Need some TH suggestions to make a playlist of protest songs for our kids

[Jordan]

Looking for Threadhead help to go beyond the basics -- thanks in advance

[Lit]

"The Hammer Song" is the basics, right?

Not a protest song, but Dylan's "Sweetheart Like You" contains one of the best and most apt lines for our times imo:


"They say that patriotism is the last refuge, to which a scoundrel clings. Steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king."

In terms of his protest songs. "Masters of War" is probably my favorite. Eddie Vedder's cover of it from the Dylan 30th Anniversary concert is excellent.

Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Buffalo Springfield, "For What It's Worth." IIRC the Muppets actually did a great cover.

John Lennon, "Imagine."

Barry McGuire, "Eve of Destruction"

New Orleans Social Club's cover of "Fortunate Son"

Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

Joni Mitchell, "Big Yellow Taxi"


Billie Holiday, "Strange Fruit"

Will think on this some more.

[Lit]

Also, a band I recently got turned on to through the Loft, Two Cow Garage, has a lot of very current and very politically charged songs that I think are great, including "Let the Boys be Girls," the first one I heard from them:

[Lit]

The Drive-By Truckers most recent album, American Band, is also loaded with timely political content.

[bennyboy]

War Pigs, Black Sabbath
Last to Die, Bruce Springsteen (the fan video is amazing)
Get up, Stand Up (Bob Marley)
Bomb the World (or anything off that recording) Michael Franti and Spearhead
Throwing Stones, Grateful Dead (written about Dick Cheney but even more relevant now)
Shippafools, Grateful Dead. Written about Nixon, but even more relevant today.

[hercules9273]

I Ain't Marchin' Anymore, Phil Ochs
Mercy Mercy Me, Marvin Gaye
Hey Big Brother, Rare Earth
Ohio, CSNY
Chicago, CSNY

[Molo]

Tom Robinson Band, multiple off Power in the Darkness album, including title track or Ain't Gonna Take It
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Down by the Riverside
Blasters, Common Man

[windowman]

A couple of John Gorka songs from the 90s, "Where the Bottles Break" and "Brown Shirts". Not really kid songs, but the lyrics are strangely timely.

[Kemp]

Randy Newman's "Political Science"

[fesstgeek]

"Give a damn" - Spanky & Our Gang, 1969

[Molo]

Forgot one, The Fugs, 4 Minutes to 12

[ice nine]

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign - -Five Man Electric Band

There must be a Woody Guthrie song that can be used.

[Lit]

Tracy Chapman, "Talkin' Bout a Revolution"

Thunderclap Newman, "Something in the Air"

Jefferson Airplane, "Volunteers"

[funkkjunkie]

Anders Osborne- Five Bullets, Peace
Michael Franti - Oh My God- not sure since it's for the kids, Yell Fire, I know I'm not Alone, We Don't Stop
Bob Marley - So Much Trouble in the World, Africa Unite and oh so many more
Dirty Dozen Brass Band's What's Going On (One of my alltime favorite albums) - esp. What's Happening Brother and Save the Children
Temptations - Ball of Confusion

[ohio]

This new one from Dumpsta w/Shorty rocks:

And here's a killer update to the classic Temps hit: