We’ll Never Go Back A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Jun 15 George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland (credit: Getty Images) Yesterday millions of you got off your couches and into your communities to rally for democracy and protest the presidency of Donald Trump. The mass mobilization “No Kings” was dubbed “a nationwide day of defiance.” That alone is a big reason to smile. But we have another. “No Kings” is a double entendre: First, many of Trump’s unilateral and dubious actions are more king-like than president-like. And second, this country was founded by revolutionaries who overthrew a monarch, King George III. We got rid of a king once. We won’t abide another. King George III has been depicted in multiple novels and films, and in one Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical you might have heard of. In the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” King George, originally played by Jonathan Groff, sings the rollicking song “You’ll Be Back” to his soon-to-be former subjects. He’s convinced he’ll be missed. The real one wasn’t, and neither will the wannabe. The satirical song, written in the style of British rock a la The Beatles, gives the musical a moment of comic relief. The lyrics were based on an actual address by the king to Parliament in 1775. A prescient lyric from the song is, perhaps, a moment of art imitating life: “And when push comes to shove, I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!” “You’ll Be Back” is an entertaining reminder that no, in fact, we didn’t go back, and we never will. If you want to enjoy all the songs chosen for A Reason To Smile, you can listen to this Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly. If you are able to, please support my team, who make pieces like this possible. No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading, watching, and listening. Stay Steady, Dan