Best/Worst politically-motivated songs

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Parrot Head

Don't forget "Sweet Home Alabama." Not completely political, but it has lines.

Excellent catch. "Does your conscience bother you, now tell the truth." I love that song.

Incidentally, Okie from Muskogee is also a political song, but not really my kind of music.

[non sequitur]

How is it possible that nobody has mentioned anything by either Bob Dylan or Joan Baez? I'll go ahead and nominate A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.

[creekster]

Most of you are not old enough to recall this one, i would guess, but how about the Ballad of the Green Beret?

"Silver Wings, on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best . . ."

and so forth.

Pretty cheesy and stridently pro-war in the midst of anti-war America.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by creekster

Most of you are not old enough to recall this one, i would guess, but how about the Ballad of the Green Beret?

"Silver Wings, on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best . . ."

and so forth.

Pretty cheesy and stridently pro-war in the midst of anti-war America.

I vaguely remember the song, but have no idea who sings it.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by creekster

Most of you are not old enough to recall this one, i would guess, but how about the Ballad of the Green Beret?

"Silver Wings, on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best . . ."

and so forth.

Pretty cheesy and stridently pro-war in the midst of anti-war America.

That's a great song. Barry Sadler was the singer. It's on oldies stations occassionally.

[Detroitdad]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Excellent catch. "Does your conscience bother you, now tell the truth." I love that song.

Incidentally, Okie from Muskogee is also a political song, but not really my kind of music.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread Sweet Home Alabama is onw of the worst songs on the list since it is, in essence, an apology for Jim Crow laws and Richard Nixon. It was written as a response to "Southern Man" by Neil Young, which is a great political song and an indictment of Jim Crow.

That is why I hate that song.

[All-American]

Originally Posted by Detroitdad

As I mentioned earlier in this thread Sweet Home Alabama is onw of the worst songs on the list since it is, in essence, an apology for Jim Crow laws and Richard Nixon.

Eh. Watergate does not bother me.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by All-American

Eh. Watergate does not bother me.

Does your conscience bother you Detroitdad? Now tell the truth.

[ewth8tr]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Nice work Barbara. Very good topic.

Politically motivated songs I like (I dislike the message in most of these songs but I find the tunes catchy):
Franco Unamerican- NOFX (they have a bunch more, but I like this one the most)
All you can eat- Ben Folds
Let them Eat War- Bad Religion
My Own Country- Pennywise
Imagine and Fiddle and the Drum- A Perfect Circle
Hail to the Thief- Radiohead
Singin' in Vietnam Talkin' Blues- Johnny Cash

Politically motivated songs I don't like:
Imagine- John Lennon
I'm sure there are others, but I have a special animosity toward hippy music.

Great list until you ripped on Imagine

I love Franco UnAmerican, it's one of my favorite NOFX songs.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Detroitdad

As I mentioned earlier in this thread Sweet Home Alabama is onw of the worst songs on the list since it is, in essence, an apology for Jim Crow laws and Richard Nixon. It was written as a response to "Southern Man" by Neil Young, which is a great political song and an indictment of Jim Crow.

That is why I hate that song.

I understand the song.

I love it anyway. Great music.

It also perfectly captures an era in our country's history. Especially when juxtaposed with Southern Man and Alabama by Young.


As long as we're quoting lyrics, here's Okie from Muskogee. The lines forever crack me up.

We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee;
We don't take our trips on LSD
We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street;
We like livin' right, and bein' free.

I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all

We don't make a party out of lovin';
We like holdin' hands and pitchin' woo;
We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy,
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do.

And I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball.
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all.

Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear;
Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen.
Football's still the roughest thing on campus,
And the kids here still respect the college dean.

We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.