The final countdown: Songs to protest to
By Larry Cabanero
Daily Kent Stater
To some musicians, songs are more than just something to dance and sing along with. They are a way to spread a message. While some choose to be sweet and romantic, others opt to make music that is powerful and political.
The late 1960s and the early '70s were the obvious height of protest music in the rock-and-roll era. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement gave musicians more than enough to sing about.
Few songs of protest can outlast the cause they are fighting, but some will resonate in our minds forever.
1. Edwin Starr -- "War" (1970) A year before Marvin Gaye changed the image of Motown with his ground-breaking album What's Goin' On, Edwin Starr plead for the end of the Vietnam War on his album War and Peace. However, his only song to make an indent on American society was the funky, anthemic "War." Even today, the song with its driving beat and loud horns has the power to have people pump their fist in the air shouting its forceful and soulful lyrics.
2. Barry McGuire -- "Eve of Destruction" (1965) Raspy-voiced Barry McGuire had his only hit with "Eve of Destruction," a song that responded to a lack of concern about the war by the public. The folk-rock classic builds from somberness to frustration to anger as he tries to convince people to stop ignoring what was happening around the world and to see the lack of civility. "Take a look a around you, boy / It's bound to scare you, boy," McGuire sings, a wake-up call that many reacted to.
3. Bob Dylan -- "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (1964) "Blowin' in the Wind," a track from Bob Dylan's breakthrough album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan which has been covered by countless artists, is a sugary folk classic. But "The Times They Are A-Chagin'" was Dylan's most moving protest song. Dylan's songs of peace were emotionally heavy. If listeners weren't depressed after hearing "The Times They Are A-Changin'," then they didn't get the point.
4. Bruce Springsteen -- "Born in the U.S.A." (1984) Many people misinterpreted "Born in the U.S.A." as a song about patriotism. Ronald Reagan actually wanted to use the Boss' hit as campaign theme song. But the song was actually about a Vietnam veteran and his struggles through middle-class society. Its chorus is a cry of anger, not a shout of American pride. Springsteen has continued to make political statements in his music with songs like "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and "American Skin (41 shots)."
5. Buffalo Springfield -- "For What It's Worth"(1967) When Stephen Stills penned the lyrics "Stop! Hey! What's that sound / Everybody look what's goin' round," he probably didn't know that the song would end up being featured in just about every film set in the late '60s. Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" recalls the mood of the era unlike any other song. Its airy instrumentation, vocal harmonizations and daring statements bring people back every emotion of the time period.
6. Marvin Gaye -- "What's Goin' On" (1971) Motown's Berry Gordy almost prevented Marvin Gaye from releasing What's Goin' On. Gordy didn't think an album about social awareness would sell. But he was wrong. Gaye's album became Motown's best-selling album in history. Its title track was a moving admission to being confused with the state of the world. The same sentiment can be heard on tracks like "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)."
7. Public Enemy -- "Fight the Power" (1989) Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing opens with Rosie Perez dancing to one of the most political rap songs of all time, Public Enemy's "Fight the Power." The group was controversial in its time, rapping about the social problems on the community and national level. With the exception of Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy was the last act to produce primarily protest music and to attract a large following.
8. Country Joe and the Fish -- "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" (1968) Country Joe and the Fish's famous protest song sounds as if it was played on homemade instruments and was recorded in a tin shack. Their raw, satirical approach to singing out against the Vietnam War was highly entertaining and brutally honest. Country Joe gleefully sings about how everyone was about to die and how nobody cared. Twenty seconds of gunshots placed at the end of the son, sent a strong message.
9. The Rascals -- "People Got to be Free" (1968) The Rascals scored most of their hits with fun pop songs like "Good Lovin'" and "Groovin'." And their idealistic protest song "People Got to Be Free" wasn't much different. The song seems like it should be the theme song to The Puzzle Place or some other children's television show. But for three minutes, the Rascals' blue-eyed soul helped people envision a world full of sunshine and flowers where everyone gets along.
10. Five Man Electrical Band -- "Signs" (1971) Compared to other protest rock songs, Five Man Electrical Band's demand for the rights of "long-haired, freaky people" probably wasn't strong enough to start a rally. However, the overtones in "Signs" suggested that people actively take a stand on issues, even when it is only an offensive message on a sign. The song encouraged people to question authority. "Signs," which was remade by Tesla in the '80s, remains relevant today.
Honorable Mentions: The Youngbloods' "Get Together," The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)," The Byrd's "Turn! Turn! Turn!," Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Ohio," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" and Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade."