Looking for some good protest music
 

I am going to make myself a playlist of cool fight the power/stick it to the man/protest songs. Sometimes, I am just in that mood. And I thought that FOFC would have no shortage of ideas for songs to put on the list.

Here's what I have so far (in no particular order):

DEMOCRACY--Leonard Cohen
FIGHT THE POWER--Public Enemy
STRANGE FRUIT--Billie Holiday
GUNS OF BRIXTON--The Clash (Nouvelle Vague Version)
HEAD LIKE A HOLE--Nine Inch Nails

I have no doubt that FOFC can enhance the heck out of this list.

Edit to add--songs can be about specific things (e.g., Strange Fruit). But I want them to have a timeless quality, too (e.g., Strange Fruit). I am not really interested, in other words, in the latest anti-Bush song out there, especially if it is not a good song.

Killing in the Name Of - Rage Against The Machine (and probably quite a few others from this group)

Citizens CIA- Dropkick Murphyes
Fortunate Sun- CCR

not my cup of tea, but I would say the Sex Pistol's Anarchy in the UK

Well I can stand beside
Ideals I think are right
And I can stand beside
The idea to stand and fight
I do believe
There’s a dream for everyone
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

There’s room enough here
For science to live
And there’s room enough here
For religion to forgive
And try to understand
All the people of this land
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

That poverty could be
Just another ugly thing
And bigotry would be
Seen only as obscene
And the ones that run this land
Help the poor and common man
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

The dream is still alive
Some day it will come true
And this country it belongs
To folks like me and you
So let the voice of freedom
Sing out through this land
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

"The World Turned Upside Down" - Billy Bragg

we shall overcome :-P

Not really a protest song against establishment, but a good song against persecution is "Seagull" by Ride.

dola

"Listen to the Flower People" by Spinal Tap

I don't know if you are into "older" protest music but I thought of "Power to the People" by John Lennon and "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band

#1 on my list.

Also, Talkin' Bout A Revolution - Tracy Chapman (although I really like the version Living Colour used to do, if you can find it)

American Ruse - MC5

Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane

Not sure if this is what you're looking for either, but one of my top choices is "The Fish Cheer" by Country Joe McDonald

American Idiot by Green Day if you're not sick to death of them by now

+1 - fabulous choice

Gimme an F!

Gimme a U!

Gimme a C!

Gimme a K!

What's that spell?!

What's that spell?!

What's that spell?!

Not particularly angry sounding songs, but you might add Ohio, and For What It's Worth.

(I remember this topic coming up here before)

hmm some of my favorites are

Recipe for Hate- Bad Religion
or
One Trillion Dollars by Anti Flag

another excellent PE song - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos.
and NWA's Fuck tha Police.

both covered by RATM, not-so-coincidentally.

The eastern world it is exploding, violence flaring and bullets loading...

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT

War - Edwin Starr
Keep on Rockin' the Free World - Neil Young
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag - Country Joe and The Fish

Working Class Hero - John Lennon
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues

Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil
Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie

Bush Killa - Paris

Anything by Public Enemy

My Violent Heart - Nine Inch Nails

Know Your Enemy - Rage Against The Machine
War? - System of a Down
Prison Song - System of a Down
Refuse/Resist - Soulfly
Back To the Primative - Soulfly
A Drug Against War - KMFDM

"Let Them Eat War" by Bad Religion

Cheers!

The Happiest Place On Earth-Desaparecidos

War Again - Oingo Boingo
War Pigs - Sabbath
Aenima - Tool
World Coming Down - Type O Negative

masters of war - bob dylan and / or eddie vedder

shit...i'm dissapointed in the contemporariness of the songs suggested by my fellow FOFCers. There are so many classic protest songs from the Vietnam era and the civil rights struggle guys

If this is just a fancy way to say Rage Against the Machine sucks ass then I totally concur.

Pink Floyd: The Fletcher Memorial Home

Letter From LBJ
LYNDON JOHNSON TOLD THE NATION
(Tom Paxton)

I agree. Rage provided great protest music for frat boys I knew in college; it was seriously their idea of being political. I consider Rage to be good/significant "protest music" as much as I consider NFL Europa to be great football.

Just about any song from Fifteen/Jeff Ott. If you like the music that is. I do. Will try to remember to make a list sunday when i am home, of other bands and songs.

My top Rage Against The Machine songs are:

No Shelter
Sleep Now In The Fire

For what it's worth, when I read the title, that was the only thing I thought of. Protest songs written by white boys in the last 15 years are silly and contrived.

I would pick, off the top of my head:

Revolution
Abraham, Martin and John
War
Eve of Destruction
Give Peace a Chance

The Nouvelle Vague version?!

Please tell me Rage Against The Machine isn't covered by this blanket statement.

99 Luftbaloons
Something by the Dead Kennedys
something off of "Hypocracy is the Greatest Luxury" by the Disposable heroes.

Bob Dylan - Hurricane

Covered? The blanket was tossed at them.

Oh, speaking of silly white boy songs of protest:

"Fight For Your Right (to Party)" - Beastie Boys

This thread sure has taken a predictable turn.

Goofy's Concern - Butthole Surfers

Peace Train - Yusuf Islam er....Cat Stevens

Rock Hard Times - Eels

Revolution - Grandaddy

Electric Uncle Sam - Primus

Polish Mule - Stephen Malkmus

Mmmmbop - Hansen
Lump - Presidents of the US
Waiting for Tonight - JLo

Maybe some of the old farts should look into what white boys of the last 15 years write protest songs about before they make ignorant statements. Do you believe there have been no injustices in the world since the 70's?

There's a bit of personal history there. Pretty boring story, and longer than it needs to be. But, hey, it's my playlist :)

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I've got a lot of songs to sample over the next few days. And feel free to keep them coming.

If the singers never wore onions on their belts, as was the fashion at the time, then phooey on them!