Bring out your protest songs!!!!

[geo]

Hi guys, thought I would start a thread about protest songs, a favorite of mine from every genre. There has always been a part of me that wishes I had been part of the 60's, you know, the peace sign sticker on the acoustic banging out songs about the man. My wife's on the other computer and just started Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and I'm there man...... OK song over, I'm back... so what you got? I'm posting "Hey Little Sister", which I wrote after Tiananmon Square as a snapshot of the world at that time. No use for it now but it has always been one of my favorite songs, enjoy!!!!!!http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... am=trueHey Little SisterLyrics and music by George Danielscopyright 2007Verse 1:Dawn breaks over Beijing, a deathly silence hangs in the air.Through the smoke I see them, the martyrs of democracy litter the Square.Hey little sister, you gotta go a long, long way for the freedom to protest.The People’s Party used the People’s Army to go out and shoot the People.Watched disbelief turn into grief, I caught it live on cable.And Tiananmen Square’s quiet now but still smothering under oppression,Can we all stand by and hear their lies as they justify their actions. Hey little sister, you gotta go a long, long way for the freedom to protest.Chorus:Step aside, we’re coming inside, nothing left but pride,Innocents die, cynics survive, all we are told are lies,The path is right, the torch burns bright, now is the time to fight,If it should be that you disagree, Take another step closer to me, see what I see.Verse 2:High noon over the Shamrock, explosive reverberations split the air.The wreckage of revolution, dwells in the eyes of the children, dying there.Hey little sister, you gotta go a long, long way for the freedom to protest.SoloVerse 3:Sun sets on Uncle Sam, it’s been another ordinary day,You don’t even cry when you hear their lies, cause you know there’s a better way,Better than wide eyed minions looking for a fix, selling their bodies and souls,To a country so rich, yet a bed so cold.Hey little sister, you gotta go a long, long way for the freedom to protest.Chorus

[deantaylor]

Geo,I share your sentiments on wishing I was there in the 60's. Cool song you have here. Love the lyrics. Love the 'potential Pepsi drinker' line. Interesting juxtoposition of the happy music with the serious lyrics.I have written a few, but never have gotten them 'finished'. They are still in the lyric only state. Maybe I'll post one, if I can find it.Thanks for sharing your song.Dean

[jchitty]

Wow, Geo....I'm impressed! As I always state, I can't open the TAXI links, but I'm more of a lyricist anyway, so it's the lyrics that strike me first anyway. I love the lines:"Innocents dies, cynics survive, and we are all told lies." Those are brilliant lines. Everyone takes away something different from a song, and this might not be the meaning you intended, but my take on your song is that even though blood was shed in Beijing for freedom, the Chinese ultimately ended up with another form of oppression, good 'ole capitalism. (note, no peeps, I'm not a commie, hehe)Here are the lyrics to my protest song, "Vanilla Land." It's a song about how politics has become such a divisive force in this society, on both sides of the fence, liberal and conservative. I also threw in a dash of feeling isolated and how materialism keeps us from doing real work in our communities.....how the culture seems to have moved into 'safe mode' even though we have strong political opinions....the song is a walking contradiction. Vanilla LandVerse 1Company's coming overYou better wipe those counters clean Sweep the dust under your brand new rugAnd make sure everything's pristeenPut on your social faceThat covers any painPretend that life is peachy keenWhile everything outside your elementTakes on a harsh realityChorusSpend your time with peopleYou don't knowFearing any real connectionBut it's okay when you live in a worldSanitized for your protectionAnd it's God forbid if you cross someoneOr if you take a standHere in Vanilla LandVerse 2Hold up your reading listAnd all your social gracesTo the ignorant belowYou feel they lack your knowledge Or your educationAnd the masses are too slowThrow out your bible versesPoint your finger at themWrap yourself up in the flagThey don't share your valuesOr your love of familyOr the 'made in America' tagChorus:Spend your time with peopleYou don't knowFearing any real connectionBut it's okay when you live in worldSanitized for your protectionAnd it's God forbid if you cross someoneOr if you take a standHere in Vanilla landOh, here in Vanilla land

[Casey H]

Ah, the good ol' 60's... The marches, the protests, running naked in the mud at rock festivals, the drugs.... Cool stuff geo and chits... The interesting thing about protest songs is you can still write them and probably get them placed but if you keep them "ageless and timeless" they have a better shot, a shot that will last for many years to come.I my car this past week, I listened to "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees (Goffin/King ar. 1968) and "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (ar. 1965). (Side note: "Pleasant Valley Sunday" has special meaning to me because I used to live near the street, "Pleasant Valley Way", in West Orange, NJ... Goffin and King lived there and wrote the song based on that street name. )When you listen today to "Pleasant Valley Sunday", a lot of the anti-suburbia lyrics hold up today. OK, maybe not dissing having "a TV in every room" in today's world but most else.Driving my son to school one day this week, we listened to "Eve of Destruction": EVE OF DESTRUCTION by Barry McGuireThe eastern world, it is explodingViolence flarin’, bullets loadin’You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’But you tell meOver and over and over again, my friendAh, you don’t believeWe’re on the eveof destruction.Don’t you understand what I’m tryin’ to sayCan’t you feel the fears I’m feelin’ today?If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ awayThere’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave[Take a look around ya boy, it's bound to scare ya boy]And you tell meOver and over and over again, my friendAh, you don’t believeWe’re on the eveof destruction.Yeah, my blood’s so mad feels like coagulatin’I’m sitting here just contemplatin’I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation.Handful of senators don’t pass legislationAnd marches alone can’t bring integrationWhen human respect is disintegratin’This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’And you tell meOver and over and over again, my friendAh, you don’t believeWe’re on the eveof destruction.Think of all the hate there is in Red ChinaThen take a look around to Selma, AlabamaYou may leave here for 4 days in spaceBut when you return, it’s the same old placeThe poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgraceYou can bury your dead, but don’t leave a traceHate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say graceAnd… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friendYou don’t believeWe’re on the eveOf destructionMm, no no, you don’t believeWe’re on the eveof destruction. Some of the references like the voting age, Selma Alabama, integration, etc are dated but it is amazing HOW MUCH is still the same over 40 years later.And if you are not familiar with "Pleasant Valley Sunday", here are those lyrics:Pleasant Valley Sunday (Goffin/King)The local rock group down the streetIs trying hard to learn their songThey serenade the weekend squire, who just came out to mow his lawnAnother pleasant valley sundayCharcoal burning everywhereRows of houses that are all the sameAnd no one seems to careSee Mrs. gray shes proud today because her roses are in bloomMr. green hes so serene, hes got a t.v. in every roomAnother pleasant valley sundayHere in status symbol landMothers complain about how hard life isAnd the kids just dont understandCreature comfort goalsThey only numb my soul and make it hard for me to seeMy thoughts all seem to stray, to places far awayI need a change of sceneryAnother pleasant valley sundayCharcoal burning everywhereAnother pleasant valley sundayHere in status symbol landAnother pleasant valley sunday... Casey

[jchitty]

I always loved "Pleasant Valley Sunday" Case....thanks for posting those lyrics! You're right about a song dating itself.....even though Dylan's protest songs were written in a specific time, they always hold up well because of lines like, "how many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man."

[Casey H]

Quote:You're right about a song dating itself.....even though Dylan's protest songs were written in a specific time, they always hold up well because of lines like, "how many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man."The answer is obvious, though... It's blowing in the wind...

[geo]

Quote:Throw out your bible versesPoint your finger at themWrap yourself up in the flagThey don't share your valuesOr your love of familyOr the 'made in America' tag Love that verse Chits, thank you for the kind words. It's funny I had this song critiqued (it was way off genre but the screener liked it and gave a good (read indepth) critique) but he didn't like the rhyming pattern of the chorus where the line you like comes from. The image I was trying to evoke there was the dreaded knock in the middle of the night, Police come in, take everything but your pride, etc. "The People’s Party used the People’s Army to go out and shoot the People.Watched disbelief turn into grief, I caught it live on cable."I've always loved the irony in that line, one of my favs.Hey Dean, lyrics only are OK, post away!!!Casey brings out the classics, thank you sir, "Stop" by Buffalo Springfield is another favorite of mine. Case, no old protest song banging around in that catalog of yours........ c'mon gotta have one .I think when they are written from an emotional standpoint they get the timelessness (Blowing in the wind) where as mine is about an event so in a sense unless it's released at the time of the event you miss the chance for the emotional attachment of the listeners. I don't think many of the younger generation would connect with a song like mine, close to 20 years (yikes!!) down the road...Any more?Geo

[Casey H]

I always thought Janis Ian's "Seventeen", although not actually a "protest" song, was ageless and timeless as an anthem for all those in High School (now or past), that were not in the popular crowd. Actually, her opening line, "I learned the truth at seventeen that love was meant for beauty queens" should be on that "Best Song Opening Lines" thread, IMHO... Casey

[jchitty]

Quote:Quote:You're right about a song dating itself.....even though Dylan's protest songs were written in a specific time, they always hold up well because of lines like, "how many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man."The answer is obvious, though... It's blowing in the wind... LOL!

[geo]

Andreh, wow, thank you for your song, I'm having a hard time believing it lost!!! I love the prechorus lyrics. Actually all the lyrics. The wife and I decided we loved it right after the first chorus, very well done, great production.The reason I copyright 2007 is because this year I actually sent in a copyright form which included this song (I planned on a submission) but it was written days after the massacre. I probably should use the date of birth. The "Pepsi Drinkers" sample came of a CD of sound bites and as far as the happy music/serious music contrast, this is from my earlier days where the ignorance of youth aided creation. I always felt the music backed up the feeling of a snapshot in time, but I'm just glad everyone is enjoying it. I started this cause I wanted to hear everyone else's, anymore takers? Geo