Political Music
PREFACE: Please note that this page is a work in progress. I got interested in political music as a form of media when I was younger, and parts of this are used/have been used for an assignment for my US/VA Govt class. I do not pretend to think that this is an all-inclusive list, and I am certainly open to suggestions for this list.
Down the road, I might like to do some sort of analysis of music of different eras…maybe even a book, but in the short term, this is just my own personal collection, and will continue to evolve.
NOTE: If you are one of my students, please feel free to use any of these titles for analysis, but be sure to give proper credit to the writer(s) of the song(s), as well as the performers. Any ideas that might be expressed in terms of analysis should also be properly cited.
Why Political Music?
Amendment I
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. “
When our founding fathers wrote these immortal words in the First Amendment to the Constituion, they charged Americans with the responsibility, not just the privilege, of expressing their grievances towards their government and their society at large.
We use mass media today, as we have for the past two hundred years, for the purpose of spreading such opinions to the whole of society at large. Media has evolved from primarily newspapers, into the advent of television in the mid-twentieth century, and now with the use of the internet, ideas are spread on a global scale.
Artistic expression has long served as an alternative form of expression. Music provides a popular medium for expression, and has been used since the earliest days of our country’s history. From the days of Yankee Doodle Dandy and Francis Scott Key’s writing of the Star Spangled Banner, to modern day poets, music has inspired a variety of political messages. Some songs, such as Edwin Star’s War or Public Enemy’s Fight the Power give clear messages of retaliation against the system. Other artists, such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and John Mellancamp have made careers of illustrating the shortcomings of society.
Political music can be straightforward, or subtle. It can be paint pictures, or ilicit such emotions as patriotism, anger, sorrow, pride, or care. It can seek to win elections, or to inspire legislation. It can serve as charitable reminders for a variety of worldwide problems.
The purpose of this site is to provide a variety of examples of political music. This list is by no means all-inclusive, and in all reality, it is heavy on late twentieth century music. The focus of this piece is on the power of modern day media, and how the use of radio, television, and online services and commercial recordings can help change society and the minds of those people in it, in a variety of ways.
Influential Artists
Other Links
FreeMuse: Freedom of Musical Expression
Dave Marsh: Rock N’ Revolution
19th and Early 20th Century Political Music
Pre 20th Century
Star Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key, 1814)
America, the Beautiful (Katherine Lee Bates, 1893)
Early 20th Century
God Bless America (Irving Berlin, 1914)
Happy Days are Here Again (J. Yellen and M. Ager, 1929)
This Land is Your Land (Woody Guthrie,1956)
Vietnam Era- (1960′s- 1970′s)
Blowin’ in the Wind (Bob Dylan, 1962)
The Time’s They Are a Changin’ (Bob Dylan, 1963)
Chimes of Freedom (Bob Dylan, 1964)
Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire, 1965)
War (Edwin Star, 1970)
Imagine (John Lennon, 1971)
What’s Going On? (Marvin Gaye, 1971)
Hurricane (Bob Dylan, 1975)
1980′s
Across the Borderline ( Ry Cooder, 1981)
Ebony and Ivory (Stevie Wonder/Paul McCartney, 1981)
Goodnight Saigon (Billy Joel, 1982)
Allentown (Billy Joel, 1982)
Pink Houses( John Cougar Mellancamp, 1983)
Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2, 1983)
Pride (In the Name of Love) (U2, 1984)
Do They Know It’s Christmas?(Band Aid, 1984)
Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
My Hometown(Bruce Springsteen, 1984)
God Bless the USA (Lee Greenwood, 1984)
We are the World(USA for Africa, 1985)
Tears Are Not Enough(Northern Lights, 1985)
Sun City (Little Steven, 1985)
Russians (Sting, 1985)
Native American (Little Steven, 1986)
Rain on the Scarecrow (John Cougar Mellancamp, 1986)
The Way it Is (Bruce Hornsby, 1986)
Fast Car (Tracy Chapman, 1987)
Luka(Suzanne Vega, 1987)
Sign O’ the Times (Prince, 1987)
Man in the Mirror(Michael Jackson, 1988)
We Didn’t Start the Fire (Billy Joel, 1989)
F— the Police (NWA, 1989)
Fight the Power (Public Enemy, 1989)
1990′s Music
Another Day In Paradise ( Phil Collins, 1990)
Children of the Night (Richard Marx, 1990)
Leningrad (Billy Joel, 1990)
Banned in the USA (2 Live Crew, 1990)
Peace in Our Time (Eddie Money,1990)
Voices That Care (Voices That Care,1991)
Heal the World (Michael Jackson, 1992)
Streets of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen, 1993)
Sinaloa Cowboys (Bruce Springsteen, 1995)
The Line (Bruce Springsteen, 1995)
41 Shots (American Skin) (Bruce Springsteen, 1999)
2000′s
Only in America (Brooks & Dunn, 2001)
What’s Going On? (remix) (Artists Against AIDS Worldwide, 2001)
Post 9/11 Music
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) (Alan Jackson, 2001)
Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American) (Toby Keith, 2001)
Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Flies (Aaron Tippen, 2001)
My City of Ruins (Bruce Springsteen, 2001)
The Rising (Bruce Springsteen, 2002)
Into the Fire (Bruce Springsteen, 2002)
US/VA Government
Political Song Analysis Assignment
One of the most powerful of the types of media is music. Political music has been a tradition in this nation as long as this nation has existed. Your quest in this assignment is to find and analyze one song that makes a clear statement about government, politics and/or our society. Details:
- Worth: 40 Points (a project grade)
- Select a song that you believe makes a statement about government (it may represent the way government is, should be; the good it does, the harm it does; in other words, it should be — on some level — about government/politics)
- Songs may be new or old, from any musical genre, from any artist (including yourself), in any language. Please do not let your lack of music and/or stereo equipment slow you down. COME SEE US FOR HELP soon as you know you are going to have trouble.
CRITERIA:
- Lyrics. You must turn in a NEAT copy of the lyrics (in English, if your song is not). 10 points. You must include the writer of the song, as well as the performer.
In addition to the lyrics, write 3 well-developed paragraphs…
- Paragraph One: How is the song about government? A complete and correct explanation of what the songwriter is saying about government. 10 points, based on the fullness and accuracy of your answer. Full credit will ONLY be awarded to those papers that use SPECIFIC examples from the lyrics to prove your point.
- Paragraph Two: What media function? A complete and correct explanation of which of the functions of media is being displayed through this song (gatekeeper, watchdog, and/or scorekeeper). 10 points, based on the fullness and accuracy of your answer. Full credit will ONLY be awarded to those papers that use SPECIFIC examples from the lyrics to prove your point.
- Paragraph Three: What is the bias of the song? A complete and correct explanation of what the bias of the song is…is it liberal, conservative, or just against the government in general? Why do you think that? 10 points, based on the fullness and accuracy of your answer. Full credit will ONLY be awarded to those papers that use SPECIFIC examples from the lyrics to prove your point.
You will give a short power-point presentation of your song. This should include
a) Intro Slide with the Song Title, Writer, Performer and Year it was produced
b) a slide for each of the preceding paragraphs: song message, function of media, and political bias.
c) If possible, please include a link in your presentation to YouTube or an online presentation so we can hear the song. If the song contains offensive language, we will not play it in class, although you may use the song for the purpose of analysis.
DUE DATES:
- Lyrics- 10/21 (B DAY) & 10/22 (A DAY)
- Essay- 10/25 (B DAY) & 10/26 (A DAY)
- Presentations- 10/25-10/29
