tuned in to this show, will be replayed at 11PM (and i'm sure a bunch of other times) I guess protest songs are always going to be political in nature, which is why i chose this forum as opposed to the one on music.. The show featured Bob Dylan, U2, Lennon, Springsteen and many other performers that i really had no idea about.... Guess i'll watch again tonight (along with TDS ) Anyway, i wanted to get input from posters about protest songs that might have inspired you, moved you, or even (why not?) energizes you in the present political climate....including the latest artists/songs..... I feel that i (26) am too young to really ascertain how good or accurate Vh1's list was (then, again i guess it depends a lot on a person age and what kind of political climate one is living in at a given time).... So, any opinions, experiences you'd like to share?
i should make a correction: 26 is not too young an age to measure impact of music, but i cannot consider myself an expert on music by any stretch of the imagination (even if i listen to a moderate amount of it). Plus, having been in the country just a bit over ten years, it took me a while to learn the English language, and of course, lyrics play a major role in protest songs.....
For What It's Worth, There's somethin' happening here, What it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there,Tellin' me I gotta beware. I think it's time we stop, Hey, what's that sound, Everybody look what's going down.
Music geek alert: The question, for me, is, "What defines a protest song?" Is singing about a social condition automatically a protest song? For example, John Lennon's Imagine isn't a protest song, but rather a song of a his own Utopian vision, recorded during a turbulent time. But Power To The People and Give Peace A Chance express outrage, and therefore qualify. Musically and lyrically, I prefer Imagine to both of them. There's also the question of whether songs about people going through difficult times are protest songs even if they're not political in nature. Many of Bruce Springsteen's songs (namely the Nebraska, Darkness on the Edge Of Town, Born In The USA, The River, Ghost Of Tom Joad albums), for example, are about how people react when the promise of America and the American Dream are met with the cold slap of reality. But they don't necessarily advocate a change. Instead, they make you think about yourself, your friends and family. I find those to be the most effective because they age better than, say, a song against the Vietnam War. As for political protest songs, the early Dylan songs have lost none of their power over the years. Blowin' In The Wind, The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, and Only A Pawn In Their Game remain brilliant observations of what the civil rights movement was about. In the current climate, With God On Our Side and Masters Of War have particular relevance 40 years after having been written. Many people think of The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again as an anarchic protest song, but its last line, "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss," show Townshend's cynicism towards the ability of revolutions to solve problems. And yet, in its own way, Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" was as much a protest song as any, because its success toppled the adult hegemony and gave voice to a rising teenage subculture. Others that are particular relelvant right now: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding: Written by Nick Lowe, but made famous by Elvis Costello What's Going On: Marvin Gaye Fortunate Son: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction The eastern world, it is explodin', Violence flarin', bullets loadin', You're old enough to kill, but not for votin', You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin', And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin', But you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. Don't you understand what I'm trying to say? Can't you see the fears I'm feeling today? If the button is pushed, there's no running away, There'll be no one to save, with the world in a grave, Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy, And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulatin', I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin', I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation, Handful of Senators don't pass legislation, And marches alone can't bring integration, When human respect is disintegratin', This whole crazy world is just too frustratin', And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. Think of all the hate there is in Red China. Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama. Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space, But when you return, it's the same old place, The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace, You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace, Hate your next-door-neighbour, but don't forget to say grace, And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
I thought it was about Abu Ghraib. Sandanista was a great (3) album that I would put in the "protest" category.
Here are some of the songs I remember from what I saw of the show this afternoon: Sun City (Steve Van Zandt & others) (?) Biko - Peter Gabriel (?) Freedom - RATM (?) Get up stand up (?) Born in the USA (10) Fight the Power (9) Sunday, Bloody Sunday (8?) What's going on? (7?) Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday (6?) Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud - James Brown (4?) Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (3?) This land is your land, this land is my land - Woody Guthrie (2) Blowin' in the wind (1) I really lost track of some of the list - I tuned in around number 16 but don't remember some of the first ones I saw. As far as the order of the list - I only remember 9/10 and 1/2 for sure. The others I'm trying to guess at their spots on the list.
"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again. He's got himself in a terrible jam Way down yonder in Vietnam So put down your books and pick up a gun, We're gonna have a whole lotta fun. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam; And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. and so on. By Country Joe and the Fish
Bob Marley & The Wailers Yeah, that's a decent, though predictable, list- right down to having Strange Fruit - certainly the most compelling of the group - in the Top Ten.
Sorry for the confusion - the question mark is for the position on the list, not the artist. I knew most of the artists - those that I didn't know beforehand I wrote in here assuming others also might not.
Edwin Starr's "War" (Springsteen has a much later version too) is a very simple, powerful protest song that I have always liked. The music is very stripped own and basic, as though the war has torn most of the melodic content away.
This is VH1's list: (If someone could fill in the blanks, I'd appreciate it, since i missed a few): tried internet and vh1's site, and despite what they said, i could not find the full list...Or maybe i'm not savvy enough to locate it.... 25. (Blank) 24.Neil Young- Keep on rocking on the free world 23.Black Eyed Peas- Where is the Love? 22.Band Aid- Do they know it's Christmas? 21.The Special AKA- Free Nelson Mandela 20. The Clash- London Calling 19. Creedence Clearwater Revival- Fortunate Son 18. System of a Down- Boom 17.Patti Smith- People have the Power 16. Grand Master and the Furious Five- The Message 15. Peter Gabriel- Biko 14. Rage Against the Machine- Freedom 13. Artists United Against Apartheid- Sun City 12. The Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the UK 11.Bob Marley- Get up, Stand up 10. Bruce Springteen- Born in the USA 9. Public Enemy- Fight the Power 8. U2-Sunday Bloody Sunday 7. (Blank) 6.Billie Holiday- Strange Fruit 5. Marvin Gaye- What's going on? 4. John Lennon- Give peace a chance 3. James Brown- Say it Loud (i'm Black and I'm Proud) 2. Woody Guthry- This land is your land 1. Bob Dylan- Blowing in the wind A few of these song have been mentioned by the posters, so maybe it's not a bad one.... I don't know about the "quality" of the list....As i've said before, i'm not exactly a music geek...But i appreciated the fact that in the show they tried to give a little of the story behind the song, the time, the theme, etc....For example, I had no idea about Marvin Gaye's drawing inpiration from his brother's experiences in Vietnam, or what it took for someone to sing so eloquently (and yet not being overly explicit) about lyinching- see #6...Or "This Land is your land" being a protest against "God Bless America" because Guthry felt it was too triumphal and excluded the real majority of people who make up this great nation-as one of the commentators said: "not being simply the nation of the 'Rockefellers' "....Really interesting stuff, plus a lot more i won't post since i guess those who watched it already know what i'm referring to....or will post themselves if they want to bring it up and share it... BTW, guys if you post lyrics, please post the artist and titles for those like me who are "musically challenged" ..Thanks If I can contribute in the smallest of senses… Incubus’ “Megalomaniac” makes me think of lot of undeserving leaders, not just in America, but all over the world.. And the mention of a poster of Green Day is interesting, because i always thoguht for the most part they were not serious enough when it came most of their music....Yet their latest CD is pretty damn good and mature, so to speak
How could they have left out Gil Scott Heron? You will not be able to stay home, brother. You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out. You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip, Skip out for beer during commercials, Because the revolution will not be televised. The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox In 4 parts without commercial interruptions. The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary. The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will not be brought to you by the Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia. The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal. The revolution will not get rid of the nubs. The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother. There will be no pictures of you and Willie May pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run, or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance. NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32 or report from 29 districts. The revolution will not be televised. There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers in the instant replay. There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers in the instant replay. There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process. There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving For just the proper occasion. Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and women will not care if Dick finally gets down with Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day. The revolution will not be televised. There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news and no pictures of hairy armed women liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose. The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth. The revolution will not be televised. The revolution will not be right back after a message bbout a white tornado, white lightning, or white people. You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl. The revolution will not go better with Coke. The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath. The revolution will put you in the driver's seat. The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised. The revolution will be no re-run brothers; The revolution will be live.
Sorry. "For What It's Worth" The Buffalo Springfield (short lived band that included Neil Young and Stephen Stills) 1967 There's somethin' happening here, What it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there,Tellin' me I gotta beware. I think it's time we stop, Hey, what's that sound, Everybody look what's going down. It came out in 1967 and was truly something of an anthem going forward through the late 60s. Its been remade by several bands, and I really can't see how it could be left off the list.
A different thread reminded me of Bikini Kill, so I'm going with the songs Bikini Kill did with Joan Jett, especially "New Radio" and "Rebel Girl." All of BK's songs are angry chunks of punk rock feminism, but these are angry and really, really rock. Kathleen Hanna's lyrics were heavy-handed and usually quite bad, but the last line of "New Radio" ("Let's wipe our come off my parent's bed") still makes me blush. Public Enemy's "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" is another great one. The list, though, has too much 60's hippie crap for my tastes. And I'd rather drive a nail through my funny bone than have to listen to "Eve of Destruction" ever again.
I basically agree except that there are a few classics that transcend time. Most of those are remade several times over. Also, while it may not be your cup of tea, the 60's hippie crap is really where the whole "protest song" thing started. So leaving it out of the discussion is like talking about baseball history starting with Reggie Jackson.