I’m trying to put together a music playlist, and so I’m appealing to you, my Gentle Readers, to help me find songs of a certain type. I’m calling them protest songs, but that’s probably not a very good description. I’m not talking about, for example, ’60’s anti-war chants, and I’d like to avoid an excess of Dylan.
The only way I can think of to explain what I want is to give a few examples of the kind of song I mean. Probably the defining member of this type of song is Old Crow Medicine Show’s “I Hear Them All”:
Another good example is the classic Jimmy Cliff song “The Harder They Come”:
For something a little more hard core, I’ll take “Guns Of Brixton.” But not the Clash version. I prefer this haunting cover by Nouvelle Vague:
That’s not to say I don’t mind a little anger. Or a lot of anger, as in Bruce Cockburn’s “If I Had a Rocket Launcher”:
I don’t know if there’s really a common theme running through those songs, but if you know of other songs that you think I’d like based on this list — or even if these songs just remind you of some other songs — let me know in the comments.
Thanks.
shg says
Before you’re flooded with comments, allow me to offer my favorite. Phil Ochs, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulTmmTIlM_o
It less a protest song than a social commentary, but since I like it, I offer it to you.
Jim Keech says
Solomon Burke with the Blind Boys of Alabama–None of Us Are Free
Mark Draughn says
Scott, you’re right, it’s not quite the kind of song I was looking for, but it’s still a pretty pointed song. Thanks.
Jim, you nailed it. That’s exactly the kind of song I was looking for.
BFrederick says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M_Ttstbgs For What it’s Worth – it’s not a war protest song, its a police-state protest song set in the context of a war protest.
BFrederick says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M8vei3L0L8 NWA. My personal favorite.
Rob says
Mark,
Enjoy Mrs. McGrath by Bruce Springsteen. Mrs. McGrath is off the Seeger Sessions and is a Traditional.
And I’m going to give you a Dylan song because it’s beautiful and because most people (even Dylan fans) don’t know it. It’s called Let Me Die in My Footsteps. It’s off The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3.