Activist Rock
Jen has asked for suggestions for a political-motivation mix CD she’s calling “Swing Arizona Blue.” This post started out as a comment for her blog, but became way to long and wound up here.
First of all, stay away from depressing music. You want passionate, heart-lifting tunes and adrenaline-pumping rock ’n roll. You don’t want to be made sad, you want to be made mad and motivated.
Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” springs to mind, descriptive as it is of our current “leader”:
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays “Hail To The Chief”,
oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,CHORUS:
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t no senator’s son,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t no fortunate one, no,Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman come to the door,
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes,CHORUS
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, yoh,CHORUS x 2
There’s also CCR’s “Commotion.” In part:
People keep atalkin’, they don’t say a word.
Jaw, jaw, jaw, jaw, jaw.
Talk up in the White House, talk up to your door,
So much goin’ on I just can’t hear.CHORUS:
Com, commotion,
Git, git, git, gone.
Com, commotion,
Git, git, git, gone.
Both of those can be found on the Credence Clearwater Revival boxed set and on the less pricy Chronicle Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits. John Fogerty, former lead singer of CCR, has released a new album called Deja Vu All Over Again. The title song relates how much the war in Iraq reminds him of Vietnam:
Did you hear ‘em talkin’ ’bout it on the radio
Did you try to read the writing on the wall
Did that voice inside you say I’ve heard it all before
It’s like Deja Vu all over againDay by day I hear the voices rising
Started with a whisper like it did before
Day by day we count the dead and dying
Ship the bodies home while the networks all keep score
And those who know me know how I feel about Pearl Jam — the last great protest rockers of our time. Some of the usual suspects from their catalog:
- “Glorified G” (Vs.) — A sarcastic anti-gun song. “Got a gun, fact I got two / That’s ok man, ’cause i love God!” Also contains the great line “Don’t think, dumb is strength.”
- “Bu$hleaguer” (Riot Act) — An anti-Bush spoken-word piece that got Eddie Vedder viciously booed when he performed it in a W mask, then took the mask off and stomped on it onstage.
- “Porch” (Ten) — A classic fast-paced ’90s rocker with political overtones. “All the bills go by, and / Initiatives are taken up / By the middle / There ain’t gonna be any middle any more. / And the cross i’m bearing home / Ain’t indicative of my place. / Left the porch… / Left the porch…” A great activism song if ever their was one. Vedder caused a fuss during the MTV Unplugged performance of this song by standing atop his wooden stool, doubling over, and scrawling “PRO CHOICE” on his forearm in black magic marker during the bridge.
- “Whipping” (Vitalogy) — A blistering punk-influenced indictment of powerful leaders for their attempts to bend the world to their conservative ideologies.
- “Do the Evolution” (Yield) — One of my all time favorites. This rip-snorting screed about the state of the world is insightful, yet almost hilariously over the top. All politically passionate individuals have had those moments of enraged astounded cathartic screaming hyperbole, and this is Vedder’s. Tod McFarlane, of Spawn and Sandman fame, directed an amazing and disturbing animated music video.
Other suggestions: early U2 — some great political anthems there — as well as R.E.M.’s “Finest Worksong” ( Singles Collected, Document) and “Stand” (Green).
Update: I just thought of a couple more…
- “Son of a Bush,” by Public Enemy (Revolverlution, Son of a Bush CD single)
- “Mathematics” and “New World Water,” by Mos Def (Black on Both Sides) are both excellent
I would recommend “Hail to the Chief” by John McCutcheon
Comment by Mickey — October 22, 2004 @ 10:32 am
Just added a couple more from Mos Def and Public Enemy.
Comment by Adam M. — October 22, 2004 @ 12:38 pm
You’ll be seeing some traffic from my LiveJournal; we were on the same page this week:
Tomorrow’s Man - Fortunate Son
Comment by Tomorrow's Man — October 29, 2004 @ 8:28 am
Ok, just a simple comment. Anyone who ever thought that U2 was a political band was fooled just as they wanted you to be. U2 has never stood up for any activist groups, nor have they ever implicated any beliefs. Pay attention to their lyrics, they’re shouting about NOTHING! Yes, maybe they mentioned the death of MLK Jr. in “In the Name of Love”, but that just sounds cool maaan. I reiterate my point, U2 is no political or activist band. They’re not even considered rock, they’re POP. The same f’ckng category as Britney Spears. Like, coool!
Comment by Adam — March 10, 2005 @ 8:08 pm
Sorry, Adam. Anyone who doesn’t think U2 ever did political rock hasn’t listened to much U2. My guess is you’ve only heard their recent stuff, which is crap. U2 has been playing since around 1980 though, and in their earlier period — up until 1991’s Achtung Baby — they were frequently and blatantly political.
Here’s a few examples I recommend you educate yourself with:
“Bullet the Blue Sky” (U.S. policy in Central America circa late ’80s)
“Sunday Bloody Sunday” (conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, one of the great political/religious struggles of the ’80s)
“Seconds” (nuclear war, a big concern when Regan was in office and no small concern with Bush as well)
“The Unforgettable Fire” (nuclear war again)
There are many more. As much as I loathe the simpleminded pop of their recent albums, I’ve also heard that “Love and Peace or Else” from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a striking return to form for the band. The rest of the album, unfortunately, is more of the same stuff we heard on All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
My guess from reading your comment is that you’re too young to have heard U2’s older material on TV or the radio. Do yourself a favor and get a hold of some of their earlier work — it’s good stuff.
Comment by Adam M. — March 11, 2005 @ 9:00 am
You have missed one of the greatest protest rock acts of our times. 4 kids out of Allentown, PA who call themselves Poker Face have been writing political protest rock for 12 years now and going. THey have 4 discs out and 2 more coming out shortly (as per their most recent newsletters)
Check them out here:
http://www.pokerface.com
Check out their song and video to
ID RATHER DIE THEN BE YOUR SLAVE here:
http://www.pokerface.com/html/pf_patriot.html
here are the lyrics:
Rather Die Than Be Your Slave
I do not wish this life to pass away
But life presents such possibilities - Each and every day
I heard a calling that was right for me
I prayed for strength for what’s a head of me - Please show me the way
The sun rose high and burnt the night away
Who stood before me was my enemy - Don’t tread on me
He’s come to take away my liberties
I’d rather die than be a slave to thee - Don’t treat me this way
CHORUS: I’d rather die than be your slave
I will survive, and you’ll feel my rage
Its not a question of being brave
I’d just rather die, than be your slave
CHORUS
It didn’t matter who shot first that day
They killed my brothers, they laid dead by me - I’m covered in their blood
We hit them hard we made them pay that day
We hung the traitors from the highest trees - No mercy from me
We lost a lot our pain was heavy
We sacrificed for GOD and country - No more colony
Still held the ground that was in front of me
This was our price to pay for liberty - Still you hear me say
CHORUS
Much time has past, we repeat history Our toys have changed while man has stayed the same - Evil in his ways
Tribal families rule not over me
I will not let them rape our liberties - We’ll die for them today
Comment by mike knapp — March 26, 2006 @ 1:29 pm
Isn’t Pokerface that weird right wing anti immigrant band? If you want more left wing protest music I would check out anything by the Riot Folk www.riotfolk.org that is quality protest music from a bunch of different folks who are always helping out activists and being activists themselves or playing really great music!
Comment by Charles Bronson — February 19, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
“Isn’t Pokerface that weird right wing anti immigrant band?”
Uh, NO
Poker Face are a pro freedom / pro Rights band
They are against ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, though
What part of ILLEGAL dont you get. And why purposefully lie about their stances. Slave wage invaders are a threat to ALL of us and our wages/way of life. I too am against this illegal INVASION, and so should you be, unless you are a RECONQUISTA/ La Raza puke…
Poker Face are strong supporters of Guns and Gun Rights (Right Wing)
They are Strong supporters of legalizing ALL drugs (left Wing)
Red/Blue Political parties are committing treason, and Poker Face’s mission is to expose the traitors in our government whose actions have been anti-American anti-Rights and pro globalist agenda, and these criminals in governemnts lust for total control of our lives thru a police state of tyranny in good ole USSA.
Lastly… what the fuck kind of comment is that calling them weird. DO you know them? personally? Have you yourself done shit for freedom? Lately? Ever? They have walked their talk for over a decade. They even support your f-ing rights to say stupid shit like you did above.
Chester
http://www.pokerface.com
http://www.myspace.com/pokerfacemusic
Comment by chester ridley — February 25, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
I’d be the first to agree that the “left wing” and “right wing” labels are way too simplistic for most people, but you need to tone it down a bit Chester.
Charles’s comment wasn’t angry, he just made a suggestion. Your response comes close to being a flame, and flamers don’t get to keep making comments on my blog. You’re entitled to your political views, but please keep it civil. Thanks.
Comment by Adam Messinger — February 25, 2008 @ 5:52 pm