaps Time Magazine will make you Man of the Year for 2008! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. -asx- (talk) 09:15, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  It was more the part about being able to repair or fix something ... and the fact it's a song.  But I'm happy to have provided you with your daily dose of sarcasm! Tim (Xevious) (talk) 10:32, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  I found the comparison mildly amusing when I first heard Fox News talking about it over a month ago. This joke has been circulating for weeks on right-wing blogs and elsewhere. Most people will interpret your decision to post the comparison here as a partisan attack on Obama and his supporters. -asx- (talk) 18:18, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text:  Unfortunately, and contrary to what you may have been led to believe, what with me living in the UK I've not had detailed analysis of the US not-even-a-proper-election forced upon me for the past two months.  But, in any case, everyone loves Bob the Builder.  I could think of worse people to be compared to.  Tim (Xevious) (talk) 07:15, 4 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[Bob the Builder]] 

message: Although it's one of the most quietly evocative pieces I've ever heard, I really don't have the musical chops, or for that matter the knowledge of hip-hop, to write about it any more detail than I already have.  The song itself deserves its own paragraph about its R&B and hip-hop provenance and style.  I've put up some thematic stuff, but I couldn't tell you about its time signature, what key it's in, etc., so have at it! kencf0618 (talk) 18:34, 3 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Actual Song 

message: For someone to put a section about the fact that it has been reposted by other YouTubers... umm... several times. I've already counted 25 just from the first three search pages. Lol what a viral video indeed!! At least there's something to hope about. Kopf1988 (talk) 05:36, 4 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  I Think It Appropriate 

message: Dipdive.com now shows complete credits for this video. Some of the folks listed on the webpage were not, in fact, in the Yes We Can video. This needs to be cleaned up. 
Nevermind, I did it.  Benjam1n (talk) 14:49, 4 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Someone has since fixed this. William Pietri (talk) 17:30, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

text: Who's the woman in 1:11? It's not Natasha Bedingfield as wikipedia states...  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.173.183.252 (talk) 22:55, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Complete List 

message: Hi.  Do the performers really act as a traditional Greek chorus?  I'm not so sure that makes sense.  Thanks.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 141.156.133.52 (talk) 01:26, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Greek Chrous? 

message: There is also an article on German Wikipedia, please interwiki it. Thank you. --134.155.99.42 (talk) 22:40, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Please interwiki this article

message: I hear at 1:17, "si, podemos" and at 1:57, "sí, se puede". Whats what? Spanish and what else? --134.155.99.42 (talk) 16:19, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: According to the article Sí se puede means "Yes, It can be done!" not "Yes We Can" - that would be "si, podemos" if my very limited knowledge of Spanish doesn't desert me. --Anjoe (talk) 02:14, 26 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: You're absolutely correct, Anjoe. But there's very little semantic difference between these two interchangeable expressions. --Vibragiel (talk) 07:08, 2 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: @1:17, "si, podemos" and 1:57, "sí, se puede"

message: How does he figure that Americans are one nation?  What what I've seen, a place like Texas has a completely separate national identity from a place like New England.  American probably has four or five different nations within the country.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.193.45.183 (talk) 16:05, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Well, for a European as I am the differences are neglectable, because there are much more commonalities. A Texan can drink root beer like a New Englander, but for an European this drink is almost undrinkable. Just as an example. And Europeans have different languages, but a Texan can communicate with an New Englander, if he tries to. --Tubesship (talk) 05:42, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  One nation? 

message: * - 0:09
* Jessica Alba - 0:22
* - 0:31
* - 0:32
* - 0:34
* - 0:38
* - 0:38
* - 0:39
* - 0:42
* - 0:45
* - 0:49
* Will.i.am - 0:49
* - 0:50
* - 0:51
* - Macy Gray - 0:56
* - 0:57
* - Malcolm Jamal Warner - 0:59
* - 1:02 (holding picture of Barack Obama)
* - 1:05
* - 1:07
* John Leg - 1:09
* - 1:10
* Jamie Foxx - 1:10
* - 1:11
* - 1:13
* - 1:13
* - 1:16
* - 1:16
* - 1:19
* - 1:30
* - 1:33
* - 1:33
* - 1:50
* - 2:00
* George Lopez - 2:04
* Luis Guzmán - 2:08
Bcc cindy (talk) 15:51, 2 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  We are the ones 

message: Later today I'm hoping to change this article's focus to the dipdive.com site that released the video, with subsections on the two videos they've released. One issue that I'm worried about is whether the website itself meets notability guidelines, but I think that as a grassroots effort completely separate from the campaign itself it is pretty unique in how much attention it has gotten. If anyone has strong feelings of opposition, let me know and feel free to revert and wait for a fuller discussion. -Mgcsinc (talk) 20:11, 2 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Rename to 'dipdive'? 

message: Geezer Butler said his son did editing. Here is the source: Geezer Butler official website. Tenacious D Fan (talk) 14:31, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Geezer Butler 

message: I'd love to know what the copyright status is on this song. Considering that Obama's campaign has had some of it's content (change.gov as example) released under a Creative Commons license I wonder what's the case for this work of art that was made probably without intent for profit with a speech that's probably Public Domain. Maybe this information could be placed somewhere in the article, maybe in the infobox. What do you say? JunCTionS 01:30, 23 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  License 

message: I've added a dubious tag here, pending potential deletion of "Yes We Can" ( a phrase famously used by Bob the Builder's team)" from the current revision. Before this turns into an edit war, I would like to get consensus of whether or not Bob the Builder has a place in this article.  The discussion above doesn't really delve into whether or not it does. People may feel strongly either way, therefore I want to generate discussion and perhaps even !vote whether it should be in the article. If it is in, it needs significant citation. Meanwhile, I think I am going to remove it for now because of the line's primacy in the title sentence as well as need that the entire sentence be rewritten.  Valley2city‽ 22:10, 27 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: The problem I have with the article is that it misleads people into thinking that the phrase "Yes we can" was not used publicly or as a catch phrase before the Obama use. I'll rewrite.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.149.31.230 (talk) 11:36, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bob the Builder redux. Discussion please 

message: I've rated the importance as Low due to obscurity, but I think it has reached the B level of quality.  It fulfills all of the six points well, except that the referencing is a bit sketchy with unexplained [1]'s and [citation needed] tags.  Given the subject matter it is still remarkably well sourced.  With that issue fixed and some cleanup and copy editing, it should be ready for WP:Good Article nomination in a reasonable time. Mike Serfas (talk) 06:15, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Assessment for [[WP:WikiProject Barack Obama]] 

message: "the performers (celebrities including musicians, singers and actors) echo his words in a hip-hop, call-and-response manner as his voice plays in the background."
I could be wrong, but this does NOT seem to be an example of call-and-response...they seem to be singing along to the words, not "call-and-response" in any way similar to that of hiphop or gospel.... -- 76.24.169.192 (talk) 17:13, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  song style - call-and-response? 

message: "Si, se puede" was created in 1972 but it was preceded by Sammy's great biography in 1965. It is interesting to think that Barack Obama's catch phrase may have been inspired, perhaps indirectly, by a guy who hugged Richard Nixon.
Ejpole$ (talk) 23:40, 11 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Yes I Can" (1965) is the biography of Sammy Davis Jr. 

message: There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Will.i.am which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you.  —RMCD bot 10:15, 30 August 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Move discussion in progress