There is a great tradition in popular music of the political or protest song. I like a lot of music that comes under that banner, but have also spent 20 odd years following the career of Billy Bragg & largely skipping his straight political songs. (A slight exageration.) Not out of disagreement, but because his polemic often doesn't communicate well in a three minute song.
So what are the great protest/political songs & why? I would love to see some lists to challenge my own narrow world-view!
Mandate my ass!
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double dutchess
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Having just watched No Direction Home last night, I'm all like "Don't call them protest songs, man! Quit tryin' to put everything in a neat little box! And stop telling me to suck on my glasses!" but, having just typed that, my all time favorite is Dylan's Desolation Row. Maybe it's not a ripped from the headlines bit of reportage but I think it captures the insanity and absurdity of existence so powerfully and, unlike most protest songs, it's such a hysterically funny lyric on top of having a strong conscience.
Public Enemy's 911 Is A Joke also got to me because you could hear the anger pouring out of it and then there's Tom T. Hall who wrote the most progressive-minded political fables in country music like The Monkey Who Became President, Watergate Blues and Mama Baked A Pie. Again, what seperated him from the rest was, 1. He could write better than anyone in Nashville and 2. He remembered it had to work as a song first and then as commentary.
Public Enemy's 911 Is A Joke also got to me because you could hear the anger pouring out of it and then there's Tom T. Hall who wrote the most progressive-minded political fables in country music like The Monkey Who Became President, Watergate Blues and Mama Baked A Pie. Again, what seperated him from the rest was, 1. He could write better than anyone in Nashville and 2. He remembered it had to work as a song first and then as commentary.
My all-time fave in this category remains PL&U. The fact that Nick meant to be ironic, but hit on something real, may be what gives it a certain depth without be obnoxiously tasteful in a Holly Nearish sort of way.
("We are gentle, loving people" was parodied by one of my more clever fellow 80's peacniks as "We are a smug, self-righteous people")
I also dig Edwin Starr's "War" and Mr. Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother" and most especially "You Haven't Done Nothing", the unofficial anthem of the Democratic Leadership Council.
("We are gentle, loving people" was parodied by one of my more clever fellow 80's peacniks as "We are a smug, self-righteous people")
I also dig Edwin Starr's "War" and Mr. Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother" and most especially "You Haven't Done Nothing", the unofficial anthem of the Democratic Leadership Council.
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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Mr. Average
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