Best/Worst politically-motivated songs - Page 4 - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

BarbaraGordon · 02-13-2007, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Oh, and I thought of another really awful one. "In the year 2525."

Coincidentally, they were playing this song at the Y today while I was exercising. Now there's a pick-me-up song to jumpstart your workout.

creekster · 02-13-2007, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Coincidentally, they were playing this song at the Y today while I was exercising. Now there's a pick-me-up song to jumpstart your workout.

There is nothing wrong with a little Zager & Evans. Interesting story behind the song. The guys wrote it, recorded it and paid for a pressing without any contract. They sold it in bars in Nebraska and it became very popular locally. They then started sending it around to DJs. A station in Odessa Texas (where I briefly lived and was a DJ, I might add) played it and it was again popular and was then picked up by a record company and eventually promoted nationally where it did pretty well. Its national success cames years after it was first written and recorded. This also explains the very poor quality of the recording, I have always assumed.

Jeff Lebowski · 02-16-2007, 06:19 PM

One of my favorites artists is Steve Earle. He has some pretty strong political leanings, not all of which I agree with. But he is an outstanding songwriter. He has a couple of songs about death row/capital punishment that are quite good:

Over Yonder
Billy Austin (live version is best)

He has as song about Condoleeza Rice called Condi, Condi that is a lot of fun.

One of my favorite Steve Earle tunes with political overtone is called Warrior. It loses something without the music, but here are the lyrics:

This is the best time of the day—the dawn
The final cleansing breath unsullied yet
By acrid fume or death’s cacophony
The rank refuse of unchained ambition
And pray, deny me not but know me now,
Your faithful retainer stands resolute
To serve his liege lord without recompense
Perchance to fall and perish namelessly
No flag-draped bier or muffled drum to set
The cadence for a final dress parade
But it was not always thus—remember?
Once you worshipped me and named me a god
In many tongues and made offering lest
I exact too terrible a tribute

Take heed for I am weary, ancient
And decrepit now and my time grows short
There are no honorable frays to join

Only mean death dealt out in dibs and dabs
Or horror unleashed from across oceans
Assail me not with noble policy
For I care not at all for platitude
And surrender such tedious detail
To greater minds than mine and nimbler tongues
Singular in their purpose and resolve
And presuming to speak for everyman

Oh, for another time, a distant field
And there a mortal warrior’s lonely grave
But duty charges me remain until
The end the last battle of the last war
Until that ‘morrow render unto me
That which is mine my stipend well deserved
The fairest flower of your progeny
Your sons, your daughters your hopes and your dreams
The cruel consequence of your conceit

The Borg · 02-16-2007, 06:37 PM

"Russians" - Sting

For those that remember...

"In Europe and America, there's a feeling growing of hysteria..."

...never could quite figure out if I liked this song or not. Mostly not.

Jeff Lebowski · 02-16-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Borg

"Russians" - Sting

For those that remember...

"In Europe and America, there's a feeling growing of hysteria..."

...never could quite figure out if I liked this song or not. Mostly not.

Mostly not for me, too. Just seemed a bit too pretentious.

BarbaraGordon · 02-16-2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Borg

"Russians" - Sting

For those that remember...

"In Europe and America, there's a feeling growing of hysteria..."

...never could quite figure out if I liked this song or not. Mostly not.

How does America rhyme with hysteria?

I don't think I could ever overlook such a poetic misstep and approve that song.

The Borg · 02-16-2007, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Coincidentally, they were playing this song at the Y today while I was exercising...

Well, if you can't be AT the "Y"...might as well go excercise IN a Y. ;-)

Detroitdad · 02-17-2007, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Borg

Well, if you can't be AT the "Y"...might as well go excercise IN a Y. ;-)

Yeah, Barbara. When you say "the Y" we think BYU.

Parrot Head · 02-17-2007, 10:16 PM

Here's 99 luftballons

Parrot Head · 02-18-2007, 10:37 PM

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

02-16-2007, 06:19 PM	#33
Jeff Lebowski Charon Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the heart of darkness (Provo) Posts: 9,564	One of my favorites artists is Steve Earle. He has some pretty strong political leanings, not all of which I agree with. But he is an outstanding songwriter. He has a couple of songs about death row/capital punishment that are quite good: Over Yonder Billy Austin (live version is best) He has as song about Condoleeza Rice called Condi, Condi that is a lot of fun. One of my favorite Steve Earle tunes with political overtone is called Warrior. It loses something without the music, but here are the lyrics: This is the best time of the day—the dawn The final cleansing breath unsullied yet By acrid fume or death’s cacophony The rank refuse of unchained ambition And pray, deny me not but know me now, Your faithful retainer stands resolute To serve his liege lord without recompense Perchance to fall and perish namelessly No flag-draped bier or muffled drum to set The cadence for a final dress parade But it was not always thus—remember? Once you worshipped me and named me a god In many tongues and made offering lest I exact too terrible a tribute Take heed for I am weary, ancient And decrepit now and my time grows short There are no honorable frays to join Only mean death dealt out in dibs and dabs Or horror unleashed from across oceans Assail me not with noble policy For I care not at all for platitude And surrender such tedious detail To greater minds than mine and nimbler tongues Singular in their purpose and resolve And presuming to speak for everyman Oh, for another time, a distant field And there a mortal warrior’s lonely grave But duty charges me remain until The end the last battle of the last war Until that ‘morrow render unto me That which is mine my stipend well deserved The fairest flower of your progeny Your sons, your daughters your hopes and your dreams The cruel consequence of your conceit __________________ "... the arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice." Martin Luther King, Jr. Last edited by Jeff Lebowski; 02-16-2007 at 06:35 PM.

02-16-2007, 06:37 PM	#34
The Borg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 533	"Russians" - Sting For those that remember... "In Europe and America, there's a feeling growing of hysteria..." ...never could quite figure out if I liked this song or not. Mostly not. __________________ Hello......helloo.......HELLLOOO!

02-17-2007, 10:16 PM	#39
Parrot Head Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 763	Here's 99 luftballons __________________ Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude. - Bronco, when asked how to describe PH

02-18-2007, 10:37 PM	#40
Parrot Head Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 763	Don't forget "Sweet Home Alabama." Not completely political, but it has lines. __________________ Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude. - Bronco, when asked how to describe PH