Protest Songs


There's been a little too much on one topic lately so I'll introduce something that isn't Katrina or bug related. Protest songs!

I'll dedicate this one to my girlfriend, still working that hippie vibe, and Liz at Library Tavern, who obviously is still feeling those protest blues.

There's something very uplifting about feeling morally superior to others and protest songs are great for doing just that.

So here's your chance. Nominate 5 of your favorite protest songs. These don't have to be the 5 best ones--just the 5 that hit you where it counts.

I got my songs from List of protest songs on Wikipedia. It's a pretty good resource though a few of them are long shots at being protest songs. At least they don't seem to be protesting much to me.

I can't say I enjoy this one but there's few that cut to the bone more:
  • "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holliday

In any case, here's 10 of my favorite protest songs of the moment:

  • "Imagine" by John Lennon
  • "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie
  • "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire
  • "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan
  • "The Ecology Song" by Marvin Gaye
  • "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell
  • "If I Had a Hammer" by Pete Seeger
  • "We Are the World" by USA for Africa
  • "Luka" by Suzanne Vega
  • "Signs" by The Five Man Electrical Band
When my mood changes other songs get top billing. No surprise there. So what's at the top of your inner protest list?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Dancing in the Streets - Martha and the Vandellas
Pride - U2
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
The Times They are A Changin' - Bob Dylan
Mercy Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
10:49 PM
utenzi said…
Thanks for contributing, Dena. We have one in common though we used different names for it. You definitely have a Marvin Gaye theme there.
11:24 PM
Anonymous said…
U.S Forces - Midnight Oil
Beds are burning - Midnight Oil
Opression - Ben Harper
Excuse me Mr - Ben Harper
I want it all - Queen
Blowing in the wind - Bob Dylan

And of course, Imagine - John Lennon.

I know that's seven but I couldn't whittle my list down any further.
11:52 PM
utenzi said…
So lovely of you to visit, Yaeli. I'm always glad to see you. LOL

Imagine is such a beautiful song. It works on many levels.
12:03 AM
Anonymous said…
I'll try to ignore this remark, There's something very uplifting about feeling morally superior to others , and think of some songs.
9:49 AM
Anonymous said…
"The revolution will not be televisied" by Gil Scott Heron.
"Fight the Power" by Public Enemy
"Stan" by eminem
9:52 AM
Anonymous said…
A few that come to mind for me, some from my time, some from before my time, are:

CCR
"Fortunate Son"

Rolling Stones
"Salt Of The Earth"

Jefferson Airplane
"Volunteers"

Beatles
"Revolution"

Neil Young
"Rocking In The Free World"

Guns N Roses
"Civil War"

Soulfly
"Tribe"

Pearl Jam
"Yellow Ledbetter"

Radiohead
"Stop Whispering"

Green Day
"American Idiot"
11:01 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
11:02 AM
Anonymous said…
One that people don't usually think of as a protest song is Born in the USA
11:03 AM
Anonymous said…
Too many to chose from! All I found were three you mentioned.
Imagine
Signs
We Are the World
Lois Lane
11:06 AM
utenzi said…
LOL Yes, Liz. I'm a pain in the butt for idealists. My girlfriend tells me that all the time. I seem to have a need to see gray everywhere and not a shred of black or white.

I'm not familiar with Jack's choices or several of G's. Must be a Canada thing. ;-) Or more likely that I'm so damn old. Music dates you quickly--it's always changing. Fortunate Son is a great example of a protest song.
11:39 AM
utenzi said…
I totally agree, Liz. Much of Springsteen is a protest of one sort or another and Born in the USA and My Hometown off of the same album are most definitely protests.

Signs is such a cute protest song, Lois. But to tell the truth, I'd not have hired that dick. He was sooo annoying. "Piled my hair up under my hat" and then thumbs his nose at the guy that tries to hire him. Dick! But I still like the song.
11:46 AM
Anonymous said…
I kind of like Baby Got Back..it's sort of a protest song against the skinny model type hype promoted in the media... ;-) Just teasing! My vote is for Marvin Gay.
12:32 PM
Anonymous said…
I don't have a song list for you, sorry. I just dropped in to say hi, thanks for visiting, I hope it's okay if I blogroll you.
Where was the photo at the top of your blog taken?
4:21 PM
utenzi said…
I think we can accept Baby got Back as a protest song, Diane, even if you're not serious. It's a cute little ditty though any song that Ross sings to a baby has got problems. Now if he was singing to Aniston then it'd be a different story--though a somewhat inaccurate one...

You most certainly can Blogroll me, AverageMom. Feel perfectly free to do so. I'm available to anyone except right wing ideologues. The picture was taken in the far north of Canada.
5:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Big boss man- can't remember the name of the singer.
I shot the sheriff-
O Say can you see-(US national..)
Imagine-Lennon (of course).
La Marseillaise-Rouget de l isle
(french national anthem was a protest song against the king).
The Wall-PF.
Sweet was the Rose- ???
Dancing in the street-
May I add "DO you know what it means..to miss New Orleans".Louis Armstrong was protesting against racists that made his life as a free black man impossible in his country.
5:43 PM
Anonymous said…
I love all of your selections except 'We are the World.' I have nightmares of celebrities joining hands and singing "Kumbaya." As an 80's college student, the song seems completely bogus. Give me a falling angels rift by Jimi anytime in its place.
By the way..I love your blog.
9:12 PM
utenzi said…
Thanks, Marie. As you know, I love your pictures. I visit your site almost every day. The post the other day showing the valley shrouded with fog was so beautiful.

Hey, GPV. The Wall was one I was thinking of including also. Pink Floyd had a number of songs I was thinking of. Dogs and Money also.
11:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Redemption Song
11:49 AM
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