Protest Music: Music With a (Real) Message

The topic of most music, especially pop music, is personal experiences, particularly concerning love, or love lost. However, sometimes musicians have an altruistic message they wish to convey; for example, messages of protest, or social comments, or critique of political issues. We can refer to these songs as songs that make social commentary, or as “protest songs.” The more successful protest songs are usually associated with some kind of social or cultural change. Some songs may not actually protest against anything; however, the song may still be recognized as a protest song because of its close association with the social or cultural change that occurred at the time that the song was prevalent.

To conclude our series on modern English music we will listen to a selection of protest songs. Listen to the songs, read the lyrics (hand outs), and identify the genre. What is “message” of each song? What are they “protesting” against, or what is the social commentary that the song makes?

“No More Auction Block for Me” – A “sorrow song” about the abolition of slavery.



“Strange Fruit” – Billie Holiday



“Uncle Sam Says” – Josh White



“This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land” – Woody Guthrie



"Old Man Atom" – Adam Miller (Originally by Vern Partlow)



“The Times They Are a Changin’” – Bob Dylan



“Masters of War” – Pearl Jam (Originally by Bob Dylan)



You can read more about “The Politics of Bob Dylan” here.

“Eve of Destruction” – Barry McGuire (1965)



“Univeral Soldier” – Donavan (1965)



Skunk Anansie: “Little Baby Swastika”



“Imagine” – John Lennon



“Peace Train” – Cat Stevens



“Janis Ian” – Society’s Child (1965)



“American Idiot” – Green Day



“Soldier Side” – System of a Down



“Talking About a Revolution” – Tracy Chapman



“Wavin’ Flag” – K’naan



“Kingdom of Loss” – Pain of Salvation



“Luka” – Suzanne Vega



“Dear Mr President” – Pink



“20 Minutes with the President” – Original script by Charlie Sheen



For more on protest music, visit Tom Zarecki's hub post "Songs of Protest, Revolution & Change in America.". Also visit Antiwarsongs.Org for anti-war songs from different countries and languages, including Korea.