TOP 7 PROTEST SONGS
Protest Songs Quick List
1. Civil Rights — Bob Dylan — “Blowin in the wind”
2. Vietnam War — John Lennon — “Give peace a chance”
3. Women’s Rights — Lesley Gore — “You Don’t Own Me”
4. LGBT Community — Lady Gaga — “Born This Way”
5. Police Brutality — Bruce Springsteen — “American Skin 41 shots”
6. Slavery — Bob Marley — “Buffalo Soldier”
7. Poverty — Bruce Springsteen — “The Ghost of Tom Joad”
Resistance songs are known to be popular pieces of music in which the lyrics question various aspects of society in a country or even the entire world. Using music is especially powerful not only because music is the language of the world but also because the often catchy, powerful, and passionate lyrics are easily remembered and supported. Many artists from many genres of music have created a huge list of top protest songs; however, very few songs have stood the test of time. In this list, I attempt to compile one of the best songs surrounding each social issue. The songs are in no particular order, but I did not pick songs solely based on their popularity. Popularity, memorability, tempo, and meaning all played a role in the decision process. Let’s begin!
1. Issue: Civil Rights
Song: Bob Dylan — “Blowin in the Wind”
This very simple yet powerful song has a lot of meaning packed into fairly few words. The song was written and released in 1962 during the height of the civil rights movement in America. Although there are several songs that expressed the need for equality amongst blacks and whites, I found the Bob Dylan’s version was the best due to its simplicity and wisdom. The song starts with the lyrics, “How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man.” Many believe that this is directly referencing the many civil rights marches for equality. Likewise, the song mentions a “dove,” the global symbol for peace and unity. Finally, Bob Dylan sings, “How many deaths will it take for him to know that too many have died.” All these references show how Dylan supports equality and states that the answer to the issue is right in front of everyone: “The answer is blowing in the wind.” Dylan alludes to the fact that society just must reach out and grab the answer — granting equality for everyone. The simplicity of the song is probably what made it so successful. Played largely by on the acoustic guitar, and with only two beats to each measure, it was easy to reproduce and rally behind.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA
2. Issue: Vietnam
Song: John Lennon — “Give Peace a Chance”
This was a tough choice. I almost picked “For What its Worth” by Buffalo Springfield just because it’s so catchy. Nonetheless, “Give Peace a Chance” wins this one. Arguably one of the most famous performers of all time, John Lennon clearly establishes the reason for his song by including the word “Peace” in his title. The song, “performed” in 1969 during Lennon’s bed protest with Yoko, quickly became the anthem for the anti-Vietnam war movement. Many people at the time thought that Americans should not be participating in a war with no end so they turned to music to help get the word out. When listening to the song, a sense of unity is felt as almost everyone joins in to sing together. The resounding success of the song was due to the fact that a majority of the song was a repetition of one phrase: “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” The message is not hard to decode as John Lennon was a strong proponent of peace. The loud dynamics and monophonic texture also makes it easy to remember and fun to sing along too!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yU0JuE1jTk
3. Issue: Women’s rights
Song: Lesley Gore — “You Don’t Own Me”
I picked this song because it stands the test of time. Although songs like “Survivor” may make women feel more empowered (let me know if it does), I think this song by Lesley Gore is the best song to represent the Women’s Rights Movement. Written in 1964, the song speaks about a woman’s independence and detachment from a male’s control. These types of lyrics were nearly unheard of in the 60s, but Gore pioneered the way for great advancements in women’s right with lyrics such as, “Don’t tell me what to do and Don’t tell me what to say. Please, when I go out with you, don’t put me on display.” These lyrics speak to the Gore’s frustrations with men using her solely as a thing of beauty and not an actual member of society. I find her voice in the song to sound slightly mysterious which gives it a more intriguing aura. Likewise, the heterophonic texture as well as the duple meter adds an additional layer in the background to make the piece even more catchy and powerful.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNb-8gLcXLs
4. Issue: LBGT
Song: Lady Gaga — “Born this Way”
Taking a break from all the oldies, Lady Gaga’s song released in 2011 supports all types of people focusing mainly on the LGBT community. Plus, no protest song list would be complete without a modern hit. Using her widespread fame, Gaga’s song advocates self-acceptance and self-love. The lyrics in Gaga’s song are not as in depth as some of the other protest songs we have covered or some of the ones we will cover. However, her ability to reach a huge audience by continuously hitting #1 on music charts has lead her song to touch the lives of many. The fast-paced tempo coupled with the noticeable, steady drumming in the background makes this song feel empowering. Also, the quadruple meter is very popular in many hip-hop songs and familiar amongst the millennials.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw
5. Issue: Police
Song: Bruce Springsteen — “American Skin 41 Shots”
Bruce Springsteen, the all-American artist from Asbury Park NJ, released this song in the year 2000 after the shooting of a man in New York. Police mistook the man’s wallet for a gun and shot him 41 times as the name of the song indicates. Springsteen was angered and shocked by the overreaction of the police published this song protesting police brutality. The melancholy sound of the song and the repletion of “41 shots” emphasizes the overreaction of the police. Springsteen also portrays his support for all types of people by saying that the man, living in America, is part of the “American Skin” even though the victim was from Guinea. The song is very similar to a ballad in that it tells the story of how the police mistaken the man’s wallet for a gun and then take his life. The simple and brief song received tons of popularity and praise.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w6d7Skpxe8
6. Issue: Slaves
Song: Bob Marley — “Buffalo Soldier”
Probably the most famous musical artist from Jamaica, Bob Marley is known for questioning various aspects of society while simultaneously promoting peace and equality. In his song “Buffalo Soldier,” Marley educates his listeners by stating how the Buffalo Soldiers, a segregated regiment of American soldiers, fought for their lives against the American Indians during the 1860’s. Marley emphasizes how the African Americans who were unwillingly brought from Africa were enslaved as soldiers. Marley further continues to sing about oppression when he alludes to the fact that the men that played a role in creating and fighting for America are still oppressed in the 1980’s. Released in 1983, the song focuses on the cultural segregation of America rather than the legal aspects. Marley uses traditional reggae music popular in Jamaica and uses it’s peaceful tone and catchy beat to add popularity to the song. The quadruple meter with emphasis on the 1st and 3rd beats creates a unique and consistent sound making this song a perfect protest song for marches, dances, and rallies.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o
7. Issue: Poverty
Song: Bruce Springsteen — “The Ghost of Tom Joad
Saving the best for last with another Bruce Springsteen hit. I personally thought this song was very cool because of the allusion to The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinback. Having read this novel a few years back I made the connection while listening to the song. The novel is surrounds an average, hardworking family’s struggle during the Dust Bowl era. The family attempts to move across the entire United States with little money, a broken car, children, and other obstacles. Bruce protests the poverty plaguing the nation by comparing Tom Joad to the average, hardworking, poverty-stricken American. He sings about things like “a hole in your belly” and “bathing in the cities aqueduct” to emphasize the poverty present in middle of America. If you haven’t read The Grapes of Wrath,” the song may not have such a powerful effect, but I thought that the knowledge needed to understand this protest song made it stand out above all others. The distinct timbre of the harmonic in the song symbolizes the Dust Bowl era and the stereotypical instrument of the mid-west. Likewise, the slow tempo and defeated tone of Springsteen allude to the struggle of Americans. The ghost of Tom Joad is supposed to reach all struggling Americans unifying them under a single umbrella.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi0kWe2ixzU
Interesting Side Thought:
While compiling these top 7 songs, I started to wonder why some of the best protest songs emerged in the 60’s and 70’s. I questioned why artists today are not producing as much protest music even though there is plenty to protest about in America. I came up with a few theories to explain this:
1. I think that musical artists in this generation focus more on the beat and sound of the music rather than lyrical prowess. 60’s music to me, at least, gives the impression that artists spent a majority of their time perfecting and creating lyrics that make connections to real world problems and contain a deeper meaning. Although there are many songs such as rap songs that address political and social issues, I believe that many songs these days are written by production companies who focus on how much money they can make from the music rather than what impact the music will make on the audience or what issues the music will address.
2. Another reason for the decreased number of protest songs is simply a change in the preferences of the audience. The generation of today may not look at music the same way as they did 60 years ago. Today’s generation seems to desire music that acts as a release from everyday problems, so songs that protest everyday social and political issues may do the opposite of giving people a release from everyday life, thus causing a decline in the number of protest songs produced.
