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Rock the vote (political music thread)


Goredho

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So what are the great songs that carry a less personal/individual message and focus instead on ideals, activism or politics?  With as crazy as politics are, I am a little surprised that there isn't more such music being produced today compared to say the 60s.  Would be especially interested in examples of political music since 2000 that aren't in the rap/hiphop genre.

I'll kick things off with a couple from back in the 60s/70s era:  Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan) and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Gil Scott Heron).  Probably good to assume that any songs posted in this thread are NSFW.

 

 

Edited by Goredho
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Not sure what you would pick as the single best political song from the Clash.  London Calling would probably be the most popular.

Another anti-war song that may have been Hendrix’s most impressive guitar work. 

 

Edited by Goredho
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I got a letter from the government the other day
I opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me giving a damn, I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn't with it but just that very minute it occurred to me
The suckers had authority
Cold sweating as I dwell in my cell, how long has it been?
They got me sitting in the state pen
I gotta get out, but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor...
 

 

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Pos rep to the Strange Fruit post.  If you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and listen to Billy Crystal tell the story of how that song got made by his uncle/grandpa/father.  Great story and of course, it's funny despite the heavy subject of the song. 

I'll add, the great Sam Cooke.  Just as he was lighting up the Civil Rights movement with his star power, he was taken too soon:

 

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Although it's being sung by a really white guy in a tuxedo (which was intentional), it's a very powerful folk song about peace, justice, and racial equality.  

And then as fate would have it, his inspiration---Bobby Kennedy is killed.  Then this Bobby dies a few years later 

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