Most Important (or Just the Best) Protest Songs?

[Meryuma]

War Pigs by Black Sabbath kicks some serious ass.

[Tsa-la-gi Nation]

Give Peace a Chance by John Lenon & We Shall Overcome by Pete Seager, as far as most important.

Hurricane & Emmett Till by Bob Dylan; Now they do what they told ya by Rage against the Machine; & I don't live today by Jimi Hendrix I would say are the best/my favorites.

[Niur]

Does Imagine count as a protest song? It's pretty damn important in some places. There's another one that hasn't been mentioned in this thread either, but I can't remember the name or artist.

[Tsa-la-gi Nation]

Does Imagine count as a protest song? It's pretty damn important in some places. There's another one that hasn't been mentioned in this thread either, but I can't remember the name or artist.

Yes I would count imagine as a protest song. I think what makes it so different than any other protest song is that it not an angry song & there is only one line in it that is directly critical ("I wonder if you can"). With that being said, I think it's more of a cry of hope for a collective effort by the public for a better humanity. I don't think John Lennon had much tolerence for the direction that the world is turning & he couldn't understand why others didn't feel the same way, but that's my opinion.

[The REAL Glasers]

Imagine is pretty damn critical. It takes shots at religion, the greediness of man, and leaders worldwide. It's definitely a great song though. Not nearly as angry and inflammatory as Working Class Hero though.

[Sarrbia]

Definitely Imagien i would think

[Neolantia]

Two pages in an no one has mentioned Woody Guthrie?

As I went walking, I saw a sign there,
And on the sign there, It said "Private Property".
But on the other side, it didn't say nothing!
That side was made for you and me.

[Hathradic States]

We're Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister

[Niur]

Welcome to the machine- pink floyd

[Rhopurs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3LdMAqUMnM

Im not even American but god bless those wretched vets. Must have been an absolutely effin awful war to get involved in.

/thread

[Oterro]

Welcome to the machine- pink floyd

Huh? It's got about 20 words in it. The timing's also pretty poor for a protest song. Most of it's just synthesizers, hard for the crowd to chant along with that.

[Slavic Partisans]

Redemption Song

My Brain is Hanging Upside Down

[Niur]

Welcome to the machine- pink floyd

Huh? It's got about 20 words in it. The timing's also pretty poor for a protest song. Most of it's just synthesizers, hard for the crowd to chant along with that.

So? It has an awesome video.

[The REAL Glasers]

Welcome to the machine- pink floyd

Huh? It's got about 20 words in it. The timing's also pretty poor for a protest song. Most of it's just synthesizers, hard for the crowd to chant along with that.

It's probably the absolute best statement that an major band has made against the nature of the music industry, however. The whole album is great, particularly the line "By the way, which one's Pink?".

[Meryuma]

The Internationale is probably the best protest song of all time.

[Zirconim]

War Pigs by Black Sabbath kicks some serious ass.

True, true

[Oterro]

Huh? It's got about 20 words in it. The timing's also pretty poor for a protest song. Most of it's just synthesizers, hard for the crowd to chant along with that.

It's probably the absolute best statement that an major band has made against the nature of the music industry, however. The whole album is great, particularly the line "By the way, which one's Pink?".

Yeah, Have a Cigar is my favourite Floyd song. But at a protest? Are people actively protesting record companies? Plus, as I said, it's pretty hard for a crowd to sing with. Or are we discussing "songs in protest", as opposed to "songs sung at protests"?

[Feral Land]

I'm Fixin' to Die Rag - sung by Country Joe and The Fish...

Goes something like this:

1 2 3 what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me I don't give damn!
Next stop is Viet Nam.
And it's 5 6 7 open up them pearly gates.
There ain't no time
to wonder why
whoopee!
We're all gonna die.

[Eliasonia]

Rise Against-Hero of War

Pink Floyd (or Korn...)-Another Brick In The Wall

You didn't just forget class of '99 did you?

And I like The Press Corpse by Anti-Flag

[The REAL Glasers]

It's probably the absolute best statement that an major band has made against the nature of the music industry, however. The whole album is great, particularly the line "By the way, which one's Pink?".

Yeah, Have a Cigar is my favourite Floyd song. But at a protest? Are people actively protesting record companies? Plus, as I said, it's pretty hard for a crowd to sing with. Or are we discussing "songs in protest", as opposed to "songs sung at protests"?

There are huge groups of people that protest against labels. Most of them are called musicians.

[Rambhutan]

Country Joe and the Fish has been mentioned a few times already, so I am going to throw in Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOpErJWS ... re=related

and Ghost Town by the Specials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhhSBgd3KI

[Oterro]

Yeah, Have a Cigar is my favourite Floyd song. But at a protest? Are people actively protesting record companies? Plus, as I said, it's pretty hard for a crowd to sing with. Or are we discussing "songs in protest", as opposed to "songs sung at protests"?

There are huge groups of people that protest against labels. Most of them are called musicians.

I've never seen them organise rallies in the streets.

[Sorlien]

Dont know who made the song but, alices resturant.

[Kushtor]

"Harold Land" and "Yours is No Disgrace" by Yes

[The REAL Glasers]

There are huge groups of people that protest against labels. Most of them are called musicians.

I've never seen them organise rallies in the streets.

Protests can take many forms.