Where are all the anti-war songs?

[Poiuyt]

I just saw a documentary on Peter, Paul & Mary and started to think of all the powerful protest songs during the Viet Nam war. Aside from Mosh by Eminem, have there been any songs by major artists? I think that the music of the 60's really drove the protests during that era. Maybe that's why there haven't been too many war demonstrations on the same scale as we saw in the 60's. Are the music makers of the new generation just apethetic? Do they only care about their recording contracts? Doesn't anyone have a social conscience anymore?

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Small problem: Clear Channel wouldn't play them on their stations or let

them perform in their stadiums. That dampens commercial inspiration and enthusiasm to some degree.

[melv]

3. Green Day - American Idiot n/t

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

12. am stations didn't play them in the '60s either

it was considered "underground" music. a few fm stations did at certain hours, before the owners realized their commercial value.

edit spelling

[Osamasux]

20. They did get AM airplay in the sixties

Not the more extreme stuff, and not with the DJ commentary, but it was everywhere and you could not avoid all of it.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

22. im talking extreme stuff

[Ravenseye]

2. Britney Spears says we should trust our President.

That about sums it up.

This is what happens when the megaconglomerates control the airwaves. They put forward music thats whittled down to pretty faces, and three chords. If Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, Janis Joplin...you name it..if they were around today they'd be playing bars and be at best regional acts, because they'd never get airplay.

[T Bone]

4. Time- Warner not recording them and Clear Channel not playin' em ?

Anyone surprised ?

[pstans]

5. Eminem's "Mosh"

[Sparkly]

6. The draft

The fact that there was a draft is a huge difference between then and now.

[Bleacher Creature]

11. You hit the nail on the head . . .

at least for now. :tinfoilhat:

[zacho]

7. Rock and Roll is AWOL right now

First the record companies need to start changing the mood in the music industry, but this can't happen so long as MTV promotes hip hop. The big media controls MTV, and so they are routing for what they always do; stability.

[Poiuyt]

16. There could be anti-war hip hop songs

If that's what today's generation listens to then that's how the musicians should express themselves. I just get the impression that the musicians are too fat and contented.

[MichaelHarris]

8. here were some good ones

Where Are the Voices?

"Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they're red, white and blue
and when the band plays "Hail To The Chief"
Ooh, they point the cannon at you,
Lord It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no senator's son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one"
John C. Fogerty

Coming of age in the late 60's musicians used their voice to influence a generation. It was a time of change, a time of cultural revolution, America's youth said "NO MORE". The voice of a generation was never so loud than at the Democratic National Convention, in 1968 where protestors took to the streets with chants such as, "THE WHOLE WORLDS WATCHING!"

"Though your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to Chicago
Just to sing
In a land that's known as freedom
How can such a thing be fair"
Graham Nash

The whole world was watching then as it is now, the question is, where are the voices? The people we relied on then no longer speak to this new generation, a generation of grunge, house, techno, and rap. America's youth is willing to step up to this new threat known as the bush administration, they just need a leader. Thinking back, I remember the FM airwaves, and the 8-tracks giving us direction, it still sends chills up my spine.

"Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'"
Bob

America's youth is under attack, the writing is on the wall for a draft. Soon, once again our best and brightest will be numbered, indexed, cataloged, and filed, only to be returned to us folded and mutilated. Some of us have seen this and remember the boy down the street returning home hobbled by the atrocities of war, once an athlete now he sits on the porch in his wheel chair watching cars go by, or worse the friend who came home in an aluminum box.


"Well, come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box."
Country Joe

As I was writing this I saw a thread approaching the feelings I have, it was ALMOST a call for revolution. At this I step back, and think, "why the disclaimer?" Your not advocating change? It's this fear of the "man" that's keeping us down, the fear of some invisible G-man. It's time to shed this fear, a new day is dawning and its time to take the fight back to the streets.

"There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn"
Stephen Stills

Once, along time ago we had hero's in this fight, the anniversary of their fight is approaching. It was May 4th, 1970, Kent State where we lost four brave souls. I think its time we say their names here; Allison Krause, Jeffery Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder, you changed the world, and we miss you dearly.

"Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio Gonna get down to it soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been down long ago
What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know.
Gonna get down to it soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been down long ago
What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know."
Neil Young


I will not be silent, nor will I serve a "crusading" government,
Michael Harris

[DeepGreen]

13. Thanks !!! Those were GREAT are GREAT Songs !!!!!

[MichaelHarris]

15. y/w

Was from an old article I wrote right before the anniversary of the Kent State tragedy.

[DeepGreen]

17. fyi...... Here's a post I created on Kent State

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2759903

[MichaelHarris]

21. I can't believe I missed that post

it was very good, thanks for sharing it with me. I just re-posted one of my older articles because I was a bit down and felt I should read it again:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=2197538&mesg_id=2197538

[pstans]

9. Rock Against Bush

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.asp?WRD=Rock+against+Bush&qsrch=T&userid=gF4Bn1SAya

[Radical Activist]

10. Steve Earle - The Revolution starts Now

Also check out
Wycleff Jean
System of a Down
Green Day
Zack De La Rocha
Chumbuwumba
Michael Franti
Ben Harper

There are more but radio airplay is the issue, as others have posted.

[intheflow]

14. The Black-Eyed Peas did a good song recently

called "Where is the Love?" It's a rap which builds off the 70's tune of the same name. But then the rest of the album is hardly a protest. There's one song about partying called "Let's Get Retarded." It's hardly consciousness raising.

I was wondering this when I heard a piece on NPR about a protest song arising organically from the demonstrations in the Ukraine. It's very catchy, a funky blending of rap and Ukrainian folk music.

Where are our funky songs? Americans who are afraid to march are also afraid to sing. :(

[Osamasux]

18. Those concerts Springsteen put together were a step

in the right direction. But it's true, where are the voices?

What gets me is that college radio doesn't have the balls to play them anymore. That's just unforgivable.

[geomon666]

19. ahem...

A Perfect Circle


I'm going to keep screaming this until someone gags me. These guys are f***ing awesome. :)

[Bluerthanblue]

23. YES! YES1 i couldn't agree

more-

this is by far one of the best cd's that speak the truth about this screwed up mess that has come out in a LONG TIME-

From Lennon's Imagine to Fiddle for the Drum- Annialation

listen- they are GOOD-