When it came time to decide what this week’s Top 5 topic was gonna be I didn’t have to look any further than the front page of my favorite news sites.
The topic picked itself. Protest songs.
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Go!
Iris Dement – Wasteland of The Free: From Iris’s 1996 album, The Way I Should.
Otis Gibbs – The People’s Day: I see hope for our country in what’s happening in others lately. One day our whispers will be louder than their screams. The people’s day will come.
Old Crow Medicine Show – Union Maid: Originally written by Woody Guthrie in response to a request for a union song from a female point of view.
Circle Jerks – Fortunate Son: This is (obviously) actually a Creedence Clearwater Revival song but I think the Circle Jerks’ version does a better job of conveying the anger in the song. The song was inspired by David Eisenhower, the grandson of President Dwight David Eisenhower who married Julie Nixon, the daughter of President Richard Nixon in 1968. John Fogerty told Rolling Stone: “Julie Nixon was hanging around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none of these people were going to be involved with the war…”
Public Enemy – Fight The Power: Fight The Power has largely served as the political statement of purpose for Public Enemy, and serves as their biggest single.
I wanted to include one more. I wanted to include it in my 5 but could not decide if it was a song or a spoken word piece put to music. Which ever you wanna call it, it’s one of the best protest pieces ever done:
Autopsy IV
Part time blogger. Full time hater.
1–Country Joe McDonald—FEEL LIKE I’M FIXING TO DIE
2–CCR——————–RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE
3–Buffalo Springfield—-FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
4–Coven——————ONE TIN SOLDIER
5–CCR——————–FORTUNATE SON
Signs- five man electric band
Eve of Destruction- Barry macguire
Blowin in the wind- Dylan
Imagine- john lennon
I can’t even pick 5 because only one comes to mind.
Frank Turner – Love, Ire, and Song
1. With God on Our Side – Bob Dylan
2. Blowin in the Wind – Bob Dylan
3. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
4. All Along the Watchtower – Bob Dylan
5. Killing in Name – Rage Against the Machine
I love this subject. I could do on and on and on.
Phil Ochs – I Ain’ Marching Anymore
The Internationale
Neil Young – Rockin’ In The Free World
MC5 – The American Ruse
The (International) Noise Conspiracy – Smash It Up
Neil Young – Vampire Blues – cant get this one outta my head lately
NOFX – Franco unamerican
Propaghandi – all of them, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be todays empires tommorrows ashes.
Steve Earle – The revolution starts now
Midnight Oil – Beds are Burning
BLACK FLAG – RISE ABOVE
Masters Of War – Dylan
The World Is Yours – Hangdogs
Puttin’ People On The Moon – DBT
We Can’t Make It Here – McMurtry
Is This Thing Working – Todd Snider
I’ll Be A Hero (When I Strike) – Merle Haggard
Time To Get A Gun – Fred Eaglesmith
The Fighting Side Of Me – Merle Haggard
Welfare Cadillac – Guy Drake
The Minute Men Are Turning In Their Graves – Stonewall Jackson
no crass?
The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff (or Joe Jackson or Keith Richards)
Ideology – Billy Bragg
One Big Union – Matthew Grimm & the Red Smear
With God on Our Side – Bob Dylan
41 Shots – Bruce Springsteen
some of many. I sings me a few.
If I Give Your Name – Emma’s Revolution
Call It Democracy – Bruce Cockburn
Wasteland of the Free – Iris Dement
Language of Violence – Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Your Next Bold Move – Ani DiFranco
Hero’s Song – Brendan James
Bought and Sold – Dar Williams
Lives in the Balance – Jackson Browne
They Dance Alone – Sting
Lawless Avenues – Jackson Browne
My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying – Buffy Sainte-Marie
Waiting for a Miracle – Bruce Cockburn
For America – Jackson Browne
We Work the Black Seam – Sting
Democracy – Leonard Cohen
Television, the Drug of the Nation – Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Talkin’ Bout a Revolution – Tracy Chapman
When I Was a Boy – Dar Williams
Jerusalem – Steve Earle
Dear Mr. President – Pink