Anyone know any good "social reform" songs?

[Wednesdays]

Hey all--

I'm a part-time performer, and for my next gig I'd like to include some songs dealing with social change (improving working conditions & wages, humane treatment of the individual, etc.)--particularly ones that are optimistic. I'm looking for obscure songs as well as mega-hits.

(On edit--I can easily google this info, but I want to find out what DUers consider good songs). ;)

Anyone got any suggestions?

[Ano Genitus]

1. Billy Bragg's catalogue will help you out.

'Between the Wars' is a good one.

[Wednesdays]

11. Between the Wars is awesome! Thanks!

[Vincardog]

2. Do a search on Woody Guthrie

[niyad]

3. check out holly near, kristen lems, etc.

[Perry Logan]

4. "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" Fantastic song.

[countryjake]

5. Most optimistic "change" song I know..."When the Ship Comes In"

Oh the time will come up
When the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'.
Like the stillness in the wind
'Fore the hurricane begins,
The hour when the ship comes in.

Oh the seas will split
And the ship will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking.
Then the tide will sound
And the wind will pound
And the morning will be breaking.

Oh the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be smiling.
And the rocks on the sand
Will proudly stand,
The hour that the ship comes in.

And the words that are used
For to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken.
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean.

A song will lift
As the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline.
And the sun will respect
Every face on the deck,
The hour that the ship comes in.

Then the sands will roll
Out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'.
And the ship's wise men
Will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'.

Oh the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,
The hour when the ship comes in.

Then they'll raise their hands,
Sayin' we'll meet all your demands,
But we'll shout from the bow your days are numbered.
And like Pharaoh's tribe,
They'll be drownded in the tide,
And like Goliath, they'll be conquered.

[Wednesdays]

9. Wow, excellent lyrics!

I'll definitely check it out. Thanks!

[countryjake]

14. Very easy to play, too.

The imagery is excellent for anybody ready to upset the fruitbasket or any situation where folk are a hurtin'.

It's one of the more forgotten Dylans.

[jus_the_facts]

6. If I Had A Hammer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itn6xVOmR94

[Wednesdays]

7. The grand-daddy of social justice songs, IMO

Always loved it.

[jus_the_facts]

13. I got the 45 as a hand-me-down when I was in kindergarden....wore it out....

...still have it somewhere too. :applause:

[samdogmom]

8. Just off the top of my head "Workingman's Blues #2" by Bob Dylan.

I'm sure I can think of a lot more.

[Cant trust em]

10. Here are couple of my favs

Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Oxford Town - Bob Dylan
I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Take It Myself) - James Brown

[Gman]

12. Union songs

http://unionsong.com/songs.html

[NightWatcher]

15. have you ever heard of David Rovics?

you should go check out his site

www.davidrovics.com

some of his arent so optimistic, but I recommend "life is beautiful", "behind the barricades"

You can download all of his songs for free.

[WritersBlock]

16. "Let's Impeach the pResident for Lying" - best possible social change there could be. ;) n/t

[jus_the_facts]

17. Free ~ Prince

Don't sleep til the sunrise, listen 2 the falling rain
Don't worry 'bout tomorrow, don't worry ;bout your pain
Don't cry unless you're happy, don't smile unless you're blue
Never let that lonely monster take control of u

Be glad that u r free
Free 2 change your mind
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime
Be glad that u r free
There's many a man who's not
Be glad 4 what u had baby, what you've got
Be glad 4 what you've got

I know my heart is beating, my drummer tells me so
If u take your life 4 granted, your beating heart will go
So don't sleep until you're guilty, cuz sinners all r we
There's others doing far worse than us, so be glad that u r free

Be glad that u r free
Free 2 change your mind
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime
Be glad that u r free
There's many a man who's not
Be glad 4 what u had baby, what you've got
Be glad 4 what you've got

Soldiers are a marching, they're writing brand new laws
Will we all fight together 4 the most important cause?
Will we all fight 4 the right 2 be free?

Free (be glad that u r free)
Free 2 change my mind (free 2 change your mind)
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime (free 2 go most anywhere,anytime)

I'm just glad, I'm just glad I'm free, yeah (be glad that u r free)
There's many a man who's not (there's many a man who's not)
Glad 4 what I had baby, (be glad 4 what u had and)
Glad 4 what I got, oh yeah (for what you've got)

Oh I'm just glad, I'm just glad I'm free,yeah (be glad that u r free)
Free 2 change my mind (free 2 change your mind)
Free 2 go most anywhere, anytime (free 2 go most anywhere,anytime)
(be glad that u r free)
(there's many a man who's not)
I'm so... (be glad 4 what u had and for)
(what you've got)

[Beausoleil]

18. Joe Hill

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he.

"The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,
they shot you Joe" says I.
"Takes more than guns to kill a man"
Says Joe "I didn't die"
Says Joe "I didn't die"

"In Salt Lake City, Joe," says I,
Him standing by my bed,
"They framed you on a murder charge,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead."

And standing there as big as life
and smiling with his eyes.
Says Joe "What they can never kill
went on to organize,
went on to organize"

From San Diego up to Maine,
in every mine and mill,
Where workers fight and organize,
it's there you find Joe Hill,
it's there you find Joe Hill!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he.

[Beausoleil]

26. Interesting sidenotes to this song

Hill was memorialized in a tribute poem written about him c. 1930 by Alfred Hayes titled "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", sometimes referred to simply as "Joe Hill". Hayes's lyrics were turned into a song in 1936 by Earl Robinson.

Phil Ochs wrote and recorded a different, original song called "Joe Hill", using a traditional melody found in the song "John Hardy," which tells a much more detailed story of Joe Hill's life and death, and includes the lines that have since been associated with Ochs' own life and death, "It's the life of a rebel that he chose to live; It's the death of a rebel that he died". Ochs' song concludes with Hill's words, "This is my last and final will; Good luck to all of you, Joe Hill, Good luck to all of you."
After Phil Ochs' death, Billy Bragg reworked the Hayes-Robinson song as "I Dreamed I Saw Phil Ochs Last Night".

Joan Baez's Woodstock performance of "Joe Hill" in 1969 is the most well-known recording.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill

[tekisui]

19. Michael Franti, especially the songs on "Yell Fire"

Xavier Rudd has some great ones. Check out "Better People" and "Choices" and "Let me Be"

Ani DiFranco has some great social justice songs.

Ben Harper has some beauties.

Jack Johnson has some optimism.

And, although he was already mentioned. Woody Guthrie, father of them all.

[Forkboy]

31. Yup, I'll second that. Franti is amazing.

Yell Fire is sad and uplifting at the same time, a tough road to hoe.

[Beausoleil]

20. Another good one - Bracero

Wade into the river
Through the rippling shallow watter
Steal accross the thirsty border
Bracero
Come bring your hungry bodies
To the golden fields of plenty
From a peso to a penny
Bracero
Oh, welcome to California
Where the friendly farmers
Will take care of you
Come labor for your mother
For your father and your brother
For your sisters and your lover
Bracero
Come pick the fruits of yellow
Break the flowers from the berries
Purple grapes will fill your bellies
Bracero
Oh, Welcome to California
Where the friendly farmers
Will take care of you
And the sun will bite your body
As the dust will draw you thristy
While your muscles beg for mercy
Bracero
In the shade of your sombrero
Drop your sweat upon the soil
Like the fruit your youth can spoil
Bracero
Oh, welcome to California
Where the friendly farmers
Will take care of you
When the weary night embraces
Sleep in shacks that could be cages
They will take it from your wages
Bracero
Come sing about tomorrow
With a jingle of the dollars
And forget your crooked collar
Bracero
Oh, welcome to California
Where the friendly farmers
Will take care of you
And the local men are lazy
And they make too much of trouble
Besides we'd have to pay them double
Bracero
Ah, but if you feel you're fallin'
If you find the pace is killing
There are others who are willing
Bracero
Oh, welcome to California
Where the friendly farmers
Will take care of you

-Phil Ochs

[Clovis Sangrail]

21. listen to "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records"

It's Chumbawamba in 1986 when they still had a semblence of a backbone.

Sad about the band, but I think that is one of the greatest 'activist' albums ever made.
it's angry but it's not what most would consider punk

The other artist you should look up is Utah Phillips.
If you've never seen him his songs are so so.. but he did some collaboration with Ani Defranco that was just great.

[Warpy]

22. Billy Bragg, Tom Paxton, Woody Guthrie, and

a copy of the Little Red Songbook put out by the IWW in 1918 will do you proud. http://www.akpress.org/2004/items/iwwsongs If you need to listen to them, Utah Phillips has recorded a lot of them on his various albums.

This is just scratching the surface, there's really a lot out there. James McMurtry is starting to become the poet of the current war and fascist experiment. His work is worth checking out, too.

[livetohike]

23. A few starting with Easy to be Hard - Three Dog Night

How can people be so heartless
How can people be so cruel
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold

How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no

And especially people
Who care about strangers
Who care about evil
And social injustice
Do you only
Care about the bleeding crowd?
How about a needing friend?
I need a friend

How can people be so heartless
You know I'm hung up on you
Easy to give in
Easy to help out

And especially people
Who care about strangers
Who say they care about social injustice
Do you only
Care about the bleeding crowd
How about a needing friend?
I need a friend

How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no

Marvin Gaye - What's Happening Brother Lyrics

(Marvin Gaye/James Nyx)
Hey baby, what'cha know good
I'm just gettin' back, but you knew I would
War is hell, when will it end,
When will people start gettin' together again
Are things really gettin' better, like the newspaper said
What else is new my friend, besides what I read
Can't find no work, can't find no job my friend
Money is tighter than it's ever been
Say man, I just don't understand
What's going on across this land
Ah what's happening brother,
Oh ya, what's happening my man
Are they still gettin' down where we used to go and dance
Will our ball club win the pennant,
do you think they have a chance
And tell me friend, how in the world have you been.
Tell me what's out and I want to know what's in.
What's the deal man, what's happening
What's happening brother
Ah what's happening brother
What's happening my man
Ah what's happening brother
What's been shaken up and down the line
I want to know cause I'm slightly behind the time.


Everyday People
(Stewart)

Sometimes I'm right then I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my songs
A butcher, a banker, a drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people

Then it's the blue ones who can't accept
The green ones for living with
The black ones tryin' to be a skinny one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha
We gotta live together

I am no better and neither are you
We're all the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me
You know me and then
Still can't figure out the scene I'm in
I am everyday people

Then it's the new man
That doesn't like the short man
For being such a rich one
That will not help the poor one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on scooby dooby dooby

Ooh sha sha
We got to live together

There is a yellow one that won't
Accept the black one
That won't accept the red one
That won't accept the white one

Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and
Scooby dooby dooby
Ooh sha sha
I am everyday people

[jus_the_facts]

24. Childhood's End ~ Pink Floyd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIt3uO8aziw

You shout in your sleep.
Perhaps the price is just too steep.

Is your conscience at rest if once put to the test?

You awake with a start to just the beating of your heart.

Just one man beneath the sky,

Just two ears, just two eyes.

You set sail across the sea of longpast thoughts and memories.

Childhood's end,
Your fantasies merge with harsh realities.

And then as the sail is hoist,
You find your eyes are growing moist.

All the fears never voiced say you have to make your final choice.

Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why?

Some are born;
Some men die beneath one infinite sky.

There'll be war, there'll be peace.
But everything one day will cease.

All the iron turned to rust;
All the proud men turned to dust.

And so all things, time will mend.
So this song will end.

~*~Obscured By Clouds~*~

[Journeyman]

25. The catalog of John Stewart should provide you ample reward. . .

though Stewart recently died, you'll find most of his music (including guitar tablatures) on his website, www.chillywinds.com.

Originally with The Kingston Trio, John went on to a remarkable solo career that spanned 40 years and included more than 800 songs. Check out his bio on the website; I'm sure you'll recognize many of his tunes which were covered and made famous by other performers.

For your purpose, check out "Botswana," "Irresistible Targets," and "Justiceville" (among dozens that will suit your need).


Justiceville

(Note: This first bit is spoken text, somewhat like a newscast)

In Los Angeles, California, twenty-two homeless families were evicted from
a vacant lot in the Skid Row District where they had constructed a
village of plywood shacks. The County came in and bulldozed their
houses, moving the families ten feet away to the sidewalk. Many of them
were children. They called their town, Justiceville.


Hey Mama, have you seen the dream?
Have you seen the highway where the El Dorados scream?
Hey Mama, have you seen the dream?

Hey Mama, did we have a light?
Did it shine in our front window in the middle of the darkest night?
Hey mama, did we have a light?
Yes we did and it's burning still

Justiceville, all they wanted was a home
Justiceville, a little shack to call their own
Where no one could throw stones
Justiceville, all they wanted was a home

Hey Mama, have you seen Crazy Joe?
I hear he talks to Angels, yeah, and folks that he don't know
Hey Mama, have you seen Crazy Joe?

Hey Mama, do we have a dream?
Will we have a home someday where we're always safe and clean?
Oh Mama, do we have a dream?
Yes we do and it's burning still

Justiceville, all they wanted was a home
Justiceville, a little shack to call their own
Where no one could throw stones
Justiceville, all they wanted was a home

Justiceville, all they wanted was a home
All they wanted was a home
All they wanted was a home
All they wanted was a home

[JackintheGreen]

27. Only one mention of Phil Ochs?!?

My faves of his include:

Outside of a small circle of friends
Ballad of William Worthy
Love me I'm a Liberal
I Kill therefore I am

and "When I'm Gone" is always a good closer

[Beausoleil]

30. I don't think of songs about social justice

without thinking of Phil Ochs and Joan Baez.

[JackintheGreen]

28. DUPE - delete

[LeftishBrit]

29. "When We Go Rolling Home" by John Tams

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/09/rollinghome.htm

And do a search on Ewan MacColl - he composed lots of great stuff!

[no_hypocrisy]

32. Almost anything by Woody Guthrie, the Weavers, and Pete Seeger.