Where are all the protest songs?
01-24-18 | 01:38 PM
#1
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Where are all the protest songs?
So Trump has been having his way with Lady Liberty for over a year now ... shouldn't we have more protest songs by now?
Shitty governments usually are great fodder for songs, but I haven't really been hearing much lately. I mostly listen to metal, and the only one I've heard so far is from Machine Head:
lyrics:
Anyone got anymore? Post em if you got em!
Shitty governments usually are great fodder for songs, but I haven't really been hearing much lately. I mostly listen to metal, and the only one I've heard so far is from Machine Head:
lyrics:
Spoiler:
Anyone got anymore? Post em if you got em!
01-24-18 | 01:40 PM
#2
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Eminem's new album has a song about Trump.
IMO, younger artists these days are too far removed from real world problems to have government be the muse for their music. Very different than in the 60's/70's.
IMO, younger artists these days are too far removed from real world problems to have government be the muse for their music. Very different than in the 60's/70's.
01-24-18 | 02:25 PM
#3
Suspended
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Indianapolis, IN. Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Morning Joe's
Joe Scarborough singing his way into the #Resist movement
Joe Scarborough singing his way into the #Resist movement
01-24-18 | 03:07 PM
#5
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
I thought kids only listen to country music where the male singer sings about picking up his girlfriend in his pickup with a 6 pack and going down to the crick?
01-24-18 | 03:37 PM
#7
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
01-24-18 | 04:18 PM
#8
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
I think that, in today's political climate, musicians don't want to take a stand on anything controversial and lose half of their audience.
In the 1960s, the "hippie" musicians were genrally pretty safe to make anti-war songs because that's the message their audience was receptive to.
Now, the audience for rock and all of its genres are all over the map. There are lots of punk and metal fans that are hard core republicans and jesus freaks that fawn over Trump, and there are also punk and metal fans who are hard left Bernie/"resist" types. Combine this climate with the ability of virtual lynch mobs to form on social media (on both sides), and everyone is inclined to keep their mouths shut.
Some musicians, like Ted Nugent and Ani DiFranco, can use politics to cultivate an audience, but it's not a beehive a lot of people want to stick their dicks in.
In the 1960s, the "hippie" musicians were genrally pretty safe to make anti-war songs because that's the message their audience was receptive to.
Now, the audience for rock and all of its genres are all over the map. There are lots of punk and metal fans that are hard core republicans and jesus freaks that fawn over Trump, and there are also punk and metal fans who are hard left Bernie/"resist" types. Combine this climate with the ability of virtual lynch mobs to form on social media (on both sides), and everyone is inclined to keep their mouths shut.
Some musicians, like Ted Nugent and Ani DiFranco, can use politics to cultivate an audience, but it's not a beehive a lot of people want to stick their dicks in.
01-24-18 | 04:27 PM
#9
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Yeah, that makes sense. Even Machine Head's fans tended to be more on the alt-right side than the SJW side, and look at the youtube comments on that video. holy crap, you would think MH were commie pinko bastards or something.
01-24-18 | 04:46 PM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Someone like Springsteen would have no qualms writing scathing songs about Trump, unless they are friends. All of the musicians who used to write protest songs are old or dead now.
Bruce Cockburn, who is also long-in-the-tooth, is hopefully working on an album that will include a vituperative song about the Trumpian nuclear winter.
Here's the song Cockburn wrote about Dubya for his great 2002 album You've Never Seen Everything. It could easily apply to Trump as well:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPcksw54jZw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Lyrics:
Bruce Cockburn, who is also long-in-the-tooth, is hopefully working on an album that will include a vituperative song about the Trumpian nuclear winter.
Here's the song Cockburn wrote about Dubya for his great 2002 album You've Never Seen Everything. It could easily apply to Trump as well:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPcksw54jZw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Lyrics:
Spoiler:
01-24-18 | 06:01 PM
#12
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Prophets of Rage is one group that is based soley on protest songs.
01-24-18 | 06:28 PM
#13
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
There were a couple on the recent Roger Waters album. But I agree that most artists probably don't want to be the next Dixie Chicks. If they weren't political from the get go, there's not much to gain in starting because of Trump.
01-24-18 | 07:56 PM
#15
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Last edited by musick; 01-24-18 at 08:08 PM.
01-24-18 | 08:10 PM
#16
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Doesn't a lot of what Moby makes qualify as protest songs?
01-24-18 | 11:06 PM
#17
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
I think that, in today's political climate, musicians don't want to take a stand on anything controversial and lose half of their audience.
In the 1960s, the "hippie" musicians were genrally pretty safe to make anti-war songs because that's the message their audience was receptive to.
Some musicians, like Ted Nugent and Ani DiFranco, can use politics to cultivate an audience, but it's not a beehive a lot of people want to stick their dicks in.
In the 1960s, the "hippie" musicians were genrally pretty safe to make anti-war songs because that's the message their audience was receptive to.
Some musicians, like Ted Nugent and Ani DiFranco, can use politics to cultivate an audience, but it's not a beehive a lot of people want to stick their dicks in.
I always thought a band like U2 would have something significant to say but on the other hand, look at how much grief they received for giving away their album on iTunes for free.
It isn't worth it anymore. Just shut-up, smile, play your hits and cash your paycheque. Repeat.
01-25-18 | 11:10 AM
#19
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
1. I recall U2 stalled the release of their new album in order to go back into the studio to add content more relevant to the "post-election" America. I haven't heard the new album. Is there anything approaching a protest song?
2. Bob Dylan's album Infidels is the perfect album for the current America. It was recorded in the early Reagan era, so many sentiments of that period match today perfectly. People always puzzled about who the Jokerman was. Is Bob the Jokerman? Reagan? Record company execs? No...Trump is the Jokerman.
2. Bob Dylan's album Infidels is the perfect album for the current America. It was recorded in the early Reagan era, so many sentiments of that period match today perfectly. People always puzzled about who the Jokerman was. Is Bob the Jokerman? Reagan? Record company execs? No...Trump is the Jokerman.
01-25-18 | 12:07 PM
#20
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Ministry's new album, like a coule others, is a protest album. I can't see it gaining much traction, though, for a handful of reasons ranging from Jourgenson is out of his gourd to the music itself probably won't be too spectacular.
01-25-18 | 03:48 PM
#21
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
01-25-18 | 04:41 PM
#22
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Here's a protest song for yeah, the singer looks like a fat Justin Beiber. The Comment section is pretty funny.
01-25-18 | 04:43 PM
#23
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
I think the songs in this thread are any indication it's because no one knows how to write a protest song that doesn't absolutely sound terrible.
I also have to mention that Profits of Rage are possibly the worst super group ever. Someone finally took the crown from Hellyeah
I also have to mention that Profits of Rage are possibly the worst super group ever. Someone finally took the crown from Hellyeah
01-25-18 | 05:06 PM
#24
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Older...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-7Y0ekr-3So" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Not so older...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lz-XsIi9jN0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-7Y0ekr-3So" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Not so older...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lz-XsIi9jN0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Call It Democracy
Bruce Cockburn
Padded with power here they come
International loan sharks backed by the guns
Of market hungry military profiteers
Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared
With the blood of the poor
Who rob life of its quality
Who render rage a necessity
By turning countries into labour camps
Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom
Sinister cynical instrument
Who makes the gun into a sacrament
The only response to the deification
Of tyranny by so called "developed" nations'
Idolatry of ideology
North, south, east, west
Kill the best and buy the rest
It's just spend a buck to make a buck
You don't really give a flying fuck
About the people in misery
I-M-F dirty M-F
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt
See the paid off local bottom feeders
Passing themselves off as leaders
Kiss the ladies, shake hands with the fellows
And it's open for business like a cheap bordello
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
See the loaded eyes of the children too
Trying to make the best of it the way kids do
One day you're going to rise from your habitual feast
To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast
They call the revolution
I-M-F dirty M-F
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
Bruce Cockburn
Padded with power here they come
International loan sharks backed by the guns
Of market hungry military profiteers
Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared
With the blood of the poor
Who rob life of its quality
Who render rage a necessity
By turning countries into labour camps
Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom
Sinister cynical instrument
Who makes the gun into a sacrament
The only response to the deification
Of tyranny by so called "developed" nations'
Idolatry of ideology
North, south, east, west
Kill the best and buy the rest
It's just spend a buck to make a buck
You don't really give a flying fuck
About the people in misery
I-M-F dirty M-F
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt
See the paid off local bottom feeders
Passing themselves off as leaders
Kiss the ladies, shake hands with the fellows
And it's open for business like a cheap bordello
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
See the loaded eyes of the children too
Trying to make the best of it the way kids do
One day you're going to rise from your habitual feast
To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast
They call the revolution
I-M-F dirty M-F
Takes away everything it can get
Always making certain that there's one thing left
Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
And they call it democracy
Last edited by kd5; 01-26-18 at 06:14 AM.
01-25-18 | 05:31 PM
#25
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Where are all the protest songs?
Neil Young still puts out protest songs. He has released the albums Living With War, Fork In The Road, The Monsanto Years, Peace Trail and The Visitor over the last decade or so. Problem is no one but me buys them.
Buy yeah, younger artists are worried about alienating half their base.
Buy yeah, younger artists are worried about alienating half their base.