Anti-war and Protest Songs the World Needs to Listen To Again
In times of turmoil, music with a message is more important than ever
Total war, civil war, genocide, drug war, terrorism, ethnic conflicts: In the 20th century, nations were shattered, drenched in blood — and left with loss, trauma, and ruins. But in the future, many people hoped, lessons would be learned to protect peace. Well…
In the 21st century, hell has broken loose again all over the globe. In Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and Sudan. In Nigeria, Syria, Yemen, or Ethiopia. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and this year, the Israel-Hamas war began, costing thousands of lives in Israel and Palestine. Hate escalates and spills over: The world is still a powder keg; it just takes a tiny spark to set off a devastating explosion. Still, we play with deadly fire.
“This will be our reply to violence: To make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” (Leonard Bernstein)
The current state of the world has left me mournful, helpless, paralyzed, and frightened. To seek calm and hope, I did what I always do and turned to music. I crave eloquent lyrics speaking my mind when I’m speechless and non-trivial tunes to go along with complex situations — pleas for peace and coming to our senses.
