A BRIEF HISTORY OF PROTEST MUSIC
I've got tapes
I've got CD's
I've got my Public Enemy
My lily white ass
Is tickled pink
When I listen to the music
That makes me think
– Anthony Kiedis, Red Hot Chilli Peppers
song: Power of Equality
album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
ISSUES
PURPOSE
VIETNAM WAR
NORTH IRELAND
WOMEN’S ISSUES
BY GENRE (ROCK, METAL, PUNK, COUNTRY/FOLK, POP,
AUSTRALIAN, ROOTS)
PROTEST MUSIC IN FILM
MUSIC EVENTS
CRITICISM
GET INVOLVED
Anti-war
Social issues eg. Racism, class, inequality,
labour movements, human rights, wrongful
imprisonment, police brutality, women’s
rights, indigenous rights, injustice
Anti-Government
Anti-Corporate / Anti-Globalisation
Environmental / Conservatism / Anti - Nuclear
Criticise
Raise awareness
Issues you don’t hear on the news
Question the info you do get – find out more
for yourself
Incite action
Or is it just good material for writing music?
Can be literal or metaphorical
INTERPRETING LYRICS IS NEVER CONCRETE –
EVERYONE CAN TAKE A DIFFERENT MEANING
(N.B - Meanings listed herein have been taken
from interviews and quotes from musicians)
1960s – Time of social upheaval and dissent
Flower Power – hippie movement
Woodstock Festival
My Lai Massacre
Student Protests
GREAT MUSIC !
• Bob Dylan – Blowin’ In the Wind (1963)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ced8o50G9kg
• Bob Dylan – Masters Of War (1963)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=iWkWSLEW-Ds
• Jimi Hendrix (written by Dylan) – All Along The Watchtower (1968)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwCBh0z3Hs
• The Doors – Unknown Soldier (1968)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TdfkYe3c5XI
• Country Joe – I feel like I’m fixin’ to die (1969)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=s5btZWbViPA
• Edwin Starr – War (1969)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=I5GE5AsPOBo&feature=related
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son (1970)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JBfjU3_XOaA
• Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers (1970)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=SboRijhWFDU&feature=related
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Ohio
(1970) about Kent State Shootings.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JCSg3HwXdc&feature=related
John Lennon – Give Peace a Chance
(1969)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=INRriHlLUk
John Lennon – Imagine (1971)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=jEOkxRL
zBf0
Bruce Springsteen – Born In the USA
(1984)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BjwzxKz
vWUE
Also deals with treatment of veterans
and unemployment under Reagan in
the 80s
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983)
from the album ‘War’
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs
The Cranberries – Zombie (1994)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HJEySrDerj0
eg. RACISM / POVERTY / INEQUALITY / POLICE BRUTALITY
• Marvin Gaye – What’s Goin’ On (1971)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s&feature=related
• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – The Message (1982)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=k3kRuJhIVIo&feature=related
• Public Enemy – Fight The Power (1989)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=CuTi9UZtPbw&feature=related
• NWA – Fuck Tha Police (1988)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WiX7GTelTPM&feature=related
• Body Count – Cop Killer (1992)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BSvD5SM_uI4
“I’m a cop killer / Fuck police brutality” – Ice T
Ani DiFranco - Lost Woman Song (1993) – Abortion
http://www.last.fm/music/Ani+DiFranco/_/Lost+Woman+
Song
Sonic Youth – Swimsuit Issue (1992) - Women as
objects, sexual harassment
http://www.last.fm/music/Sonic+Youth/_/Swimsuit+Issue
“Don't touch my breast / I'm just working at my desk
Don't put me to the test / I'm just doing my best”
- Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth
Bob Marley – Get up Stand Up (1973) –
about Rastafarian religion
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DgTD0QS4
dO0
Billy Bragg – Between The Wars (1985) –
poverty, plight of the working class in UK
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=lj2Sp11m_
xk&feature=related
"I'll give my consent to any government who
will not deny a man a living wage.“
– Billy Bragg
“Music has the power to cross borders, to
break military sieges and to establish real
dialogue. There's two things to do: you can
either take an escapist pill, or you can deal
with music which deals with the realities of
the situation."
- Tom Morello, Rage Against The Machine
RATM – Killing In The Name (1992) - Police and Klu Klux Klan (KKK)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY
RATM - Freedom (1992) - massacre of American Indians by FBI,
jailing of Leonard Peltier, AIM leader
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vqcM5lVoteQ
RATM - People Of The Sun (1996) - poverty and persecution of
Zapatistas in Mexico (also see Battle Of Mexico City DVD)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7hQgCJGNspI&feature=related
System Of A Down – BOOM! (2002)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=K7yAOQCSWA&feature=related
SOAD also publicise the Armenian genocide by
Turkey (1915 – 1917), prison rates, Iraq war, bias
media coverage, war profiteering
Axis Of Justice (Tom Morello – RATM and Serj
Tankian – SOAD)
www.axisofjustice.org
“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth
becomes a revolutionary act.”
– George Orwell, Author
Alice in Chains – Rooster (1993) - Vietnam war, ‘democracy’
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vpH5i3xD7tA
Pearl Jam – Bushleaguer (2002) - anti-Bush
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=5nhyhlzLwIw
Pearl Jam – Do the Evolution (1998) - technology, ‘progress’
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=FS69fuCOhTM&feature=related
Pearl Jam – World Wide Suicide (2006) - Iraq war,
Afghanistan War, death of football player turned soldier Pat
Tillman by ‘friendly fire’ got plenty of coverage – what
about regular people dying? ‘collateral damage’
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=RAY-4V_DdsM
“Democracy might have a chance at working if people
educate themselves on these issues and make their
opinions known” – Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam
Black Sabbath – War Pigs (1970)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=_4cx1pk0P3o
Megadeth – Symphony of Destruction (1993)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=67bTpVQfB6U
Megadeth – Holy Wars (1991)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=YczYC2yHTM&feature=related
Megadeth – Peace Sells But Who’s Buying? (1986)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWoJBHibhM&f
eature=related
Metallica – One (1988) – soldier badly injured in WW1
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JwW9L_qzqp8&feature=related
Soundgarden – Hands All Over (1989) – environment damage
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=tiZ2wg1ZBxc
Sepultura – Territory (1993) – Palestine/Israel conflict
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fba9Nllm9x0
“Bad presidents make good music.”
- Max Cavalera (ex-Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy)
The Clash – White Riot (1977) - class and race issues in UK
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=y_C78zw5i8U
Sex Pistols – God Save the Queen (1977)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8z2M_hpoPwk
Crass – Nagasaki Nightmare (1981)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHFRwGD47M&feature=related
The Exploited – Fuck The USA (1982)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=lqpoWkG_pYI&feature=related
The Ramones – Bonzo Goes To Bitburg (1986) - anti-Reagan
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=cDUFyvTAHUA&feature=related
Dead Kennedys – Stars And Stripes Of Corruption (1985)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGXF3gXXKw&feature=related
"Rednecks and bombs don't make us strong/ We loot the world, yet we
can't even feed ourselves“- Jello Biafra , Dead Kennedys
Pennywise - Fuck Authority (2001)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=SXZVc0h8Gok
Propagandhi - Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes (2001)
http://www.last.fm/music/Propagandhi/_/Today's+Empires,+Tomorrow's+Ashes
Bad Religion – Los Angeles is Burning (2004) from Empire Strikes First
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BxoD9zWY9Rg
Green Day – American Idiot (2004)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=M5mjN32G1iI
Also see: Black Flag / Henry Rollins, NoFX, Raised Fist , Anti-Flag, Rise Against
Punk Voter http://www.punkvoter.com/
Rock Against Bush by Fat Wreck Chords (2004)
compilation with a huge list of punk bands,
didn’t work Bush was re-elected
Dixie Chicks – Not ready To Make Nice (2006)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fwc5YSAc-7g
Made anti Bush comments - CDs crushed,
death threats, banned from radio
Neil Young – Let’s Impeach the President (2006)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=k4kTnP5VJ1k
Anti-Bush, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq - won a Grammy
George Michael – Shoot The Dog (2002) – UK PM Blair lap
dog to Bush
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ji3XgKTziUQ
Pink – Dear Mr. President (2006) - war, homosexuality,
abortion, homelessness
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=4eRApNHSRRk
Black Eyed Peas – Where is the Love (2003)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=MJpyskHMwRs
Outkast – Bombs Over Baghdad (2000)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=-XBgXBvI8a0
NOT A PROTEST SONG – Andre 3000
just liked the phrase
Eric Bogle – And The Band Was Playing Waltzing Matilda (1972) – Gallipoli
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=WG48Ftsr3OI
Red Gum – I was only 19 (1983) –Vietnam, psychological and Agent Orange
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Urtiyp-G6jY&feature=related
The Herd – I was only 19 (2005) – hip hop cover
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ns82tHhJOr0&feature=related
Paul Kelly – From Little Things Big Things Grow (1991) - first land rights case
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=_tHEGo-g3mw
Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning (1987) – land rights, Howard’s favourite
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=td1ZLqrEpXI
Yothu Yindi – Treaty (1991) - reconciliation
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=S7cbkxn4G8U
JBT - Something’s Gotta Give (2004)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fxP8utX3Xrw
Xavier Rudd – Better People (2007)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=IxZijEeTCXY
Kora – Politician (2004)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=SxdPi3jS634
Blue King Brown – Stand Up (2005)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=lUOC2o8XR6Y&
feature=related
Blue King Brown – Check Your Head (2007)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=zuagzdTXqLA&f
eature=related
“There is this real awakening happening .”
- Natalie Pa’apa’a, Blue King Brown
Heavy Metal In Baghdad
http://www.heavymetalinb
aghdad.com/
Soundtrack To War
http://www.soundtrackto
war.com/
See also: Apocalypse Now,
Full Metal Jacket, Platoon,
Casualties of War, Forrest
Gump, Fahrenheit 9/11
BAND AID (1984, 1989,
2004)
LIVE AID (1985)
WAVE AID (2003)
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY (2006)
Naomi Klein - author / journalist , part of anti-globalisation
movement, has attacked the “Bono-isation” of protests
saying events aren’t as dangerous as grass roots campaigns.
Many artists get behind political parties (eg. US election) can turn people off – some would rather artists stick to
playing music.
BUT acts like RATM or JBT gain loyal following because
people feel they are making a difference - even if they are
doing nothing more than listening to the music.
Some artists jumping on the bandwagon?
Against Me – White people For Peace (2007)
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0d2hWaSZc
- questioning the validity of bands’ anti-war stance
Freeza http://www.freeza.vic.gov.au/
The Push http://www.thepush.asn.au/
Muso Network (Dandenong Freeza Group)
http://www.greaterdandenong.com/
VUT www.vu.edu.au
RMIT www.rmit.edu.au
NMIT www.nmit.vic.edu.au/
Box Hill Tafe www.bhtafe.edu.au/
Also many other courses eg. Music, Sound
Engineering, Event Management plus double
degrees incorporating law, marketing etc