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PROTEST & REBELLION SONGS.."get it off your chest"

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PROTEST & REBELLION SONGS.."get it off your chest"

The only stipulation here is that the song should be commentary,  controversial, expressing a rebellious, protesting "frame of mind"; generally, or speciffically, about society, culture, economics, wealth, poverty, politics, war, peace, relationships, etc, etc, etc.

 

How about some songs which, when you heard them, you thought, "Yeh, those lyrics tell it like it is!" or maybe you were offended by the controversial lyrics.

 

Your song selection may be from any time period in history and about any topic you choose, old songs and new songs.

 

Please be free to post protest & rebellion songs which either you agreed with or which "honked" you off.

 

Here is an opportunity to "Get it off your chest!" Go ahead and briefly include memorable lyrics of the song if you like [ if you remember 🙂 ]

 

To begin.....here's a protest song:     Subterranean Homesick Blues     Bob Dylan

 

 


Merely OneTokeOTL
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The Freedom Song (They'll Never Take Us Down) -- Neil Diamond

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Shapes Of Things     The Yardbirds   1966

 

Shapes of things before my eyes
Just teach me to despise
Will time make man more wise?


Merely OneTokeOTL
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Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream     Simon & Garfunkel   1964


Merely OneTokeOTL
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War - Bob Marley & The Wailers

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We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

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One Small Voice -- Carole King

 

The Emperor's got no clothes on

No clothes?  That can't be.  He's the Emperor.

Take that child away.

Don't let the people hear the words he has to say.

 

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Revolution -- The Beatles

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Bring Them Home -- Pete Seeger

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Song For A Dying Planet     Joe Walsh


Merely OneTokeOTL
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Nature's Way     Spirit


Merely OneTokeOTL
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Galviston by Glen Camble

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Ideology - Billy Bragg

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"UP AGAINST THE WALL MOTHER**bleep**ER! "

 

BY DAVID PEEL AND THE LOWER EAST SIDE

 

NO REAL LYRICS EXCEPT THE TITLE REPEATED

 

WE DID IT TO NIXON AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN!

 

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! 

Peace and Stay Free!
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2ND CHOICE WOULD BE PHIL OCHS

 

"I AIN'T A-MARCHING ANYMORE"

 

PHIL COULD HAVE BEEN DYLAN HAD HE NOT DRANK HIMSELF TO DEATH

Peace and Stay Free!
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Eve of Destruction
Barry McGuire
Eastern world it is exploding
Violent flares and bullets loading
You're old enough to kill but not for voting
You don't believe in war but what's that gun your toting?
And even the Jordan river has bodies floating
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
Well look at all the hate there is in Red China
Take a look around at Selma Alabama
You may leave here for four days in space
When you return it's that same old place
Love your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
You don't believe were on the eve of destruction
Songwriters: EVE JEFFERS, MELVIN CHARLES BRADFORD, LEON HAYWOOD, MARSHALL MCQUEEN, BILL JR. WILLIAMS

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Anything by Bob Dylan !  I didn't much care for his singing, but his lyrics were the poetry of the age...           My two favorites are:

 

Bob Dylan - "The Times, They Are A-Changing"

 

 

Come gather ’round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You’ll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth savin’

Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin’

 

Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won’t come again

And don’t speak too soon

For the wheel’s still in spin

And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin’

 

Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don’t stand in the doorway

Don’t block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’

It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin’

 

Come mothers and fathers

Throughout the land

And don’t criticize

What you can’t understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly agin’

Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin’

 

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin’

And the first one now will later be last

For the times they are a-changin’

 

From the album of the same name, 1963

 

 

Second Place: Bob Dylan - "Talking the World War Three Blues"

 

 

Some time ago a crazy dream came to me

I dreamt I was walkin’ into World War Three

I went to the doctor the very next day

To see what kinda words he could say

He said it was a bad dream

I wouldn’t worry ’bout it none, though

They were my own dreams and they’re only in my head

 

I said, “Hold it, Doc, a World War passed through my brain”

He said, “Nurse, get your pad, this boy’s insane”

He grabbed my arm, I said, “Ouch!”

As I landed on the psychiatric couch

He said, “Tell me about it”

 

Well, the whole thing started at 3 o’clock fast

It was all over by quarter past

I was down in the sewer with some little lover

When I peeked out from a manhole cover

Wondering who turned the lights on

 

Well, I got up and walked around

And up and down the lonesome town

I stood a-wondering which way to go

I lit a cigarette on a parking meter and walked on down the road

It was a normal day

 

Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell

And I leaned my head and I gave a yell

“Give me a string bean, I’m a hungry man”

A shotgun fired and away I ran

I don’t blame them too much though, I know I look funny

 

Down at the corner by a hot-dog stand

I seen a man

I said, “Howdy friend, I guess there’s just us two”

He screamed a bit and away he flew

Thought I was a Communist

 

Well, I spied a girl and before she could leave

“Let’s go and play Adam and Eve”

I took her by the hand and my heart it was thumpin’

When she said, “Hey man, you crazy or sumpin’

You see what happened last time they started”

 

Well, I seen a Cadillac window uptown

And there was nobody aroun’

I got into the driver’s seat

And I drove down 42nd Street

In my Cadillac. Good car to drive after a war

 

Well, I remember seein’ some ad

So I turned on my Conelrad

But I didn’t pay my Con Ed bill

So the radio didn’t work so well

Turned on my record player—

It was Rock-a-day Johnny singin’, “Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa

Our Love’s A-gonna Grow Ooh-wah, Ooh-wah”

 

I was feelin’ kinda lonesome and blue

I needed somebody to talk to

So I called up the operator of time

Just to hear a voice of some kind

“When you hear the beep it will be three o’clock”

She said that for over an hour

And I hung up

 

Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then

Sayin’, “Hey I’ve been havin’ the same old dreams

But mine was a little different you see

I dreamt that the only person left after the war was me

I didn’t see you around”

 

Well, now time passed and now it seems

Everybody’s having them dreams

Everybody sees themselves

Walkin’ around with no one else

Half of the people can be part right all of the time

Some of the people can be all right part of the time

But all of the people can’t be all right all of the time

I think Abraham Lincoln said that

“I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours”

I said that

 

From "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" Album, 1963

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WAR BY EDWIN STARR

What is it good for  absolutely nothing

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"For What it's Worth"---Buffalo Springfield  Still rings true today.

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We Can't Make It Here 

by James McMurtry off of the Childish Things album.

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Holly Near; FIRED UP!

 

Watch her rock this crowd.

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"Your Flag Decal Won't get You into Heaven Any More"  by John Prine  circa 1970 A Vietnam Protest song 

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Especially relevant today when --once again --so many "christians" are pro-war. 

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Go Down Moses -- Paul Robeson

 

 

 

Go down Moses

Way down in Egyptland

Tell all Pharaohs

To LET MY PEOPLE GO! 

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Protest songs are not a thing of the past. There is still alot to sing about.

 

My sister and I are writing protest songs all the time for our ministry. To view the videos go to www.2americangirls.weebly.com 

 

(Weebly is the server and the website builder.)

 

Our ministry is focused on Earth Welfare.

 

Thanks.

 

Irma

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The eastern world, it is explodin',
Violence flarin', bullets loadin',
You're old enough to kill but not for votin',
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin',
And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',
But you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

 

Don't you understand, what I'm trying to say?
And can't you feel the fears I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away,
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave,
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy,
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

 

Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulatin',
I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
Handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
And marches alone can't bring integration,
When human respect is disintegratin',
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin',
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

 

Think of all the hate there is in Red China!
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,
But when your return, it's the same old place,
The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace,
Hate your next door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace,
And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

 

No, no, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

 

Written by P. F. Sloan • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
 
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Harper Valley PTA for sure!

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Hey Big Brother     Rare Earth   #19 in 1972

 

He ain't gonna get me!
Are you gonna let him get you??
He'll never get me, he'll never get me, no
Big brother's coming...
No, he'll never get me, no, no, no, no


Merely OneTokeOTL
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If I Had A Hammer -- Peter, Paul & Mary

 

Go Tell It On the Mountain -- Peter, Paul & Mary 

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Masters of War by Bob Dylan (but Pearl Jam does a much more powerful version)

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Won't Get Fooled Again     The Who   #15 in 1971

 

I know that the hypnotized never lie..........do you?   Yeahhhhhhhhh!

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!

We won't get fooled again.       Uh, really??


Merely OneTokeOTL
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