Why Every President Sucked

About

The book, the songs, the team who made them

A 2009 book that picked up a soundtrack along the way, and finally has a home online.

The book

One damning, true action from every U.S. presidency — no exceptions, no favorites. That was the 2009 book. Years later it became 43 songs, one per president, three or four chords apiece. This site is both: the essays, the lyrics, and the chords.

The author

Eric Olsen has spent 15+ years in education marketing, most recently as a CMO. This is his long-running side project — part history obsession, part songwriting outlet. He lives in San Diego County with his wife and two kids.

The design

Every bit of this project's look — the original book, and now this site — comes from designer Lauren Meranda. She took a satirical one-off idea and gave it a visual identity sharp enough to still hold up 15+ years later. See her full case study on the project at laurenmeranda.com.

Get in touch

Say something

Corrections, a favorite lyric, a request for president #45 and beyond, or just a hello — the form goes straight to Eric.