John Farnham's classic Australian anthem “You're The Voice” has become the focus of a viral video supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.
The shocking track, which has been a staple of Australian culture since its release in 1986, is now resonating with American voters as Harris enters the spotlight as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate.
While Harris' official campaign released its first video on July 25 to Beyoncé's 2016 song “Freedom,” it's the unofficial clip of Farnham's inspirational anthem that has social media talking.
The video, created by social media user @politicsusa46, has garnered over 140,000 views at the time of writing. It opens with a montage of Donald Trump's most controversial moments before transitioning to emotional footage of Harris accompanied by Farnham's powerful vocals.
Australians were quick to follow up on the video's comments. “As an Australian, it's great to see John Farnham and 'You're the Voice' being used in the Kamala ads. Perfect fit,” one person wrote on X, while another added, “Wow! This song is practically our second national anthem Down Under.”
This is not the first time that “You're the Voice” has been used in a political context.
The song was mainly used to support the 'Yes' campaign in the 2023 Indigenous Voice Australian referendum, with Farnham's full support. However, it was also played unofficially at anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, a use which Farnham's manager publicly condemned.
Meanwhile, the singer has kept a low profile since his cancer diagnosis in 2022, during which he underwent 11-and-a-half-hour surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth. The procedure was followed by eight weeks of radiation therapy.
A year after the marathon surgery, Farnham received the all-clear from his doctors and described himself as “the luckiest man alive”. “I'm home now and I'm a very grateful and happy person,” he shared. In March 2023, the singer was hospitalized again for treatment of a respiratory infection, from which he recovered two months later.
John Farnham's “You're The Voice” was an international hit upon its release in 1986.
It reached No. 1 in Australia and performed well across Europe, including No. 6 in the UK, No. 3 in Ireland, No. 1 in Sweden, No. 6 in Switzerland, No. 4 in Austria, at No. 9 in Denmark, and No. 10 in West Germany.
It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 10, 1990, peaked at No. 82 on March 3, 1990, and spent eight weeks on the chart. The song also peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Heart's 1991 cover of the track reached No. 20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.
