Happy new year to everyone and what better way to start the year with a bit of musing on how to make the world a better place. I’ve just finished reading Dorian Lynskey’s massive “33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs”. Highly recommended reading. It charts the protest song from Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” to the current day, outlining the ups and downs of the genre over the years and how it has practically disappeared from view in recent years.
“I thought that if you had an acoustic guitar
Then it meant that you were a protest singer
Oh, I can smile about it now but at the time it was terrible”
(Morrissey, “Shakespeare’s Sister”)
What exactly constitutes a protest song is a bit hard to nail down. Lynskey defines it as a song “which addresses a political issue in a way which aligns itself with the underdog”. To me, there’s a thin line between songs protesting against a given issue and advocating for change and songs commenting on an issue. For example, Public Enemy quite clearly want to change the system whereas Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, while delivering sharp social commentary isn’t obviously a protest song per se.
And then there’s the issue of did/do/can protest songs achieve any kind of change? Did the Specials bring down apartheid? Did Frankie bring down communism? Did Neil Young end the Vietnam war? Of course not, but, each in their own way did manage to raise awareness of particular issues. Even the achievements of Band Aid can be debated ad nauseum.
As someone with a bit of time on my hands, I’ve put together a playlist covering most of the bases. It’s not exhaustive but should give you an idea of the range of topics covered, although I’ve chosen not to include Sammy Hagar’s “I can’t drive 55” paean to increasing the speed limit! You’ll also spot some notable ommisions, such as Radiohead – protest songs are not always known for their tunefulness and I’ve drawn the line at cryptic nasal whinings. Having a natural preference for tunes over lyrics, many of the subtler protest songs probably passed me by and you may find some surpising entries below.
So, here you go, in rough chronological order. Let me know what I’ve missed. As might be expected there’s a bias towards the 80s but then there were rather a lot of issues to complain about then. As Lynskey states in the epilogue, “I began this book intending to write a history of a still-vital form of music. I finished it wondering instead if I had composed a eulogy. The failure of protest songs to catch light during the Bush years leaves one wondering what exactly it would take to spark a genuine resurgence.” So if it’s not an absence of issues then what has led to the apparent dearth of recent protest songs? Are the great unwashed not willing to listen to such songs anymore? Are artists unconvinced of their efficacy? Thoughts on a postcard.
Billie Holliday – Strange Fruit
Woody Guthrie – This Land Is Our Land
The Weavers – If I Had a Hammer
Martha Reeves’ version is much better (or, if you want a fun version with all the protest taken out, check out the French version from Claude Francois) but I wanted to include another Martha song instead.
Pete Seeger – Which Side Are You On?
Along with Woody Guthrie, one of the early giants of protest music, with umpteen tracks to choose from. Went for this one in the end, although I originally came to the song via Billy Bragg.
Ray Charles – Georgia on my Mind
Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam
Together with “Strange Fruit”, these 2 make for a stunning trio on segregation and race relations.
Bob Dylan – The Times They are a-changin’
He had to be there somewhere!
Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come
Written in response to “The Times They are a-changin’” – Cooke was amazed that “a white boy” could write something like that.
MC5 – Motorcity is Burning
A cover of John Lee Hooker’s song dealing with the Detroit riots of 1967, this is often mentioned in the same breath as Martha’s “Dancing in the Streets” but that’s actually more serendipitous than a deliberately intended protest song.
Country Joe and the Fish – I Feel Like I’m Fixing to Die Rag
And here we come to the Vietnam section…
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young – Ohio
Jimmy Cliff – Vietnam
Bobby Darin – Simple Song of Freedom
Simon and Garfunkel – Silent Night/7 O’Clock News
Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction
Martha Reeves – I Should be Proud
Edwin Starr – War
Had to be there but I’m not that keen on it and, apparently, Whitfield and Strong wrote it for commercial rather than political reasons – “War, ha, what is it good for? Big royalty cheques!”
John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Quite a few to choose from here too.
The Temptations – Ball of Confusion
The Impressions – Keep on Pushing
Thunderclap Newman – Something in the Air
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Paul Kelly – Stealing in the Name of the Lord
Concerning preachers who line their own pockets.
Stevie Wonder – Living for the City
Gil Scott Heron – The Revolution Will Not be Televised
A classic of the genre
Max Romeo – War Ina Babylon
There were quite a few reggae songs to choose from from this period
Junior Murvin – Police and Thieves
The Congos – Children Crying
Carl Bean – I Was Born This Way
One of disco’s very few protest songs.
The Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK
Punk, on the other hand, is a rich seam…
The Clash – White Riot
Stiff Little Fingers – Tin Soldiers
The Ruts – Babylon’s Burning
The Jam – Eton Rifles
The Gang of Four – Ether
Concerning the political status of prisoners in Northern Ireland.
Elvis Costello – Oliver’s Army
Apparently an “anti-occupation anthem”.
UB40 – Food for Thought
Dealing with the Ethiopian famine, 4 years before Band Aid.
The Beat – Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret
I remember seeing the Beat at the Royal Festival Hall, one of my all-time favourite gigs, and they updated this to “Stand Down Tony”.
Angelic Upstarts – the Murder of Liddle Towers
Dead Kennedys – Kinky Sex Makes the World Go Round
So many to choose from!
The Specials – Ghost Town
Again, where do you start? Nelson Mandela, Racist Friend, War Crimes, Doesn’t Make it all Right, ….
Grandmaster Flash – the Message
Hip hop and rap have had a varied history with protest. With notable exceptions, emphasis tends to be more inward looking.
Elvis Costello – Shipbuilding
Seem to have Elvis twice for some reason! The Robert Wyatt version is a classic but he gets his moment of glory in a minute. For a more direct commentary on the Falklands see…
Crass – How does it Feel?
… to be the mother of a thousand dead
The Style Council – Money Go Round
Anyone remember Red Wedge?
Nena – 99 Red Balloons
Apparently dealing with a nuclear war triggered by some balloons. Must say I’d never picked up on that aspect of the song!
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
Eric Bogle – Singing the Spirit Home
Peebles’ finest takes on apartheid with spine tingling results.
Robert Wyatt – Biko
Working Week – Venceremos
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes
Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Chumbawamba – Revolution
The Redskins – Bring it Down
Could pretty much have chosen any track off the album
Billy Bragg – Betwen the Wars
An embarrassment of riches. Was going to go for “waiting for the great leap forward” but went with this one in the end.
The Housemartins – Flag Day
As it happens, I saw the Housemartins supporting Billy Bragg at the time of this, their first single.
The Men They Couldn’t Hang – The Ghosts of Cable St
Could have “the crest”, Eric Bogle’s “green fields of France” or several others, for that matter.
The The – Heartland
“… this is the 51st state of the USA…”
REM – Fall on me
Quite a few to choose from but they are generally a bit elliptical for the casual listener. This one is generally thought to be about acid rain but is actually about “general oppression”.
The Woodentops – Why
Midnight Oil – Beds are Burning
Aboriginal rights
The Pogues – Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six
Three Johns – Sold Down the River
McCarthy – We are all Bourgeois now
Didn’t think it was fair to include their entire back catalogue!
The Proclaimers – Cap in Hand
“… I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land…”
The Fatima Mansions – Blues for Ceausescu
Runrig – Protect and Survive
Wasn’t entirely sure about this one but put it in on the off chance.
Soho – Hippychick
Not simply for the Smiths sample – apparently it deals with police oppression.
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
Stereolab – French Disko
There are very few lyrics and they’re hard to make out but it is such a good song that it had to be included.
Huggy Bear – Her Jazz
Short feminist section from the Riot Grrrl period
Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
Sonic Youth – Kool Thing
Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise
Questioning Gangsta culture
The Manic Street Preachers – A Design for Life
One of very few consistently political groups of recent years.
Ballboy – Born in the USA
Much more clearly a protest song than Bruce’s original.
Black Eyed Peas – Where is the Love?
Green Day – American Idiot
Dixie Chicks – Not Ready to Make Nice
One of the very few bands to comment on the Iraq war in the early gung-ho days.
Comments
This blog entry is excellent. I have learnt lots and found it very interesting.
Well done!