Bundle Drum Sheet Easy – 4 Non Blondes – Dear Mr. President

“Dear Mr. President” is a blistering protest track that captures the raw political angst of the early 1990s. Nestled within the band’s sole album, Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992), the song is a bold letter of discontent directed at the U.S. government, brimming with urgency and rebellion. While 4 Non Blondes are mostly remembered for their smash hit “What’s Up?”, this song reveals a darker, heavier side of their artistry — one where anger, disillusionment, and fire take center stage.

From the first few bars, the drums take charge. Dawn Richardson doesn’t just play a beat — she commands the momentum. Her parts are tightly woven with the song’s emotional arc: marching rhythms that evoke protest and defiance, tom rolls that add tension, and snare hits that land like punches. The groove is steady but charged, almost militaristic at times, reinforcing the confrontational tone of the lyrics. It’s the kind of drumming that doesn’t need to be flashy — it needs to hit hard, and it absolutely does.

Lead singer Linda Perry delivers a fearless vocal performance, her voice flipping between spoken-word-like precision and soaring rage. The lyrics are direct and pointed, calling out hypocrisy, indifference, and war policies. But it’s the band’s unified sound — especially the tight synergy between drums and guitar riffs — that turns this song into a full-body protest anthem rather than just a lyrical one.

Reportedly written during the rise of social unrest and post-Gulf War criticism, the song was shaped during raw jam sessions where Perry would show up with skeletal ideas, and the band would flesh them out with grit and instinct. You can hear that spontaneity in the recording — it’s not overpolished, it’s lived-in, played loud, and meant to shake you.

Live, “Dear Mr. President” was a highlight in their sets. When performed unplugged, Richardson adapted her playing with brushes and stripped-down patterns, but never lost the song’s bite. Whether amplified or acoustic, her drumming remained the backbone.

For drum lovers, this song is a reminder that power isn’t about speed or complexity — it’s about intent. Every beat in “Dear Mr. President” serves the song’s message: urgent, unafraid, and impossible to ignore.