"Harry Truman" is a song written by Robert Lamm

Robert Lamm

Robert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...

 for the group Chicago

Chicago (band)

Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...

 and recorded for their album Chicago VIII

Chicago VIII

Chicago VIII is the eighth album by American rock band Chicago and was released in 1975. Following the experimental jazz/pop stylings of Chicago VII, the band returned to a more streamlined sound on this follow-up....

(1975), with lead vocals by Lamm. The first single released from that album, it reached number thirteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

.

Written after the resignation of U.S. President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

, the lyrics are a tribute to a former President that Lamm felt the American people could trust — straight-talking Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

. “America needs you, Harry Truman”.

Despite its popularity at the time, the Beatlesque “Harry Truman” only appears on two of Chicago's compilation albums Group Portrait (now out of print) and The Box

The Box (Chicago)

The Box is a five-CD/one DVD career-spanning box set by popular American group Chicago and was compiled and released through Rhino Records in 2003...

. It is rarely performed in the band's live shows.

This song was “performed” by Chicago in late 1974 as part of the 1975 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest is a television program that airs every New Year's Eve on ABC. It has been hosted by Dick Clark since its first airing on Sunday, December 31, 1972. Ryan Seacrest has been the program's co-host since the December 31, 2005 telecast...

special, in which Chicago guitarist Terry Kath

Terry Kath

Terry Alan Kath , born in Chicago, Illinois, was the original guitarist and founding member of the rock band Chicago...

can be seen mocking the band's obvious lip-synching by holding cue cards depicting the song's lyrics.