A lot of politicians in Indonesia sing the same old songs. Singing is one of the informal prerequisites for an Indonesian public official, the way that, say, owning a dog is in the U.S. Old songs, though, do not suit Indonesia’s current President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. “SBY” writes his own material, and last fall he released his fourth album of original tunes, called Harmoni, a musical plea for the environment. The burly 63-year-old President, who stands nearly six feet tall, hardly fits the boy-band archetype popular in Indonesia, but he plays guitar and has a voice that recalls John Denver. He makes music videos, as do his fans (and satirists) on YouTube (GOOG). SBY’s songs often entreat Indonesians to lift up their country and the world, and they reveal the President’s sentimental side. A devout Muslim, he often beseeches God for peace and guidance. During last year’s nationally televised Independence Day Celebration, a schoolboy and a 128-person choir belted out an SBY composition called From Jakarta to Oslo for Our World. It begins:

Far away from the edge of the world
I come to bring hope
Together, allied, the servants of God
We must unite to save
The purity of our world.

Thoughtfulness and empathy are part of SBY’s persona: He occasionally tears up when speaking about issues his government faces, such as the poverty of farmers. SBY came to office in Indonesia’s first direct Presidential election in 2004. In 2009 he was reelected for a second five-year term, garnering 74 million votes, or 60 percent of ballots cast. In a part of the world that has seen its share of strongmen, the former general has avoided the temptation to play autocrat. The country’s 13-year-old constitution, as interpreted by SBY, gives the President surprisingly little power. (He is term-limited from running again.) He must appeal to the country’s instincts for justice, national cohesion, pluralism, and prosperity. That’s a big job in the...