Protest Songs

Does anybody know what's happened to all the protest and anti-war songs. It seemed the thing to do in the sixties and seventies, but I'll bet there's not many people under thirty could even join in a chorus now. Is it because all the radio stations have banned this kind of material, or are the majority of the people, including the singers so pissed off because nobody listens anymore.

people realized that to be comfortable enough that you think singing about oppisition to war is going to do some thing to stop it requires imperialist wars.

Welcome to real life, it is not a nice place

St. William of Bragg is still going...

They didn't work.

You're so right. Sometimes I just have to have a wall to hit my head off.

Even the Levellers are still going (sadly)

alltogether now.....

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

I think they stopped for a reason.

Jimmy Cliff's Vietnam is a great track tho.

I love that song.

I think "What's Goin' On" is still relevant, no?

I presume two parts to the thread here - why are there no protest songs getting played, and why are there no protest songs getting made. I agree with Tynan, most likely they were seen as a catalyst for real change, or at least a soundtrack for it. When "it" didn't really happen, there were a lot of disillusioned, spaced out hippies. Eighties attempts were a response to Thatcherism and she outlasted the most ferocious of them.

In a sense any of the notorious Sex Pistols songs were as much successful protest songs as Dylan or Baez - but they were born out of sociological, rather than overtly political, disenchantment.

Theres been heaps of music involving anti war themes/general protest songs over the past few years!

You just might not be into listenening to what the young 'uns are.

Example: Anti Flag

nah man I'm 19 it's all about dubstep 'ere bwoy....Rinse fm an' ting..

nah man I'm 19 it's all about dubstep 'ere bwoy....Rinse fm an' ting..

yeah I know, theres a time and a place for political statement. Otherwise it comes off a bit hppy-ish.

I was putting together "dubstep" beats and such back in 2001 of course I didnt really know of it as a scene then. Starting to hear more similar stuff about these days, and getting back into it.

Did you see Jay-Z at Glastonbury? He did a fair bit of political voicing there!

Here's a 'protest' song for ya

YouTube - Toby Keith - Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)

YouTube - Toby Keith - Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)

lovin' the high five at 2:26..

I've down loaded the ringtone courtesy of youtube. Even though I'm English this shall be my anthem - luckily we're red, white and blue too! Yay!x

Moving anti war track:

Jon Lucien, The War Song

+1. An awful lot of Lucien's songs are moving though.

what about rallying songs, charlie? Are you including those?

Too many protest singers, not enough protest songs.

Example: Anti Flag

they played an unplugged set in my front room when they were still slightly punk.

and propaghandi is/ was much better.

ahhh memories of the day when i used to give a shit.

Hiya,
I must admit that when I started this thread, it was to motivate a discussion. I now feel that you guys who told me that protest songs are no good are probably right. The Poll Tax riots worked because they did incite some violence (mostly from the Right), but they DID work! On the other hand, the predominantly middle class protests against the Iraq War did sod all. I think that we should all take a lesson from the young activists (God that's patronising). No Pasaran, friends.

Awra best