NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL PROTEST!
Music has always played an important part in the political radicalisation of young people, and in spreading word about the struggles of minority groups, freedom fighters and persecuted individuals. We are all familiar with folk songs, with most of us having grown up with them, but these songs of protest can be found in every language and genre, addressing all kinds of social issues and inequalities. Below are ten such examples, spanning multiple genres and bringing light to many social causes.
Billy Talent – Red Flag
As the title suggests, Red Flag is about working-class revolution. The song is based around the idea that, instead of accepting the way things are and have been, young people should rise up and fight for a better future. It is both a call to arms and a warning that we will be taken advantage of by the ruling elite if we allow ourselves to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2UktJtKpFw
Rise Against – Re-Education (Through Labour)
Re-Education (Through Labour) details the way in which workers are exploited by the bourgeoisie, but also serves as a reminder that life is short, and that the bosses are nothing without the workers. It ends with a hopeful view of the future – one without exploitation and degradation, where the workers take back control. The accompanying music video gives a disturbing insight into the evils of modern-day capitalism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RYBDTnS7dg
P!nk – Dear Mr. President
The mid-2000s brought with them a wave of anti-Bush songs, and Dear Mr. President is undoubtedly one of the most memorable. It sees P!nk posing a series of increasingly pointed questions to good old George W., accusing him of being cruel and out of touch. The lyrics touch on everything from homophobia to war crimes, and although it was written about the Bush administration, the song can be applied to pretty much any modern POTUS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnlzCPv8ad4
The King Blues – Set the World On Fire
Set the World On Fire is about the power and importance of protest in a world that’s dominated by one-sided news soundbites and obsessed with wealth and beauty. It’s a reminder that politicians exist to serve the people, not the other way around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLnKKkglQr0
Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It
Blacklisted by Al Gore’s wife and her censorship-worshipping organisation, the Parents’ Music Resource Center, in 1985, We’re Not Gonna Take It is in essence a song about standing up and pushing back against oppressive and unjust authorities, and about the importance of being able to choose one’s own path. In 2019 after learning that the song had been used by a number of conservative US politicians at rallies, Dee Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister, stated that the song could be used by anyone as long as they were in favour of women being able to access abortion, as the song’s lyric “we’ve got the right to choose” refers to women’s reproductive rights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xmckWVPRaI
Lady Gaga – ‘Til It Happens To You
‘Til It Happens To You was written for the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, which brought to light the extreme prevalence of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses. The song both sheds light on the issue and brings awareness to the fact that people’s well-intentioned attempts at comforting survivors can often do more harm than good, and that sometimes the best way to help someone is simply by listening to what they have to say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmWBrN7QV6Y
Linkin Park – Hands Held High
Hands Held High is a scathing indictment of the US war machine. The first half of the song gives the perspective of a young American who is enraged that wealthy US politicians are happy to spend obscene amounts of money waging war while so many Americans are struggling to survive below the poverty line. The second half tells the story of a young child who is suffering because of that same war, and details the horrors he witnesses every day as his country is bombed to pieces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG9C54bD_KE
2Pac – Changes ft. Talent
Released posthumously and inspired by the Black Sabbath song of the same name, Changes is about racism and poverty, and the despair they can lead to. The lyrics call for change by showing what can and should be different, and hints at the fact things will stay the same forever if people don’t take it upon themselves to fight for change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG9C54bD_KE
The Style Council – Walls Come Tumbling Down
Forming part of Billy Bragg’s Red Wedge collective of the mid-1980s – a group of musicians who came together to perform and promote British Labour in the hope of ousting Haggie Thatcher - The Style Council were essentially a supergroup who aimed to get young people engaged and involved with left-wing politics. Walls Come Tumbling Down was one of their bigger hits, and emphasises the need for working-class unity in the midst of a class war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5HfOipwvts
Lupe Fiasco – Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey
Words I Never Said is a warning against staying quiet on social issues. The lyrics criticise the political establishment and the mainstream media for everything from doing nothing to help the people of Gaza to dumbing down the news they deliver. They also point the finger of blame towards the public, however, for refusing to collectively demand better conditions, and warn that keeping silent out of fear or complacency will only lead to regret and greater suffering in the long-run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22l1sf5JZD0
le Danielle O’Shea