“Art is not a mirror held up to reality
but a hammer with which to shape it.”
― Bertolt Brecht
A collection of protest songs broadcast on PShift (4zzz fm 102.1 noon on fridays) – 3 Jan 2014 (compiled by Andy).
Protest: from Latin pr
To object to, especially in a formal statement. related nouns – protestant protester. In years gone by in Queensland democratic rights groups put their head together and came up with the queensland solidarity song book with some classics like The Red Flag, Ode to Joy, The Marseillaise, Solidarity Forever, Bread and Roses as well as some local songs with dubious lyrics, songs like Come to Queensland. [Editor’s note: wbt will re-publish this book if and when i get a chance.] Anyway here are some of the protest songs of 2013.
A Better Life in New Bedford
They crossed the line at midnight, on the fourth of July…
under a moonlit sky, to the Texas side…the river shined in their eyes.
They clinched each other’s hands, oh they reached the promised land
…and they held their breath as the flashlights lept over their heads.
They made their way to Massachusetts, where the sun hardly ever shines, and they planted a seed, an American dream, inside the Bristol county line. That seed it sprouted roots, like all things cared for it grew.
With families to support, the women went to work at that job in New Bedford. With no papers to show, no stamps on a passport…they sewed the straps onto army backpacks in that factory downtown. On the day of the raid, 300 federal agents came. With their guns drawn out and their dogs barking loud, they pushed the pregnant women on the ground. With helicopters and pain, they’re example it was made. ‘If you come on our dirt looking for work, this is the price you will pay.’ She said, ‘please, please, please.‘Oh my family they need me.’ As they forced her on a bus, she thought of the ones that she loved, wondering where their mother was.
A man, he is a man… regardless of the color of his skin.
Don’t matter where he’s going or where he’s been cause who we are is within. It’s so hard to believe in all these papers that I read,
cause all those outside plots to spill the melting pot are just fuel for a fire burning hot. I stood behind the barricade, by the park where the march was to start…I see them congregate with signs that say, ‘god bless the usa.’
PJ Harvey – Shaker Aameer
From Wikipedia… Polly Jean Harvey MBE (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, harmonica, and most recently, the autoharp. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she jo… More
Esperanza Spalding – We are America
From Wikipedia… Esperanza Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American jazz bassist, cellist and singer, who draws upon many genres in her own compositions. She has won three Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, making her the first jazz artist to win the award. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life and e… More
From Wikipedia… David Rovics (born April 10, 1967) is an American indie singer/songwriter. His music concerns topical subjects such as the 2003 Iraq war, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of former President George W. Bush, the Republican Party, John Kerry, and the Democratic Party. Rovics is critical of the United … More
See https://soundcloud.com/andypaine
Your batons, your sticks,
To your harsh kicks,
I say bring it on, bring it onAttack me shamelessly, tirelessly
My eyes are burning but I don’t bow, nor do I lessenI am still free I said
I am still right I said
to you
I am still human I said
Do you think I would give up, tell me
To your pepper, your gas,
Your batons, your sticks,
To your harsh kicks,
I say bring it on, bring it on
Your slap in our face
Your grudge against our voice
Cheers to all of you
Bring it on bring it on
Raise your hand without hesitation and fear
The squares belong to us, don’t forget it, this nation is ours
I am still free I said
I am still right I said
to you
I am still human I said
Do you think I would give up, tell me
To your pepper, your gas,
Your batons, your sticks,
To your harsh kicks,
I say bring it on, bring it on
Your slap in our face
Your grudge against our voice
Cheers to all of you
Bring it on bring it on
From Wikipedia…Duman is a Turkish surname. Notable people with the surname include: Hatice Duman (born 1974), Turkish journalist and editor Nikol Duman (1867-1914), Armenian fedayee Nurduran Duman (born 1974), Turkish poet, writer, essayist, translator Osman Kürşat Duman (born 1987), Turkish footballer Ronald Duman, American medical researcher Ronnie Duman (1929… More
From Wikipedia… Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk rock protest group based in Moscow. Founded in August 2011, it has a variable membership of approximately 11 women ranging in age from about 20 to 33, who wear brightly colored balaclavas and use only nicknames during interviews. They stage unauthorized provocative guerrilla performances in unusual public loca… More
Gruel-Propaganda, Gruel-Propagandaaaa!
Get registration,
Evildoers at the oil towers,
Oil on the tables,
Sechin with crocodiles,
Like in a red prison.
Bathe the worker in the Norwegian fjord,
Cut off your penis like the Depardieu character,
You have a president like Iran’s ayatollah,
And your church is like it is in the U.A.E.
Gruel-Propaganda, Gruel-Propagandaaaa!
So, let everything be like it is in Qatar,
Evildoers at the oil towers,
Pumping till its dry,
A physics university teaches theology,
Epaulettes and oil wells,
Navalny in jail,
Hugo Chavez lives,
Like in a red prison.
There were other songs/raps produced locally in 2013 that perhaps don’t fall exactly into the protest genre but deserve a mention because they came out of the struggle.
These include:
Jumping Fences ‘The Quiet of the Winter Moon’ –
“A chance meeting through a workplace choir with Koji Matsunobu and Khin Yee Lo … eventually we decided to do a performance together and then a few more… finally resulting in a recording of this collection of seven songs, released in July 2013.” you can buy this album at http://jumpingfences1.bandcamp.com/album/the-quiet-of-the-winter-moon
Phil Monsour Band with Mohamed Youssef
Published on Dec 14, 2013
‘Next year in Jerusalem’ – performed by the Phil Monsour Band with Sydney Oud Master Mohamed Youssef at a special Benefit Concert in support of Union Aid Abroad – APHEDAs Refugee Emergency Appeal. See also http://www.philmonsour.com/new-studio-video-clip-everything-but-stop/
[youtube=http://youtu.be/rG6iszI1hIE]
‘Ancestress’ Teila Watson raps ‘Bringing buildings down’
Guerrilla Republik
Acknowledgment and respect for the traditional owners and elders
past and present from the land this was recorded on.
First published on PShift (4zzz fm 102.1 friday 6 Dec 2013 at noon): radio with pictures
[youtube=http://youtu.be/0-rxchV4VrA]