In honor of the upcoming political election, and the current state of affairs, I offer up my list of the top political/protest/anti-war songs ever.
1. Fortunate Son--Creedence Clearwater Revival The best fuck you to the government establishment EVER. Money lyric--"Yeh, some folks inherit star spangled eyes, ooh, they send you down to war, Lord, And when you ask them, how much should we give, oh, they only answer, more, more, more."
2. Russians--Sting A ballsy, direct admonishment of the Reagan/Krushchev Cold War battles. Money lyric--"There is no historical precedent, to put the words in the mouth of the President. There's no such thing as a winnable war. .It's a lie that we don't believe anymore."
3. If I Had a Hammer--Peter, Paul and Mary A song of supreme optimism, belted out by velvet smooth Mary Travers. Money lyric--"Well I got a hammer, and I got a bell, and I got a song to sing, all over this land. It's the hammer of Justice, it's the bell of Freedom."
4. Ohio--Crosby Stills Nash and Young Captures the essence of the Kent State massacre. Money lyric--"Gotta get down to it soldiers are gunning us down. Should of been done long ago. What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground? How can you run when you know?"
5. Abraham Martin and John--Dion A beautiful ballad about friends, and war. Money lyric--"Didn't you love the things that they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?"
6. 99 Luftballoons--Nena She doesn't like the idea of nuclear war. Money lyric--"It's all over and I'm standing pretty in this dust that was a city. If I could find a souvenir just to prove the world was here."
7. Born in the USA--Bruce Springsteen Reagan thought this was the perfect song for his '84 re-election bid. I guess he didn't listen to the verses, just the refrain Money lyric--"You end up like a dog that's been beat too much. Till you spend half your life just covering up."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Timmy
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!
2 - Vern Halen
Add "Kill for Peace" by the Fugs in the obscure honorable mentions.
"In the near or very far East
Kill, kill, kill for peace!"
3 - Al Barger
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."
4 - Mac Diva
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.
5 - Mac Diva
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.
6 - Mike Kole
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".
7 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
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.
8 - Matt
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.
9 - Distorted Angel
"We Can be Together" and "Volunteers" by the Jefferson Airplane.
10 - Matt
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!
11 - Mac Diva
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-:).
12 - Bill Sherman
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. . .
13 - Douglas Mays
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
14 - Douglas Mays
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
15 - Douglas Mays
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
16 - Dude
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.
17 - Eric Olsen
Arlo's "Alice's Restaurant" with the classic line, "I wanna keel, I want veins in my teeth"
18 - Distorted Angel
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".
19 - Douglas Mays
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
20 - Bill Sherman
Personally, I've always preferred the Dickies' version of "Eve," where the singer sped through "Selma, Alabama" so quickly it sounded like "semolina pilchard."
21 - godoggo
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
22 - Douglas Mays
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
23 - Andrew Ian Dodge
I prefer Sammy Hagar's I can't Drive 55 and Twisted Sister's'We're not going to take it
24 - curt
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!
25 - Victor Plenty
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."