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Where are the good political songs?

I feel like there are lots of parallels between the eighties and now (recession/inflation, yuppies/inequality, skin-heads/fascists, hot-cold wars etc.) but there used to be protest music! Where is that stuff now? Music that’s intelligent and outraged - like we should be!

I’m out of touch now, so if it exists, educate me! Or have the protest songs been removed from tiktok by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (UK specific, but suppression of protest seems to be everywhere)? (I’ve linked to the Levellers - maybe it really was better back in the day?)

edit: Maybe not the right audience, but if the song is old enough to vote then I might already know it! What’s happening now? Any songs from the last 10 years!

edit: Thanks for everyone’s insights. I’ve spent the day discovering music that I’d never have found otherwise. Really enjoying a load of these, but thanks to everyone! It seems like protest music is confined to certain genres/places, and lots of older songs - maybe they just last longer… which is maybe a little interesting.

cmhickman358 ,

Poor Man’s Poison has put out a few good political/social songs recently, I’m not sure if I would call them “protest” but still fairly close

Feed The Machine

Give And Take

KingJalopy ,

Check out Propagandhi

Ziggurat ,

Some of the classical ones

  • L’internationale, which is still relevant today
  • La banderra rosa
  • Bella Ciao, which despite becoming a pop hit is a struggle song
  • El pueblo unido
  • La butte rouge

-The Red army choir have a ton of great ones

Then on more recent, just look at the punk and rap scene, there is a lot

Pulptastic ,

Is Antiflag still around?

Trainguyrom ,

I listen to a lot of punk music so obviously it’s strongly political. Here’s just a few off the top of my head:

  • White People for Peace by Against Me!
  • Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners by Against Me!
  • Survivor Guilt by Rise Against
  • State of the Union by Rise Against
  • The Eco-Terrorist In Me by Rise Against
  • 45 by Sum41
  • Empty Walls by Serj Tankian
  • Prison Song by System of a Down
  • Christian Nationalist by Anti-Flag
  • Die for your Government by Anti-Flag
  • 72 hookers by NOFX
  • Please Play This Song on the Radio by NOFX
  • Fuck Euphemism by NOFX
  • Take Back the Power by The Interrupters
  • Quarantine by Blink 182

I tried to include a bit of variety and not all be anti-war songs from/about the Bush era. A couple are about the music industry specifically, and one is a musical rant about kink culture (and it’s not the one you think based on the title!) I’m also a big Rise Against fan so I tried to pull out some non-singles from accross many years since basically any song by them has a good political message. I highly recommend looking up the lyrics to all of these after the first listen or better during the second listen

disheveledWallaby ,

If you like punk, Leftover Crack has a bunch.

piped.video/watch?v=toTm1FDtMsM

Chickenslippers ,

Nofx is doing their retirement tour right now and it makes me super sad I won’t be able to go

frezik ,

Garbage - No gods no masters. Whole album is shamelessly political.

The men who rule the world Have made a fucking mess The history of power The worship of success The king is in the counting house He’s chairman of the board The women who crowd the courtrooms All accused of being whores

mlg ,
@mlg@lemmy.world avatar

The fast paced Ukrainian version of In The Army Now which protests military marketing and conscription (directed at USA)

Laga Reh (translations required lol) which protests Pakistani government complacency in allowing foreign powers (cough USA cough) to dictate the country at the expense of progress and “disappearing” of any local opposition.

fellowmortal OP ,

Thanks for these - really interesting stuff that I couldn’t have just happened upon!

TehBamski ,
@TehBamski@lemmy.world avatar

The Muslims - Fuck These Fuckin Fascists

some_guy ,

Old School Pig, by Tilt.

sonovebitch ,

Someone sent me this one recently, and the lyrics are interesting.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony

some_guy ,

Questionable politics. Not sure the intent, but this raised some red flags last year in various circles. Google will turn them up.

fellowmortal OP ,

I have been trying to remember this one.

Substance_P ,

I love this question. Perhaps there is also the record labels and mainstream media that prioritize marketability and mass appeal, which most probably would discourage artists from producing overtly political content, the stuff that may be thrown into the controversial or polarizing basket just doesn’t pull in the bucks these days.

fellowmortal OP , (edited )

As it ever was?

edit: it does feel different now - but it has never been easy.

gAlienLifeform ,
@gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world avatar

Sault’s “Foot on Necks” is a great anti police brutality anthem, and a big chunk of all their music has messages like that

gAlienLifeform ,
@gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world avatar

“George Floyd” by the Log Bay Ramblers is some nice and direct bluegrass folk music

frazorth ,

You mention the UK, so I’ll just drop a couple of names of folks/bands talking about racism, immigration and toxic male culture.

Bob Vylan

We live here - m.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqhJyvly1g

Wicked and Bad - m.youtube.com/watch?v=KRJ-s7jRyAM

Idles

Danny Nedelko - m.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF_G-RF66M

Lambrini Girls

Lads lads lads - m.youtube.com/watch?v=IuLK56UrCL0

There’s a lot of good punk still happening.

fellowmortal OP ,

Guilty as charged. Good stuff - I’ll look out for these - my new years resolution is to see some live music.

frazorth ,

All these bands being UK based, you should have an opportunity to see them.

I don’t know whereabouts in the UK you are, but you could find some new stuff at things like the Futurama festival in Liverpool.

www.cultureliverpool.co.uk/…/futurama-festival/

crypticthree ,

I’ll be seeing IDLES in a few months in Texas

frazorth ,

Never fight a man with a perm!

ReCursing ,
@ReCursing@kbin.social avatar

Bob Vylan and Idles are great, will check the Lambrini Girls, thanks

frazorth ,

Music created in the UK by people who are fucking furious is still alive and well.

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes

Sleaford Mods

Kid Kapichi

Panic Shack

ReCursing ,
@ReCursing@kbin.social avatar

I know Sleaford Mods. Will check the others too, thanks

frazorth ,

Frank Carter did this lovely little ditty with Joe Talbot from IDLES.

My Town.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=gx59hOw2HcA

fellowmortal OP ,

@frazorth you’ve got going down rabbit holes … I wonder what I else I can do to scare a tory

frazorth ,

Listen to Boris Johnson is a fucking cunt?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=uGwCykQwgTU

Or just Fuck The Tories

m.youtube.com/watch?v=TppbFVcfBcU

EnderMB ,

Should also add Hacktivist. A few of their songs are politically charged, and several calls BoJo a cunt.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=YWzwEPYIjYM

frazorth ,

Good call.

thepixelfox ,
@thepixelfox@kbin.social avatar

Billy talent are great for political, fuck the government/ big corporations type songs. Not protest songs so much. But it feels pretty on theme. Their messages are great.
Surprise surprise and viking death march are two of my personal favourites songs by them.

fellowmortal OP ,

I hate to break it to you but Billy Talent formed in 1993! ;)

killeronthecorner ,
@killeronthecorner@lemmy.world avatar

That album is absolutely killer and I’ve loved BN since I heard Try Honesty many moons ago.

That said … They have been singing about how young people need to fight the system while having one of the most clean, corporate images I can think of for bands in their category.

Watching a 40 year old man dance around an arena in VANs and Atticus hoodies while telling contemporary youth that their generation is a “fucking joke” is peak cringe to me.

Still love the music though. Wish he’d do more heartbreak songs, they’re his forte.

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