Sunday, November 2, 2008

Protest Songs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest_song

After anonymous comments from yesterdays post, I was going to do a list of my favorite all time songs of protest. In doing the initial research (and being pressed for time to complete two RCV projects today), I am taking the easy way out this rainy November morning and simply posting the Wiki link. There are a couple of glaring omissions, most notably Jackson Browne's incredible After the Deluge, and Steve Earle's timely The Revolution Starts Now, but it is a scholarly compilation going back way further that I was prepared to travel for a quick post.

Most of the papers are calling it a blowout for the good guys in the white 10 gallon hats. I see this now as an issue of GLOBAL DIGNITY, or the re-creation thereof. Let's sit down and talk, not run around dodging IEDs.

Song Lyrics

Song Lyrics

Keep on rockin' in the free world, kids, let's not get fooled again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking all of Jackson Browne's songs were protest songs or at least a little whiny. Somehow 'The Pretender' comes to mind (and that whole album).

KML5 said...

Sensitive doesn't necessarily have to be whiny. But that has always been the rap against JB, not enough lyrical tetesterone. It's pretty easy to write about cars and chicks and booze, but try to write something about trees, love and loss, and the labels come quick. So, hey now, put on a pair of Bose headphones and tell me that you don't feel those tears coming again when you listen to Fountain of Sorrow. Then again, to be true to the thread, there ARE different sub-categories of protest songs, JBs are just a little more 'pastoral' than say, Ani DeFranco's. Maybe I should do the list after all, ya wanna post yours? Top five (all-time) protest songs??? Are you there, say a prayer.........

Anonymous said...

On You Tube you can see a young JB singing a duet with a young Bonnie Raitt. Really pretty good. As you probably know, she covers one of his songs on many of her albums. He is not exactly the Boss or whoever but have seen him four times in concert. Nowadays, he seems to be getting a more obvious sense of humor. I will join your forum when I get some time to sign up. Thanks.