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Gideon CoeΒ permalink
Politics in song
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Message 1.Β
Posted by gidarmy (U7627527) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
Is one of the proposed themes for the show of Weds the 18th and indeed for this thread now. Whenever 'now' is...
Without wishing to be flippant in what are very difficult times for many people (and without wishing to sound like a politician as I just did) I've been wondering whether this round of upheaval and recession will - as it has done in the past - lead to a new round of politically motivated songwriting.
I've no idea whether it will or not. How would I know? But it does give us the chance to look at past examples of political songwriting. What makes it so? What are the best examples?
There are general ones - Cream's Political Man.
More in your face ones - See Billy Bragg and Specials and The Clash, Elvis Costello
Do they have to be left-leaning though? Are there some examples of songs which joyfully celebrate the capitialist Utopia? I hope so, for the sake of balance. You could argue for Money Money Money - or is it saying the opposite? ie FOLLOW BJORN TO THE BARRICADES!! And what about Taxman?
Anyway.. if you fancy it, add some thoughts here.
Gidx -
Message 2
Posted by gidarmy (U7627527) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
apologies for the typos by the way. If that's how you spell them.
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Message 3
Posted by knerak (U10891878) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
tom's road to peace
wonder if i can answer tom to any question ever asked? -
Message 4
Posted by the_roofdog (U9532299) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
Costello already been mentioned but 'Spike' is a vicious album isn't it. Great record, but also just nasty. I think the problem with writing political songs nowadays might be that there isn't one central figure to rail against. This is why I'm working on my double concept album about government by focus groups and quangos.
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Message 5
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
I've always considered The Strawbs 'Part Of The Union' to be a right wing pop at the comrades.
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Message 6
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
Political music? Wow.
The Dustbowl songs of Guthrie etc
The fifties and sixties were full of protest songs, some were a bit vague - I mean Blowin in the wind? etc. But you've got some great Dylan political songs - "Let me die in my footsteps" being wonderful, as is "Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues", "Masters of war" and lots more .
Phil Ochs was great, until things went tragic for him: I aint marching any more
Richie Havenm: "Freedom", and "What you Gonna Do about me?" (this is a fantastic Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Live in Concert version)
Country Joe and the Fish - "give me an F, give me a U etc"
The MC5 were the literal EMBODIMENT of the sixties revolutionary movement.
The anarchists/situationist influenced & agitprop bands: Crass. Stereolab. Chumbawumba. You could devote a whole show to Chumbawumbas political songs.
Wry satirists of society like Randy Newman
The pre-cursors of Rap - like Gill Scott Heron . Obviously, "the Revolution will not be televised", but "Pieces of a Man" is very appropriate in the current climate. There's dozens more. "Whitey on the Moon" is a personal favourite. lyrics:
There's the wagon jumpers like the Stones "Street Fighting Man".
I think Roy Harper's Kanagaroo Blues is a superb protest song, and EXACTLY describes the sense of impending disaster we're all feeling. There's a storming live version on "Flashes...". But Gid - it contains the very carefully enunciated line "...pulls his foreskin to and fro". Will that wash on the beeb?
(jump to about 2.30)
Roger Waters can produce some biting political comment: "Get you Filthy Hands Off my Desert" is short and pithy. And his music for the animation "When the Wind Blows" is just great. In particular "Towers of faith" which, 20+ years later is ABSOLUTELY TRUE:
There's more, but I have to put the kids to sleep. Bed. I mean bed. -
Message 7
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
From the other side, there was the album 'Hard Cash' in the early nineties. Curated by Richard Thompson, it was the soundtrack to a series that was never broadcast by a certain organisation I won't be mentioning. No sir.
Amongst other tracks 'Hilda's Cabinet Band' by The Watersons and 'You're The Pits'. -
Message 8
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
These indie landfill kids don't seem too keen on rocking the boat do they, though? So much for rebellious youth, leave it to the maligned folkies every time.
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Message 9
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
If you want one left-right conundrum wrapped in a single package, Neil Young might be your man. From Ohio to Reaganite atitudes in the eighties to Living With War.
Mind you, not sure where Dylan was coming from with Union Sundown on Infidels either. -
Message 10
Posted by knerak (U10891878) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
matt mcginn - three nights and a sunday (double time)
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Message 11
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
And of course Robert Wyatt's unapologetically far-left album "Nothing can Stop Us", which includes paeons to Stalin of all people.
Digging out some popular acts from the last recession:
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
The Levellers
The Manic Street preachers
(I once saw the Manics supporting the Levellers)
And Pulp's spleen-venting Anthem of the Overlooked: Common People. It still makes my hair stand on end every time I hear it. Great live version here:
It's time for everyone to get political again. Remember, as the Great Bard said: Anger is an Energy. -
Message 12
Posted by purrmeister (U11445326) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
Jarvis Cocker - Running the World! Just lurve the lyrics to this song! Play it loud
It's just rude......but accurate. -
Message 13
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
She's right: why not sing along!
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Message 14
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
What, with my track record today?
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Message 15
This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the in some way.
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Message 16
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
In fact, if you do want to sing along to jarvis: here's a handy video with bouncing ball stylee lyrics:
PS - Did you see the subtle shift from Jarvis's The ****s are still running the world to "Power of Pussy". D'ye see what I did there? -
Message 17
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
How could I forget The World Turned Upside Down by Leon Rosselson?
Though the versions by Chumbawumba or Billy Bragg are better.
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Message 18
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
And when we talk about Billy Bragg, we can't ignore his most strident protest song: Unisex Chipshop.
Preach it Brother Bragg!
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Message 19
Posted by U6679583 (U6679583) on Wednesday, 18th February 2009
Hmmm, which one of you reported my post about Bongwater?
Bizarre. -
Message 20
Posted by Lee1975 (U4412355) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
Although I've never been a massive fan of politicised music generally, (he said whilst owning the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy's album), I've always thought that Stevie Wonder managed to get away with it in a rather less in-your-face way than most.
Living for the City,
He's Mistra Know It All (apparently about Richard Nixon),
Big Brother,
Village Ghetto Land and
You Haven't Done Nothing (another Nixon-bashing song)
Every one being a real gem. And, if we're allowed to put Civil Rights songs in the "political" catagory too may I suggest;
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye and
If I Can Dream - Elvis. -
Message 21
Posted by gidarmy (U7627527) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
Still not sure if we're going to do this one tonight (thursday). Not sure about much seeing as I'm on some sort of caffeine-laden medication and about to host a half-term play-date (not as glamourous as it sounds).
If I'm still alive at 9pm we'll have a show. Probably an open forum tonight. Along with a discussion on what makes a good racket.
Racket night sounds very appealing. We could dovetail the racket with Ambient Eno as respite.
Note: ideas that appear brilliant while under the influence of cold and flu remedies may not seem so good in a couple of hours.
I'll come back and check. -
Message 22
Posted by Lee1975 (U4412355) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
Racket night sounds like a grand idea.
May I suggest;
"Chelsea Girl" by Ride
"Aisha" by Death in Vegas
"French Disco" by Stereolab and
"So Many Miles" by Viva Voce
Will get my thinking head on for tracks you could use when you turn the show into "Quiet FM". -
Message 23
Posted by CardiffGentleman (U13471703) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
2 ambiguous ones that I can never make my mind up on;
Bodies - by the Pistols seems to be anti-abortion ( seems at odds with the other 'politics' they wrote about )
and Keep on rocking in the free worls by Neil Young - is he being sarcy or genuine about the 'free world '? -
Message 24
Posted by steve_swift (U2177659) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
The best racket I've heard today is Sufjan Stevens' contribution to the Dark Was The Night charity album just out - its called You Are The Blood - and its 10 minutes 18 seconds of .... melodic racket, with a classical piano break to boot.
It will have your listeners turning their listening devices up and off in equal measure.
Its profanity free so you can go ahead and just put it on, settling into another dose of Benylin while the racket washes over you. -
Message 25
Posted by LoudGeoffW (U11943874) on Thursday, 19th February 2009
'Pass The Hatchet, I think I'm GoodKind' by Yo La Tengo certainly fulfils all my criteria of riffy racket. All eleven minutes of it.
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