Music to Soothe the Savage Beast

By Stephen M. Silverman

09/19/2001 at 11:24 AM EDT

Michael Jackson, move over. Utah's republican Senator Orrin Hatch, moved by the events of last week, has taken pen to keyboard and composed a song, "Americans United," reports the Associated Press. Actually, his press representative said that Hatch scrawled out the song on a yellow legal pad. He started writing it Monday. "The whole terrorist attack has had him thinking about what has happened," said spokesman Chris Rosche, "and he's had a couple ideas about the song that he might dedicate to what has happened." Hatch is no novice to the music scene. In the past, he has written dozens of religious and patriotic tunes, and he has seven CDs to his credit. Earlier this year, one of his songs, a ditty called "America Rocks," was used in the slapstick movie "Rat Race." In other music news, last week, it was announced that Michael Jackson and other artists, including Britney Spears and Destiny's Child, hope to raise $50 million for the relief effort by recording a new song, "What More Can I Give," proceeds of which will go to help the cause.