Despite what its name indicates, “I Love Mulki” is not a song of love and devotion toward Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki. The song, which has gone viral on social media, mocks the prime minister with the lyrics, “Mulki [whom] I love, please increase my taxes. … Mulki [whom] I love, I want to fill my car with gas” — a clear reference to the new taxes imposed on more than 164 commodities, including gas, as part of Jordan’s 2018 budget.
Satire, rather than street demonstrations, appears to be the tool of choice for a group of Jordanians who want to have their objections to the government’s decisions heard. “I Love Mulki” was performed on the internet program “Tashweesh Wadeh” (“Clear Confusion”). Young Jordanians are glued to their screens every Monday at 9:30 p.m. to watch this show. A new episode comes out every week on YouTube that speaks of current events in a mocking way, often rewriting the lyrics of well-known songs such as Queen’s “We Will Rock You” or Los del Rio’s “Macarena” with new, satirical words.
