Protest Rock : Beyond Pink, Springsteen and Young

The recent return of Protest Rock, with the new albums by Neil Young, as well as songs by Pink and Springsteen have been greatly welcomed, at least compared to total crap like "I'm in love with a stripper" or the Pussy Cat Dolls.

Pop Music has always had it's fluff, and it's been quite a while since mainstream artists have darned to speak up about the world around them, and political issues in particular especially after the whip-lash Natalie Mains from the Dixie Chicks received for a simple onstage comment.

Or has it?

Last years Grammy Winning Album by Green Day featured some extremely biting commentary on the Iraq War and the state of Boy George Bush's America. Maybe the art of the Protest Song isn't as lost as we usually tend to think?

Protest music has a long tradition, going back to Creedance Clearwater commenting on the Vietnam Draft with "Fortunate Son", Jimi Hendrix wailing on "All Along the Watchtower", Black Sabbath speaking out on the "War Pigs" and Edwin Starr's classic "War".

Good God y'all! Huh!

During the 70's the tradition continued when Marvin Gaye battled Barry Gordy of Motown Records and after a year eventually was able to release his seminal "What's Going On" album featuring great songs like "Inner City Blues". Stevie Wonder followed suit and released "Past Time Paradise" and "Village Ghetto Land", not to mention John Lennon with "Imagine" and "Nobody Told Me, while Bob Marley told us "Get up, Stand up!.

Then of course, there was U2 (the Real U2 that is). With "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Pride (in the name of Love)", "New Years Day" and "Bullet in the Blue Sky" who beside the Australian Band Midnight Oil lead the cry for justice and freedom internationally while Public Enemy continued to "Fight the Power" and do what they could to "Shut 'em Down". They were joined by groups such as Living Colour who addressed the culture wars - "Fight the Fight", environmental issues "Time's Up" and neo-nazism "Auslander" equally well.

That torch was picked up in the 90's by Rage Against the Machine - mixing the power and punk and the passion of Hip-Hop and electrified the world with "Killing in the Name Of" and "Take the Power Back". Ministry pointed out the dangers of Bush's post Cold War with "N.W.O. (New World Order)". You also had Queensryche , "Resistance", and Megadeth "Foreclosure of a Dream" making their mark. And don't forget Bodycount practically making the top of Charlton Heston's head pop-off like a champagne cork echoing Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sherriff"with their anti-police brutallity song "Cop Killer"! Even Alice in Chains addressed War (Vietnam) with their song "Rooster".

When R.A.T.M., and Megadeth broke up - many thought the days of the angry protest band with a messege were over. But that tradition hasn't completely died - it's simply gone somewhat unnoticed. Cases in point.

"Meglomaniac" by Incubus - Released 2004 (Featuring a video with clear anti-establishment/militaristic intent - Bush was clearly the target)


Hey megalomaniac
You're no Jesus
Yeah, you're no fucking Elvis
Wash Your hands clean of Yourself, baby
And step down, step down


"Holiday" by Green Day - Released 2005 (Video)


Hear the sound of the falling rain
Coming down like an armagedon flame (hey)
The shame
The ones who died without a name

Hear the dogs howling out of key
To a hymn called "faith and misery" (hey)
And bleed
The company lost the war today

...

Sieg heil to the president gasman
Bombs away is your punishment
Pulverize the Eiffel Towers
Who criticize your government
Bang bang goes the broken glass
Kill all the fags that don't agree
Trials by fire setting fire
Is not a way that's meant for me

"Deify" by Disturbed - Released 2005


(Song starts with a G.w. Bush audio clip)

I won't be sleeping tonight
I only wanted a blessing made
now I've been labelled a renegade

it seem clear now what I must do
you're no immortal
I won't let them deify you
they view you as the new messiah - deify you
renew belief in some demented man

This Disturbed album "Ten Thousand Fists" also features a cover of "Land of Confusion originally by Genesis which completely skewered the Reagan Administration back in the day.

"B.Y.O.B." by System of a Down - Released 2005 (See Video)


Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Blast off
It's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Now we have Pink joining the fray with veterans Young ("Rocking in the Free World") and Springsteen ("Born in the U.S.A.") - and I for one am glad to see it.

I've been running my own Live365 Internet Radio Station since July 4th 2005 focusing specifically on Protest and Confrontational Music, and all of these tracks are included in the rotation (and lots more, even the new Pink song with a "Let's Impeach the President" Chaser by Young). It's called Truth 2 Power Radio - and is free to listen to with a sign-up to Live365 (they don't ask for anything)

Normally Live365 has commercials (unless you join as a preferred listener), but thanks to Napster there will be no commercials for the next 24 hours! What's your favorite protest song?

Vyan