Bring on the protest songs- where have all the Guthries gone?

Well, there's this site: http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html

And this one: http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/politicalsong/songs/

So some people are still writing them!

MR

Toby Keith wrote a damned good one. Something to do with a boot up someone's arse.

There's nothing much to protest.

When there is, I'll consider writing a few.

A few years back, Joan Baez's last single "Blockbuster Late Fee Blues" flopped big time so I don't think we're going to hear much more from her.

And even Country Joe and The Fish has been trying to get commercial jingle work from Jet Blue or Delta with their now titled "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Fly Rag" ("One, two, three, four, what are we flyin' for?")

Protest singing is dead (as long as you don't count the likes of Christina Aguilera ho-testing in her songs that she isn't getting banged enough).

What about Steve Earle? http://steveearle.net/discography/revolution.php

MR

My fave protest song is "I Didn't Raise My Son To Be A Soldier", from way b4 vietnam or even Korea. I'll have to dig it up.

Problem with new protest songs is, the great ones have left some pretty big boots to fill.

See if you can dig up either of the CD's by the Washington Squares. They were brilliant. 'You Can't Kill Me' and 'Everybody Knows' haunt me all over the place.

I heard this one for the first time a few months ago: John Prine's "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore." Lyrics in the link below!

http://www.jpshrine.org/lyrics/songs/jpflagdecal.html

I forgot about John Prine! The Great Compromise is also a protest song, though I had no idea until somebody told me. "She" is the USA during the Vietnam war.

But I guess that wouldn't count as a protest song being written today...

Here's a modern one: http://www.samturton.com/patriot.html

MR

John Cougar Mellencamp released his new CD, Freedoms Road, love it. IMO whole cd is great. "Also This Is Our Country" he sings
ETA:
(John Mellencamp)

I'm navigating my way down Freedom's Road
Trying to make my way back home
I got my foot to the floor
But she must need bleeding
This car just don't want to roll
Freedom's Road must be under construction
Sometimes you wonder what kind of freedom they're talking
If you're here looking for the devil
You'll find him on Freedom's Road

Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you want to take a ride
Well you've got to pay the toll
Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you're looking for the devil
He's out there on Freedom's Road

Sometimes there's rape sometimes there'll be murder
Sometimes just darkness everywhere
No passing signs and barbed wire fences
Misinformation but no one cares
Freedom's Road can get narrow
No one wants to know you
If there's no pork in your barrel
If you're here looking for the devil
He's out there on Freedom's Road

Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you want to take a ride
Well you've got to pay the toll
Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you're looking for the devil
He's out there on Freedom's Road

You can drop your bombs
You can beat the people senseless
But that won't get you anywhere
Hide your agendas behind public consensus
And say that this world just ain't fair
Freedom's Road is a promise to the people
You'll never fool us now
With all your lying and cheating
If you're here wanting a crown in heaven
It's out there on Freedom's Road

Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you want to take a ride
Well you've got to pay the toll
Freedom's Road, Freedom's Road
If you're looking for the devil
He's out there on Freedom's Road

I just heard this on my car radio (I was cruisin") and I realized that if you replace the word rain with war, you get a damn find protest song!! Okay, so maybe this was a well-known fact the first time around. Sorry, I missed it. But I bet we're all a little more creative than having to resort to either the 60's protest songs or their singers. Heck, at least now all the "good ones" aren't dying of overdose!

Long as I remember the rain been comin' down
Clouds of mystery pourin' confusion on the ground.
Good men through the ages tryin' to find the sun.
And I wonder still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

I went down Virginia seekin' shelter from the storm
Caught up in the fable I watched the tower grow
Five year plans and new deals wrapped in golden chains.
And I wonder still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

Heard the singers playin', how we cheered for more.
The crowd had rushed together tryin' to keep warm.
Still the rain kept pourin', fallin' on my ears
And I wonder, still I wonder who'll stop the rain.

This subject keeps popping into my head!

I just saw that Mavis Staples has released a new album of protest songs -- with Ry Cooder. Definitely gonna pick that one up.

MR

talkwrite said:

Where and under what label ???? Let me know where you found it.

Click to expand...

Read about it in EYE WEEKLY (Toronto). Album title is We'll Never Turn Back and was released on the Anti label.

MR