Political music

[FuzzyOnDetails]

I thought I would start a thread for peoples favourite political music. I will start with some Billy Bragg:

Edited August 17, 2009 by FuzzyOnDetails

[Wild Bill]

This is where it all started for me:

[FuzzyOnDetails]

Another by Billy Bragg:

Barry McGuire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8SfiCnwF28

Tom Lehrer

[FuzzyOnDetails]

Gogol Bordello:

[bush_cheney2004]

Toby Keith - "The Taliban Song"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-qqbaxcWDI

Edited August 17, 2009 by bush_cheney2004

[Oleg Bach]

Here comes Tony - you had better hide...I told you - I liked the seriour and tough BC...stop being a fun guy...this machine does not have the sound hooked up - would have to cross the room to view the vid....is it a spoof..I suspect.

[M.Dancer]

[FuzzyOnDetails]

Billy Bragg again:

[BubberMiley]

My favourite political music are the old reefer ballads and murder ballads and race records of the 1930s. There is no better political song than "Black and Blue."

But I was introduced to political music as an impressionable youth through sweet innocence of 1980s Winnipeg hardcore. Ah, those were the days.

[DogOnPorch]

[msj]

Survivalism

[GostHacked]

MC Frontalot - Special Delivery .....talking about Bush and war on terror

http://frontalot.com/index.php/?page=lyrics&lyricid=30 (better off to listen to the track off his website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PXio9yGo1I

Frontline Assembley - Victim of a Criminal. .... racism social instability.

http://www.mindphaser.com/index.php?page_id=267

Rush - Manhattan Project, the desctuction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the end of WWII.

http://www.mp3lyrics.org/r/rush/manhattan-project/

[stranger little]

i think Radiohead makes the best political/social statements for our time.

[GostHacked]

i think Radiohead makes the best political/social statements for our time.

I have not really listened in to the lyrics much for radio head.

U2 used to be quite political, and they still somewhat are. They started going downhill for me after Joshua Tree. But during the early 80s they had quite a few good ones. Sunday bloody sunday is one of their finest.

[Sabre Rider]

A couple more contemporary tunes.

Cheney's Toys

[Melanie_]

A great remix, some classic Bob Marley.

[kimmy]

I find much of today's overtly political music to be rather ... lacking.

Rage Against The Machine or System Of A Down typify it... loud, angry, anti-establishment... which are all fine... but the lyrics themselves just aren't very smart. I think it's great that they have something they want to say... but if you've got something to say, it sure helps if you can say it well.

I think a lot of overtly political music from most eras fails for the same reason. I can't think of anything more tedious and less edifying than "4 dead in Ohio", for example. Or any of a thousand yokels with guitars singing about how terrible war is. (War is terrible? Whoa! Really?) Or Tom Lehrer and his "razor wit".

Of all the yokels with guitars singing anti-war songs, the only one I care for is Alice's Restaurant. It's unique and funny.

I'm glad that people have mentioned stuff that steps outside the realm of yokels with guitars.

-k

{na na-na-na na, na na, na, Nixon blah blah, na na-na-na na, na na, na...}

[Moonlight Graham]

Rage Against The Machine or System Of A Down typify it... loud, angry, anti-establishment... which are all fine... but the lyrics themselves just aren't very smart. I think it's great that they have something they want to say... but if you've got something to say, it sure helps if you can say it well.

I disagree. I think both bands are very intelligent and get their message out there pretty clear without dumbing it down.

Some of politcal music fav's:

"If I Was A Tidal Wave" by Matthew Good:

"Black Helicopter" by Matthew Good (great line: "Hey Sammy ain't ya heard, only killers call killing "progress"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWkP4dOiosY

"The Unthinking Majority" by Serj Tankian:

"Let's Impeach The President" by Neil Young:

"World On Fire" by Sarah McLachlan:

And 2 amazing videos/songs by Rage Against The Machine:

"Sleep Now In The Fire" (directed by Michael Moore)

(also directed by Michael Moore i believe)

[Oleg Bach]

I hear live new bands on a steady basis - the vocalist writers who have something to say - are so stylized that you can not understand the lyrics- so you have beat and power - but no story. Those with nothing to say who just love to be on stage - also say nothing - the story is pronouned and one of typical youthful rebellion but it's lacking in content. Very few artists these days have the save the world agenda that was big in the 60s up to the 80s..there is little social conciousness. The best they can do when you have a good act is to bring positive feelings of joy..when that happens it's a delight and it does improve the world..but it's a skill..few understand how to put together a pop hit - and with record companies wondering how to profit in the computer down load age - great acts are no longer coming up as they should. All that is left is to tour - to charge 50 bucks a ticket and go town to town using the net as promo.

[Remiel]

While I do not think he did a lot of political music, my favourite "yokell with a guitar" did write Black Day in July, which I think would qualify as one of Argus' type of classics.

[Oleg Bach]

While I do not think he did a lot of political music, my favourite "yokell with a guitar" did write Black Day in July, which I think would qualify as one of Argus' type of classics.

Almost brazen that Lighfoot as a young man dared stick his face into American politics. We forget that he did have influence...it's amazing he is still ticking...During his hey day - the gave him a writing office - and an endless supply of whiskey that slowed him down in the game...it was charming to hear the old bastard still put out some magic recently - never quit..that's the secret.

[bush_cheney2004]

Classic yokel Jonathan Edwards with guitar still making beer money from "Sunshine (Go Away Today)" from over 35 years ago:

[Melanie_]

Here's a yokel with a piano singing an anti war song... one that I find particularly moving.

Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon

[kimmy]

Oh dear... the "yokels with guitars" comment seems to have taken on a life of its own.

Seeing the thread title, and realizing the number of old-people on this board, I expected that this thread would be filled with folk-singing hippies singing about Vietnam, and was pleasantly surprised that people had brought other stuff instead. Except for Wild Bill, who brought

Personally, watching that made me want to put on my steel-toed boots, grab some pepper-spray, and oppress some hippies.

I suppose "Country Joe" did accomplish one thing that I'd thought was impossible. He made me feel empathy for Prime Minister Chretien. I had once said that if I ever met Jean Chretien in person, I would want to punch him. But now I think that maybe if we could spend an afternoon together pepper-spraying hippies and choking protesters, maybe we could be friends.

-k