Protest Songs
The American Sociological Association has created a list of "essential" protest songs.
Among the selections:
“We Shall Overcome,”
“The Times They Are A-Changin’”--Bob Dylan
“Which Side Are You On?”--1930's union anthem
“Fight the Power”--Public Enemy.
“Respect”--Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin
“Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” --James Brown.
“I Ain’t Marching Anymore”--Phil Ochs.
“Strange Fruit”--Abel Meeropol
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”--lyrics by James Weldon Johnson; music by J. Rosamond Johnson.
I agree with Bob Dylan (who wrote so many brilliant protest songs it's hard to limit him to one), Public Enemy and James Brown. I don't think any of the others would make my Protest! mix tape.
Jason Zengerle wrote a good piece in the New Republic on why there's no good protest music anymore. Iraq War protest music was terrible--preachy, whiny and about as literary as a Democratic National Committee leaflet. He laments the lack of artists like Dylan:
" . . .A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" which Dylan wrote during the Cuban missile crisis--never specifically mentions war. Instead, it uses apocalyptic imagery--'I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests, I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans. ... I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin', I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'--to convey the horrors of war and, in the process, transcends its topic."
Here's my mix tape:
The Times They Are A-Changin'--Bob Dylan
Fight The Power--Public Enemy
Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)--James Brown
This Land Is Your Land--Woodie Guthrie (Bruce Springsteen live version!)
Open Letter To A Landlord--Living Color
My City Was Gone--The Pretenders
White Riot--the Clash
Things Goin' On--Lynyrd Skynyrd
Inner City Blues--Marvin Gaye
Living For The City--Stevie Wonder
Atomic Power--Louvin Brothers (Uncle Tupelo version)
Biko--Peter Gabriel
Talking 'Bout A Revolution--Tracy Chapman
Burnin' & Lootin'--Bob Marley
There Is Power In A Union--Billy Bragg
Born In The U.S.A.--Bruce Springsteen
Bullet The Blue Sky--U2 (live version)
Fight For Your Right (To Party)--Beastie Boys
. . .well, maybe not that last one
Among the selections:
“We Shall Overcome,”
“The Times They Are A-Changin’”--Bob Dylan
“Which Side Are You On?”--1930's union anthem
“Fight the Power”--Public Enemy.
“Respect”--Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin
“Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” --James Brown.
“I Ain’t Marching Anymore”--Phil Ochs.
“Strange Fruit”--Abel Meeropol
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”--lyrics by James Weldon Johnson; music by J. Rosamond Johnson.
I agree with Bob Dylan (who wrote so many brilliant protest songs it's hard to limit him to one), Public Enemy and James Brown. I don't think any of the others would make my Protest! mix tape.
Jason Zengerle wrote a good piece in the New Republic on why there's no good protest music anymore. Iraq War protest music was terrible--preachy, whiny and about as literary as a Democratic National Committee leaflet. He laments the lack of artists like Dylan:
" . . .A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" which Dylan wrote during the Cuban missile crisis--never specifically mentions war. Instead, it uses apocalyptic imagery--'I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests, I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans. ... I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin', I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'--to convey the horrors of war and, in the process, transcends its topic."
Here's my mix tape:
The Times They Are A-Changin'--Bob Dylan
Fight The Power--Public Enemy
Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)--James Brown
This Land Is Your Land--Woodie Guthrie (Bruce Springsteen live version!)
Open Letter To A Landlord--Living Color
My City Was Gone--The Pretenders
White Riot--the Clash
Things Goin' On--Lynyrd Skynyrd
Inner City Blues--Marvin Gaye
Living For The City--Stevie Wonder
Atomic Power--Louvin Brothers (Uncle Tupelo version)
Biko--Peter Gabriel
Talking 'Bout A Revolution--Tracy Chapman
Burnin' & Lootin'--Bob Marley
There Is Power In A Union--Billy Bragg
Born In The U.S.A.--Bruce Springsteen
Bullet The Blue Sky--U2 (live version)
Fight For Your Right (To Party)--Beastie Boys
. . .well, maybe not that last one
