These are all great songs! War sucks, man! "There's no such thing as a winnable war..." Deep! "What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." Rock on! Thanks!

P.S. Heil Hitler!

Add "Kill for Peace" by the Fugs in the obscure honorable mentions.

"In the near or very far East
Kill, kill, kill for peace!"

What kind of messed up list is this, with no Dylan? Everyone knows that the #1 protest song is "Subterranean Homesick Blues," followed at #2 by "Neighborhood Bully."

There are a lot of omissions, including some of the most famous protest songs in American history.

Of current interest:

No reference to "Wake Up Everybody," both the original by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, and the new version, recorded by an array of top hip hop and rhythm and blues artists. Impresario behind it is Babyface. It was released on a complete DVD of protest songs for this campaign season. Was Number 1 at MTV and Launch sites after its release last month. Proceeds go to the voter registration group, America Coming Together. I blogged it here.

Long view.:

~ "Kumbayah," various artists.

~ "Blowing in the Wind," Stevie Wonder. (And Bob Dylan's equally great version.)

~ "We Shall Overcome," various artists.

~ "Bring the Boys Home," Freda Payne.

~ "This is My Country," Curtis Mayfield.

~ "Mississippi Goddamn," Nina Simone.

~ "Strange Fruit," Billie Holiday.

~ "Living for the City," Stevie Wonder.

~ "Give the People What They Want," Ojays.

Recent:

~ "Where is the Love?" Black Eyed Peas. (One version with Justin Timberlake.)

~ "Why," Jadakiss.

~ "Make Love Fuck War," Moby and Public Enemy.

Off the top of my head. I am sure there are more.

The lyrics to "Bring the Boys Home. Excerpt:

Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone
Mothers are praying--send our sons back home
You marched them away--yes, you did--on ships and planes
To the senseless war, facing death in vain

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down


A vert poignant song. Once I'd heard it, I never forgot it.

Matthew, probably without even giving it a thought, you have excluded the songs of the civil rights movement from your list. I realize you are on the Right and may not approve of the civil rights movement. (Trent Lott said it better than I can.) But, it is not possible to compose a legitimate list of the most significant protest songs of America and leave those songs off. Ironically, you have included non-Americans while ignoring this important part of American history.

Addendum: I am not sure about sure about this Matt's politics. Was thinking of another Matt. However, it is surreal to read a list of protest songs with those associated with the civil rights movement missing. The omissions of Dylan and Baez are odd too.

Gotta have Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" in there. I have a soft spot for songs hot enough to be banned on American radio.

If going beyond anti-war, I'd add the Sex Pistols anti-Monarchy "God Save The Queen".

good stuff Jon, and i'd just watched that Eminem video at the top left corner. That right there reaffirms my belief in the foul-mouthed motherfucker.

As to protest songs of note, the ommision of Dylan is somewhat shocking. See also; Birmingham Six by The Pogues. Ideology by Billy Bragg ("Is there more to a seat in paliment, than sitting on your arse?") Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday (which is due to leave the Mondo MP3 Digest tonight, so hurry! http://www.mondoirlando.com/mp3_digest.html) also Party For Your Right To Fight by Public Enemy, Words Of Wisdom by Tupac, Ice Motherfucking T by Ice Motherfucking T ("Bush, Quail and Clinton got a problem wit me - The Motherfucking T - I give less than a fuck about any a them - or their fuckin police Friends") I guess for sentiment and importance and so on we could add Cop Killer by Body Count, but it loses considerable points for being a bit shit, really.

Alternative Ulster by Stiff Little Fingers, even though it was written by a jounrlaist attempting to make a punk record.
Its still much better than Sunday Bloody Sunday, which you highlight, although the IRA-baiting version on Rattle And Hum is fairly incendiary.

What else? Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine.

Of course, the ULTIMATE protest song is Califronia Uber Alles by Dead Kennedys.

Al--I'm not a huge Dylan fan, so my list doesn't include him. No disrespect, I'm just not a huge Dylan fan. I know he has a lot of anti war songs, their just not in my iPod.

"We Can be Together" and "Volunteers" by the Jefferson Airplane.

Mac Diva--you definitely have the wrong Matt. I am not on the right. I was not thinking of civil rights when putting the list together; more war/peace/shit like that. Certainly no disrespect intended there; it just wasn't the avenue I was headed down.

I'm getting killed about leaving Dylan off. I know he has a lot of protest songs, I just went for some other ones that are on my personal list of best songs. Feel free to add you own list!

Sorry, Matt. I looked at your blog and realized I had made a mistake. No 'Blogs for Bush' sticker and no pictures of Kerry being beheaded-:).

A good source for 60's era rock and folk-rock protest is Rhino's Songs of Protest. Recommended for its inclusion of Sonny Bono's "Laugh At Me" along with the Fish Cheer. . .

Oh, let us not forget Country Joe MacDonald: to the crowd: "gimme an F, gimme a U..." "Well come on all you big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again............to have your son come home in a box..." Anyway, that one is a pretty direct shot. Can't remember the actual title of the tune.

peaceloveguidance

Bill, you mentioned the Fish Cheer minutes before me. I should have read your post. Coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Yeah, we are on the same wavelength with that one.

plg

OK, coffee is starting to work. Duke, good call on the DK's 'California Uber Alles' That tune sure educated alot of punx about Pol Pot.

plg

What about Dylan's "Masters of War," which he tells them that "even Jesus will never forgive what you do" and "I hope that you died and your deaths come soon."
There's a song you won't hera on Clear Channel.

Arlo's "Alice's Restaurant" with the classic line, "I wanna keel, I want veins in my teeth"

Arlo's "Alice's Restaurant" with the classic line, "I wanna keel, I want veins in my teeth"

There's still a store here in New Haven called "The Group W Bench".

Mike, good call on Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction' Back in Seattle's punk rock daze the music editor (Gene Stout) for one of the daily papers in a concert review said that the vocalist for the X-15 band (see the one article I posted) was "punk's version of Barry McGuire". It all started to make sense to me back then.

Also during that time Vancouver B.C. had a band called the Subhumans (not the later version from somewhere else). On their great E.P. there was a song called 'Fuck You'. Later on band members and management served prison time for some high level vandelism/terrorism? Anyway, 'Fuck You' gets a vote.


Good call on Arlo G. and "Alice"

and it's 1, 2, 3,
what are we fighting for?
don't ask me
I don't give a damn
next stop is Viet Nam

So it's 5, 6, 7
open up the Pearly Gates
ain't no time to wonder why
WHOOPIE!!!
we're all gonna die

peaceloveguidance

Personally, I've always preferred the Dickies' version of "Eve," where the singer sped through "Selma, Alabama" so quickly it sounded like "semolina pilchard."

Minutemen Joe McCarthy's Ghost

Agree on Dylan being obvious, God on Our Side

No Guthrie, no Strummer? Suggestions?

Trying to thing of some jazz. Hmm.
Strange Fruit
What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue.

Oh, yeah, of course, my favorite: The Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife

How could I forget. Back to Seattle 1980.

X-15 "Vaporized".

I don't want to go out
fightin' some Russian,
some people I'd rather ignore
I don't want to lose it
on some strange shore
overseas

ooooooooo
I wanna be Vaporized

plg

I prefer Sammy Hagar's I can't Drive 55 and Twisted Sister's'We're not going to take it

post 19...more of the country joe song...

come on gen-er-als, ya better think fast;
your big chance is a-here at last.
(can't remember this line)
be the first one on your block,
to have your boy come home in a box!

Jackson Browne's "Lives In the Balance" would also make a suitable addition to your list, Matthew.

Some key lyrics:

"There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs"

and a later stanza:

"I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die."

"people lets stop the war"
by grand funk railroad, circa 1972
(my favorite)

hey all you people, for goodness sake;
let's get together, what does it take?
to make you understand the value of a man;
i'm talkin' about your sons and neighbors, yes i am.
whoa-oh-oh...people let's stop the war!

if we had a president who did just what he said,
the country would be just alright, and no one would be dead;
from fighting in a war that causes big men to get rich,
there's money in them war machines, now, aint that a bitch?
whoa-oh-oh...people let's stop the war!

Good list and some good ones in the comments. Glad somebody else remembered McGuire's Eve of Destruction.

I wondered about Dion. His stuff hasn't aged well but it was moving at the time, when those deaths were fresh. Not so much a protest as a lament?

What about Buffy St. Marie - "Universal Soldier"? Clean, simple.

Footnote to "If I had a Hammer" and "Where have all the Flowers Gone" both covered by PPM but written by Pete Seeger! And speaking of Seeger, he had a song during Vietnam "Knee Deep in the Big Muddy" which is about where things are now.

Cheers.

curt. right on!!! from E. Pluribus Funk! I played that song till the grroves on the record turned grey!

doug -

i know i missed a verse, just can't think of it. like you, i heard it so many times over and over again, i never thought i'd never forget all the words...oh well. weird thing was, i was in the military at the time. any idea on where a guy could buy the cassette tape? i can't find it anywhere.

oh, and lest we forget - "vietnam" by Jimmy Cliff

Someone should compile a blog entry with the longer, more comprehensive list of protest songs we are developing. I am tempted to 'appoint' Matt. Would make a good follow-up entry to this one on his blog.

I'll get cracking!

curt:

probably have to head down to the Udistrict (here in Seattle) and find a copy at one of the new/used record stores. I'm sure I could find one. In sort of decent shape. Now that u brought it up, I could dig on a copy. Footstompin' Music as the opening track... Do you remember the tune "Loneliness" from one of their earlier albums? Shows that the band was really legit in their music and statements.

later man. I'll keep an eye out for the disc.

curt, or was 'Loneliness' the final teack on 'E Pluibus Funk"? can't remember. I do recently remember putting that album down responding to an article posted about all time great album covers. One big coin.

"Fight The Power" - Isley Bros.

Great list! For me, Neil Young's "Ohio" is the most resonant protest song from the '70's.

Here's some more on the song "Ohio":
http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ohio.htm

Might also want to add Young's song "Rockin in the Free World", also.

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ritfw.htm

Keep on Rockin!

douglas -

i can't remember where "loneliness" was on the track, but i do recall the song. i had forgot that the album cover was a coin, i just remembered that it was all silver. i think it was dime, wasn't it? we don't have any udistricts here in montana, not that i know of anyway, lol. hey i'd appreciate a holler if you do find it.

Wow a HUGE one seems to be missing...Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth

Anna-Its number 12!

Country Joe McDonalds song is titled
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag

Listen to it and find out the story about it.


Lyrics
?D
Come on all of you big strong men,
?G
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
??????D
He's got himself in a terrible jam
?G
Way down yonder in Vietnam
???E7???????????????????????A
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
???????D????????????????????????G
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

Chorus:
?????????A7???A#7????D
And it's one, two, three,
?D7???????????G
What are we fighting for?
??????????????????D
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
??????????????G
Next stop is Vietnam;
??????????A7???A#7???D
And it's five, six, seven,
?D7???????????G
Open up the pearly gates,
?????????????E???????????????A
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
?????D????????????????????G
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.


?D
Come on generals, let's move fast;
?G
Your big chance has come at last.
?D
Gotta go out and get those reds ?
?????G
The only good commie is the one that's dead
?????E7??????????????????????????A
You know that peace can only be won
?????????????D???????????????????????G
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

[Chorus]

?D
Come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
?????G
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
??????????D
There's plenty good money to be made
?????G
Supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
?E7??????????????????????????????A
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
??????D???????????????????G
They drop it on the Viet Cong.

[Chorus]
4:
?D
Come on mothers throughout the land,
?G
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
?D
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
?G
Send your sons off before it's too late.
????????E7???????????????A
You can be the first one on your block
??????????????D??????????????????G
To have your boy come home in a box.

Peace, Joy

Not nearly as well known as those on the list, but just as good: "Shipbuilding" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

War Pigs by Black Sabbath

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!

Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pig's crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings
All right now!

I am trying to locate the name and artist that did this anti-war song in the midst of the Viet Nam rage. It was by a female vocalist who sings of her son returning from the army: "I know you won't finish...that tree house he started...the summer before he went away; and though he comes...to church with me on Sunday, he sits there, but he doesn't pray. He keeps things inside, like there's something to hide, and he's traded root beer for gin...congratulations, you sure made a man out of him.
Any help??

What about American Woman by the Guess Who? Come now, a fabulous song vocalizing the corrupt twisted nature of the US Government in the Vietnam era and a song written through personal experience by Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, Jim Kale and Garry Peterson. It had to have been a great song, it's been number one twice over three decades

"I Can't Drive 55" is no protest. It's whiny screeching by a spoiled-brat moron.

"We're Not Gonna Take It" deserves even less respect, being utterly pointless on top of screechy and whiny.

To close on a more positive note, here are a couple more good protest songs:

"Wooden Ships" - Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Stills Nash & Young
"We Work the Black Seam" - Sting.

"I Can't Drive 55" is no protest. It's whiny screeching by a spoiled-brat moron.

It is a totally valid protest against a stupid, intrusive government policy. Do you think those '60s protest songs weren't written by spoiled-brat morons? What's that got to do with anything?

The problem with "I Can't Drive 55" is that it's not a particularly good song.

Inability to control your vehicle is no more valid or worthy of respect than inability to control your bodily functions.

That's certainly true. But obviously irrelevant - anybody who can't control a vehicle is going to have trouble getting up to 55 mph in the first place.

It's absolutely relevant. Hagar's "protest" is that the government wants him to exercise a degree of self-control which he lacks. If you can't stand to keep your vehicle under a speed limit, you lack the patience required to drive at all.

It doesn't matter whether you agree with the speed limit, because most drivers have no clue about the physics involved and are not qualified to judge safe maximum speeds.

Protesting about the speed limit because you're too impatient to drive safely is like protesting about sanitation laws because you can't see the disease-causing germs. It's just plain damn stupid, and not "valid" in any sense of the word.

Sorry folks, but the best protest song was written by Robbie Fulks -- and it's called "Fuck This Town"

==== Lyrics ====

Well, I came down to Nashville in 1993
'Cause my friend Jim said Nashville had money growin' right on the trees
So I thought I'd go pick some, and I don't mean musically.

Now it's 4 years later, and I'm wonderin' where I went wrong
Shook a lotta hands, ate a lotta lunch, wrote a lotta dumbass songs
But I couldn't get a break in Nashville, if I tried my whole life long

So, fuck this town...fuck this town
Fuck it end-to-end, fuck it up and down
Can't get noticed -- can't get found -- can't get a cut, so
Fuck this town.

Hey, this ain't country-western!
It's just soft-rock feminist crap!
And I thought they'd struck bottom back back in the days of Ronnie Milsap
Now they can't stop the flood of assholes: there ain't a big enough ass cap [get it?! "ASCAP!" heh]

Sure, I like old Tim Carroll, and BR5-49
But Nashville don't need that noise, no,
Nashville'll do just fine
As long as there's a moron market
And a faggot in a hat to sign.

Fuck this town! Fuck this town!
Fuck...this...towwwwwwwnnnnn.

=====

great stuff! great CD!

Coupla points apropos nada:

I recently saw, met, and heard Barry McGuire; he's a born-again Christoid who sings a lot about Jeebus.

[sigh]

Also, McGuire didn't write "Eve of Destruction" -- it was written by P.F. Sloan.

=== now back to your regularly scheduled Love-In ===

A good list but another omission was the scathing 1985 anti-apartheid "Sun City" by Artists Against Apartheid/Little Steven Van Zandt. This song made me angry and I had no idea what Sun City was about (until I watched the documentary about the song) also no Bob Marley?????

I think a lot of people forgot that one because many confused it with the retirement community near Phoenix and not the South African resort.

"Masters of War." Definitely.

Interesting topic. The only genuinely thoughtful protest songs on that list are "Fortunate Son" and "What's Goin On?" "99 Red Ballons" is just a cool song, but it may too much of a pop trifle. I thought for sure you'd pick "Imagine" rather than the John Lennon song you did since that seems to have become part of the anti-war, peace canon, even being sung by various people after 9/11.

U2's politics are always cheap, easy, universal and written at least 30 years after taking a position is controversial, so "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" does not impress me.

Don't be fooled by the name, Bombs over Baghdad is NOT a protest song.

Outkast is too hippie-funk, pop, freak out to ever have anything coherent to say politically. Here are the lyrics to the song, you be the judge:

"B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)"

[Dre]
1, 2.. 1, 2, 3; yeah!
In-slum-national, underground
Thunder pounds when I stomp the ground (Woo!)
Like a million elephants and silverback orangutans
You can't stop a train
Who want some? Don't come un-pre-pared
I'll be there, but when I leave there
Better be a household name
Weather man tellin' us it ain't gon' rain
So now we sittin' in a drop-top, soakin wet
In a silk suit, tryin' not to sweat
Hits somersaults without the net
But this'll be the year that we won't forget
One-Nine-Nine-Nine, Anno Domini anything goes, be whatchu wanna be
Long as you know consequences, to give and for livin'
The fence is too high to jump in jail
Too low to dig, I might just touch hell
HOT! Get a life, now they on sale
Then I might cast you a spell, look at what came in the mail
A scale and some Arm and Hammer, soul gold grill and some baby mama
Black Cadillac and a pack of pampers
Stack of question with no answers
Cure for cancer, cure for AIDS
Make a nigga wanna stay on tour for days
Get back home, things are wrong
Well not really it was bad all along
before he left adds up, to a ball of power
Thoughts at a thousands miles per hour
Hello, ghetto, let your brain breathe,
believe there's always more, ahhhhh!

[Chorus: 2X]
[Dre] Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
[Choir] Bombs over Baghdad!
[Dre] Yeah! Ha ha yeah!
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
[Choir] Bombs over Baghdad!
[Dre] Yeah! Uhh-huh

[Big Boi]
Uno, dos, tres, it's on
Did you ever think a pimp rock a microphone?
Like that there boy and we still stay street
Big things happen every time we meet
Like a track team, crack fiend, dyin to geek
Outkast bumpin' up and down the street
Slant back, Cadillac, 'bout five nigga deep
Seventy-five MC's freestylin' to the beat
Cause we get drunk, stay drunk, at the club
Should have bought an ounce, but you copped a dub
Should have held back, but you throwed the punch
'Spose to meet your girl but you packed a lunch
No D to-the U to-the G for you
Got a son on the way by the name of Bamboo
Got a little baby girl four year, Jordan
Never turn my back on my kids for them
Should have hit it (hit it) quit it (quit it) rag (rag) top (top)
Before you RE up, get a laptop
Make a business for yourself, boy, set some goals
Make a fat diamond out of dusty coals
Record number four, but we on the road
Hold up, slow up, stop, control
Like Janet, Planets, Stankonia is on ya
A movin' like Floyd commin' straight to Florida
Lock all your windows then block the corridors
Pullin' off on bell 'cause a whippins in order
I like a three piece fish before I cut your daughter
Yo quiero Taco Bell, then I hit the border
Pity pap rappers tryin' to get the five
I'm a microphone fiend tryin' to stay alive
When you come to ATL boi you better not hide
cause the Dungeon Family gon' ride, hah!

[Chorus: 2X]
[Dre] Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
[Choir] Bombs over Baghdad!
[Dre] Yeah! Ha ha yeah!
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
[Choir] Bombs over Baghdad!
[Dre] Yeah! Uhh-huh

[Choir]
Bombs over Baghdad! Yeah
Bombs over Baghdad! Yeah
Bombs over Baghdad! Yeah
Bombs over Baghdad! Yeah

[Dre]
B-I-G, B-O-I
An-An-Andre
To the T-O-P

[Dre and Big Boi: 15X]
Bob your head. Rag top.

(1, 2.. 1, 2, 3, 4) (Gimme some)

[Choir: 23X]
Power music. Electric revival.

That is all.

Booey, thanks for the dissertation... especially those lyrics by James Joyce -- and a real special thanks -- since they're about as long as "Ulysses."


Now...




















step away from the keyboard...

Sharky poo's doing his silverback alpha male thing again.

If you wanted to wrestle in the trees, old man, why didn't you just say so? I'll be happy to throw you down to the ground to remind you who rules the gorilla bitches. Get in line to pick my ticks and fleas.

Dissertation? I just cut-and-pasted lyrics off some dumb website that has lyrics after writing 5 sentences.

Read before commenting, old man :)

That is all.

Come on, Booey, my line "lyrics by James Joyce" was HILARIOUS.

Admit it.


PS: Do you really listen to this shit music?

Shark, I hate Outkast.

I'm not the one who said it was one of the best songs -- I said it sucked.

You should know better, old man :) I'm an art snob too, remember?

Although I do love "99 Red Ballons."

That is all.

"99 Red Balloons" is best in the original Klingon.

Bob A Booey, I Agree about your assessment of U2's protest songs even though they are my favorite band. But "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was referring to an event in 1972 which would have made the Dublin boys about 12 years old when it occurred. But when they performed it the same day as the Enniskillen tragedy in 1987, I don't think anyone would've stepped in their way and it was the appropriate song to perform.

Here on the East Coast we wouldn't know about a retirement community in AZ. I was a teen at the time and I can tell you AZ seemed as far away as South Africa.

Oops, Duke de Mondo beat me to it. I didn't read his whole comment. Duke described it (U2) better than me.

Well, if you were from the area, you'd have been asking yourself, what the hell did the oldsters do to get Little Steven all pissed off?

Thanks Shark... Bob... listen to sharky, no more typing tonight, big weekend coming up, lots of yard work to do.

Now...

Dylan "Only Pawns in Their Game"

Alot of the anti-war songs listed above refer to the Cold War era. Which, in retrospect was pretty intense.

IMHO

Nena 99 Luftballons was a topper for the Cold War scenario.

CCR's Run through the Jungle for 'Nam

CSNY Ohio, for the war in America (and it was a war, no doubt).

Can anybody post the lyrics for "Make Love Fuck War" by Moby featuring Public Enemy

where in the world is "Masters Of War" by Bob Dylan? Of all songs this song has the most connection to todays situation. "...builder of death planes ... builder of bombs ...And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly." How pertanent is this with Haliburton and Bush's connections to oil. I think it is ridiculous that this is not mentioned. Please read through the lyrics a http://www.slopbucket.com/bob/lyrics/2master.html they make anyone paying attention get riled up.

I'd like to humbly suggest my own recently penned song for your consideration. It's called "New Orleans 2005". By way of introduction:

I was outraged by the Bush government's disregard for the safety and well-being of those citizens of New Orleans (overwhelmingly poor/working class and African-American) left to fend for themselves in the days following hurricane Katrina.This song attempts to articulate some of that anger, as well as express some hope for change. I hope that you'll find the time to go to the link below and listen to the song. If you think its message is one that should be heard by others, I hope you'll copy the link and send it to anyone whom you feel might have interest. Here's the link:

http://www.polarityrecords.net

Best,

Samm Bennett

P.S. Here are the lyrics:

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

new orleans 2005

see the black man down in New Orleans
waist deep in the flood waters wading
gunfire crackles in the distance
the last glimmer of daylight is fading
he didn't have much to begin with
now his world has come all unglued
he's on his way to bust into a grocery store
to get his family some water and food

now see the president way up in his airplane
he says zero tolerance for looters
i tell you one thing this president really knows how to do
is to send in the guns and the shooters
but less bullets more boats beds and blankets
and a few hundred lives he might save
ah but blaming the victim is what we do best
here in the home of the brave

they say the president loves all americans
no matter the color or creed
but you decide for yourself where the real truth resides
is it found in the word or the deed
if you say you don't think that it's racist
maybe this'll cut through your dense mental haze
just try and imagine a whole stadium full of white people
left to fend for themselves for six days
i don't think it would've happened quite that way

now if there's good that can come from this tragedy
it's that maybe things'll get rearranged
lord knows over in washington d.c.
we're long overdue for regime change
one hundred eighty six million dollars they spend
on the war in iraq every day
with just a fraction of that
they could've shored up those levees
and kept the floodwaters at bay

Oh holy crap! None of us even mentioned the greatest protest song of all time, hands down: "Missisippi Goddam" by Nina Simone. That's absolutely the BOMB.

I hate it how people think the bush administration didnt help the african americans in New Orleans, that is a crock of shit, i mean come on, do u people bitch for every little thing that happens to your culture, they didnt get out of the city because they were poor, and if your poor u cant afford transportation, and face it, everyone was not gonna be able to leave in time,

What about Bob Dylan? This ain't a 'Greatest Protest Songs' list without him!!

Leonard Cohen - Story of Isaac, Anthem, Democracy, The Future, Everybody Knows

Bob Dylan - Masters of War, With God On Our Side, Only A Pawn in Their Game, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, the list goes on and on and on.

The Call Up - The Clash
Free Nelson Mandela - The Specials
What's so Funny About Peace Love an Understanding - Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello
Ghost Town - The Specials

Just so the early 80s get their fair representation.

dave

What, no Phil Ochs? Next to Dylan, very few sang with more passion and heart than Phil.

Phil Ochs was number 1. Some of his early stuff showed how well read he was on the topics he treated. "Bracero" is still the gold standard in protest narrative. (Honorable mention goes to Richard Farina who did the folk protest thing with great subtlety.)

I need some easy verses to known tunes to use at rallies for Democrat candidates in this Republican haven of western Montana, and eastern Washington. Can anyone out there help me?

this page sucks my son was trying to do his homework and this page was no help to him at all

Totally agree. Phil Ochs is the best!!

Bob Dylan and McGuire are no-brainers too. (blowing in the wind by Dylan. great)

I would add Randy Newman's Political Science, Country Joe McDonald has a good song, other than the great fish cheer one: Kiss my Ass.

Five Man Electrical Band: Stanger
Lennon: Imagine
Tom Paxton: What did you learn in school today
Tim Hardin: Simple Song of Freedom

And hey, if you know french, check out some'Cowboys Fringants'lyrics and, once more, I urge you all to listen to Phil Ochs, protest master

At work I have an ITunes "monthly special" that I share out every month. Next month's theme is gonna be "Protest" so this list was very helpful to help decide what I should include.

Also, to add to the discussion, the band Midnight Oil had a protest song or 2 ;-)

i didnt have enough time to read through everything but i dont know if anybody mentioned

The Doors - Unknown Soldier
or
Cat Stevens - Peace Train.

Im not sure how many people here are in to System of a Down but im just a music lover, i listen to anything and everything.

System of a Down - Soldier Side

even if you dont like that type of music you should at least check out the lyrics.

Right, you crybaby as*****es! WAR never solved anything;;; except maybe Slavery; Fascism; Nazism; and Communism. We owe all this freedom to you jerk-offs!!!

no idea if the person who left this comment will ever return to find a response -

"I am trying to locate the name and artist that did this anti-war song in the midst of the Viet Nam rage. It was by a female vocalist who sings of her son returning from the army: "I know you won't finish...that tree house he started...the summer before he went away; and though he comes...to church with me on Sunday, he sits there, but he doesn't pray. He keeps things inside, like there's something to hide, and he's traded root beer for gin...congratulations, you sure made a man out of him.
Any help??"

because it was a long time ago...

but the song is called "congratulations (you sure mad a man out of him)" by arlene harden

What about "War Pigs"? Just cause it's metal doesn't make it relevant.

what is really missing and really the biggest question is where are the songs of protest today? we do have some- but they are not striking the chords that gather people to do just that- protest

Jennifer!!! My sentiments, EXACTLY!!! I don't really hear much in the line of activism and protest. Now days it all just comes across as whining and complaining. No real force behind the message.

best,
DM

system of a down is not a protest band they are anti-turkist fascists.

Bombs over Baghdad has nothing to do with the war in Iraq did the person who made this even listen to that song? If you want to have it be a criticism of new hip hop thats fine but either change the 'money lyric' about that or listen to the effin song.

#84 -- April 17, 2008 @ 01:17AM -- jennifer

what is really missing and really the biggest question is where are the songs of protest today? we do have some- but they are not striking the chords that gather people to do just that- protest

#85 -- April 17, 2008 @ 03:20AM -- Douglas Mays

Jennifer!!! My sentiments, EXACTLY!!! I don't really hear much in the line of activism and protest. Now days it all just comes across as whining and complaining. No real force behind the message.

Come on? What are you going to protest?

You Americans have very serious problems - you're stuck in Iraq, and you can't afford to stay there; yet you can't afford to leave! That's affecting your economy and bringing you down slowly. And these economic issues do not necessarily lend themselves to song. It's not like singing about the bad old boss and his gang of goons.

Go ahead, put all that into a protest song.

You need a dirge like "American Pie" to accomplish what you want, and you need a writer who can get it really popular, without feeling the need to cash in on the popularity.

Guys like Don MacLean are not found in the A&P, you know....

I'm not sure if this was addressed somewhere here, but even if it has it is worth being said here again. For all those who said "Where are the Dylan songs?" Learn your protest song lineage! "Blowin' in the Wind" was WRITTEN by Dylan and covered by Peter, Paul, & Mary (PPM) among others. I will admit that PPM do sing my favorite version but give credit were credit is due...80% of PPM songs are covers! And if you like protest music check out the latest PPM release of new material "In These Times" 2004...almost every song is political and FYI most are indeed excellent covers of lesser know artists.