Road to the Courthouse with Byrne and Crist

David Byrne is back in the news, but not for a Talking Heads reunion (PLEASE!!!!!!!!). Instead Byrne is suing Florida Governor Charlie Crist after he used the Talking Heads hit "Road to Nowhere" during a smear campaign against Republican primary candidate Marco Rubio. Byrne claims he and Warner Bros. were not asked or gave Crist permission to use the 1985 hit song. Byrne is seeking $1 million in damages.

Crist has since switched from running as a Republican to Independent for the Florida Senate. This suit continues the streak of Republicans using songs without permission and artists taking legal action. Hard rock bands like the Foo Fighters, Boston, Van Halen, and several others have taken legal action against Republicans using their songs without their permission. This trend seems to trace its roots back to when President Reagan used the Boss' "Born in the U.S.A." during his re-election, which once again proves people (and casual fans) do not really listen to lyrics. Using a popular hard rock song can definitely help get you elected and make you election campaign memorable. Just take a look at when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" to get elected during his first campaign. Needless to say it's effective, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are electing the best individual.