Where's the concern? Where's the voice of social consciousness

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Danospano

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In the 1960's we had a surging revolution by way of protest rock with the likes of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Pete Seager, etc. Today it seems that despite a greater need for descenting voices in lieu of fallicious wars, increasing numbers of corporate crimes and seemingly escalating unemployment, we are left with songs of love and bling-bling to dominate the radio airwaves.

Does this trouble anyone else? I understand the reasons, but considering the overwhelming state of despair most of us are feeling, it seems more rebellous rock/folk/r&b tunes would slither their way into the mainstream.

Where are this generation's songs like "Rockin' in the Free World", "Like a Rolling Stone", "War", "Share the Land", and heck, I'll even throw in Men at Work's "It's a Mistake" and Nena's "99 Luft Balloons"; even the 1980's had a few protest songs.
 
I just wanted to add the lyrics to Men at Work's "It's a Mistake". It hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in July of 1983.

The songs ahead of it on the chart were David Bowie's "Let's Dance", Irene Cara's "Flashdance...What a Feeling", The Police "Every Breath You Take", Michael Jackson's "Beat It", and the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

The song is about the proliferation of nuclear weapons between the USA and Russia and the possible deleterious results of a nuclear fallout; deep shit for mainstream radio...
****************************************************
"It's a Mistake": Men at Work. From the album "Cargo".


Jump down the shelters to get away
The boys are cockin' up their guns
Tell us general, is it party time?
If it is can we all come

Don't think that we don't know
Don't think that we're not trying
Don't think we move too slow
It's no use after crying
Saying

It's a mistake, it's a mistake
It's a mistake, it's a mistake

After the laughter as died away
And all the boys have had their fun
No surface noise now, not much to say
They've got the bad guys on the run

Don't try to say you're sorry
Don't say he drew his gun
They've gone and grabbed old Ronnie
He's not the only one saying

It's a mistake, it's a mistake
It's a mistake, it's a mistake

Tell us commander, what do you think?
'Cos we know that you love all that power
Is it on then, are we on the brink?
We wish you'd all throw in the towel

We'll not fade out too soon
Not in this finest hour
Whistle your favourite tune
We'll send a card and flower
Saying

It's a mistake, it's a mistake
It's a mistake, it's a mistake
 
Meh, the last year or so, anytime a celebrity has tried to voice their opinion on the big issues, they were told to shut up, 'cause they were a celebrity, so what did they know?

There have been a few songs here and there, mostly from some newer punkish bands, from what I hear, but yeah, we need more of this kind of thing.

Angela
 
I chock this up to its what your watching...not what ya want to see.
ya watch MTV ...your going to see the money makers

ya listen to your college radio station , you may get something more meaningful..something that the idealistic angry young person thinks ya ought to hear. but even then the college radio types are the nerdy stoners who know there way round some buttons and may only play rusted root or guster and things that are pleasant but dont always send a message.
why dont YOU be the developer.
YOU be the person who delivers the message
I know I try to .
I have an audience of 3.
 
I long to spawn change in our society, but for the past 15-20 years I can't think of but a few blatantly political songs that broke the barrier of mainstream radio.

I can't understand why people will listen to songs by Usher and Maroon 5, but scuff at anything that makes them THINK! I'm compelled to say 'the hell with it'. If people aren't curious as to the injustices of the world and pay the consequences as a result, don't they deserve their fate?
 
welp..you have to look at the ages of the audience of Usher as an example...
the percentages of the population/ take the videos for instance they show people of an adult age dancing witht his guy but my guess is the audience / the people that download and buy the stuff are much younger.

and consider the fact that people want to be entertained....people want to escape.

U2 provides entertainment AND escape AND social awareness...
ALL 3 AT THE SAME TIME!
thats what makes em so amazing.



if your trying to reach your audience with a scream they probably will cover thier ears...but with a gentle and
honest whisper it may travel to the heart and they may relate.....- Carrie Lally , July 22 2004 thursday in the corner at my computer.....blah blah blah ; )

LEts DAnce by DAvid Bowie ...is a great fuckin song BTW
 
The same age demographic who made Bob Dylan a huge success are currently listening to nothing but teeny-bop songs about banging and the pain that results from mindless fucking. :)

The Beatles were social aware and popular.
Mamas and the Papas...John Denver...
 
Oh, I think there are a lot of socially conscious artists out there:

U2 (duh)
Pearl Jam
Beastie Boys
Tori Amos (maybe not terribly political, but she's done an awful lot for rape and domestic abuse awareness)
Bruce Springsteen
R.E.M.

(just to name a few, as well as many many more under the radar)

The problem is not that the socially conscious artists aren't there--it's that we're so overstimulated and the airwaves so drowned in crap that it's harder to hear them.
 
Wyclef Jean
The Roots

+ don't forget that a lot of musicians are involved with Rock for Choice and PETA and Artists Against AIDS. I think the fact that there are SO many causes has something do with it, too.
 
I cant believe no one has mentioned Public Enemy!!!

Bad Religion's albums are usually about half political/social songs also.

And yes, Rage Against the Machine did NOTHING BUT politically/socially motivated songs.

I really could sit here all day and think of more and more artists who keep/kept trying their hands at stuff like this (Morrissey, The Clash, REM, Talib Kweli, Operation Ivy, Jurassic 5, Radiohead, The Cure, etc, etc, etc) Honestly, I dont even see where you're coming from with this thread. I think TOO MANY artists think they have to try to write songs of this nature, and it just becomes cliche and makes the songs sound extremely dated/idiotic a few years down the road.
 
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u2popmofo said:
think TOO MANY artists think they have to try to write songs of this nature, and it just becomes cliche and makes the songs sound extremely dated/idiotic a few years down the road.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. As a general rule, I don't care for political music.

But add AniDifranco to the list.
 
You're all listing great artists, but how many of them have consistently found success on the radio with songs that clearly express a political opinion? How many have found success illicting change or made millions reconsider their values after hearing one of their songs. Just one? Springsteen, yes: he did with many songs, namely "My Hometown", and less clearly with the quasi-protest song against AIDS, "Streets of Philadelphia" without expressly saying the word "AID's". U2 has never had a hit single or even a SINGLE that dealt with anything aside from love. They qualify as the rare exception; which I why I like them :), but their protest rock doesn't get played on the RADIO. I hear people saying, "What about "Sunday Bloody Sunday"?"----Well, unless you're listening exclusively protest, 1980's new wave radio stations, you're not going to hear it.

As for the rest....

Ani DiFranco: Cult favorite, but not mainstream. The key word is mainstream; reaching tens of millions of people. The same goes for Morrissey, anything from the Cure aside from 'Love Song', 'Friday I'm in Love', and 'Just Like Heaven', Tori Amos, and anything besides "Rock the Casbah" and "Train in Vain" from The Clash.

Rage Against the Machine: Yes, they had several successful ALBUMS, but never had a hit aside from Bulls on Parade and that wasn't big outside of college radio and alternative rock stations. Also, how many of us could truly understand most of De La Roche's lyrics? He yells, he's mostly inaudible unless you already know the lyrics. I don't consider this along the same lines as protest rock from pre-1994. The same goes for Pearl Jam and Jurassic 5. If people are mindlessly moshing to "Testify" or "Bushwacker" they're not doing it because they're angry at corporate America or President Bush; it's because they're into the music. Sure, there a few people that listen to the words, look them up online and learn them...heck, I did that. But most people on this planet who listen to Rage aren't thinking twice about the lyrical content.

REM: Protesting in a surrealist, near-meaningless jamble of words, doesn't constitute success in this realm of thinking. They made their success on the radio with pop songs and disturbing ballads of regret. You'd be hardpressed to name more than one hit, protest single that made it to the mainstream...there's that word again. And no, "What's the Frequency. Kenneth" doesn't touch people on a gut level...unless you researched the lyrics (much like RAGE AGAINST...) and learned of their descent. "It's the End of the World As We Know It" was a great song, but not accessible to anyone outside of the fanbase...it's hardly ever played.
 
grass roots level...support local bands who you know have a conscience. The mainstream is so controlled, but you know that already.
John Butler Trio are a great Australian act that are happening right now and aren't afraid to say what they think.
I saw Jackson Browne recently. I was so stoked when he told the story of how his son asked him to start playing this song again
"Lives In The Balance...I want to know who the men in the shadows are...."
 
Travis have quite a few protest songs (against the iraq war mostly) on their latest album...I love Travis, but I have to admit they're all pretty awful...

Direct protest songs usually sound very cliched and contrived - I think subtle attacks hidden in clever lyrics work much better, as U2 have often done.
 
Danospano said:
U2 has never had a hit single or even a SINGLE that dealt with anything aside from love.
Click to expand...

New Year's Day, Pride, In God's country, Please, Walk on.

I believe all of those are not about love but are politics related. (as well as non-singles on their albums, SBS, Bullet the blue sky being the best known. Or different to love topics like One, Stuck in a moment, Where the streets have no name)

I think the current climate in US is probably against any political songs (anti-US administration) - remember what happened to Dixie Chicks and now Linda Ronstadt. There are bands who still do it - all being mentioned earlier - but the big labels aren't really interested in that.
 
u2popmofo said:
I think TOO MANY artists think they have to try to write songs of this nature, and it just becomes cliche and makes the songs sound extremely dated/idiotic a few years down the road.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, u2popmofo. I tend not to listen to much music that is overtly sociopolitical in content, as I simply find much of it cumbersome and, well, just plain bad. Certainly there have been and still are songs that are extremely good and extremely overtly political, but I don't listen to music to get my fill of political or social awareness.

And I think that if there is a single brain cell amongst all the pretty pop princes and princesses, they are doing good. That goes for most of the top of the chart acts right now. That's not really condusive for serious issues.

I was just reading an interview with Steve Kilbey today and the very subject came up. Here's a clip from the interview (HS is the inteviewer; SK is, well...kinda obvious, isn't it?):

<< HS: That makes sense, because of the timeliness of some of the lyrics. Sometimes you do make very specific cultural or political references that are definitely current in your songs --

SK: "Shock and awe", you mean.

HS: Exactly. That line in particular I thought was --

SK: I was tricked into that! I don't read the paper, I don't listen to the news, and when I was doing this preacher thing, John said to me "Why don't you throw in 'shock and awe'?" and I naively hadn't heard that phrase before. I thought "Oh, that's a good kind of Biblical thing", and I was surprised a little later on when the phrase was so in-vogue, and everyone was running around saying it.

HS: If you had known before, would you have still used it?

SK: Nah, I probably wouldn't have used it if I'd known.

HS: Why?

SK: Because it is current. Current is good when it's current, but the moment it isn't current, it's unnecessarily pinned down; you've pinned an aspect of it down, when you could have had the whole thing up there and floating forever. >>>

(if you want to read the whole thing it is from
Hybrid Magazine. Beware, it's a huge interview, they talked for two hours! Plus it has my current favourite photo of SK, and there should soon be some examples of his artwork up too. In addition to being a huge fan of his music, I'm an avid fan of SK's paintings.)

Another comment from SK I remember reading or hearing was that he didn't like to be told what to think about issues, and he didn't think the people who liked his music did either. You know, I really appreciate that. Now, I know some of his social/political views from interviews etc. (and I am interested to know them, and generally agree with them), but I am so glad he doesn't beat me over the head with those views in his songs.
 
Many of my favourite artists are those who have a political conscience, many of them are Australian and thankfully we have some great media outlets here like radio and TV who support the non mainstream entities. As Cass mentioned previously the Australian act 'The John Butler Trio' recently went to number one on our album chart and Mr Butler is an extrememly pro-active environmentalist and aboriginal rights exponent and many of his songs deal with these issues. So I guess in Australia, we are getting the messages, other acts who I am reminded of who are politically aware include,

Michael Franti and Spearhead
Asian Dub Foundation
Xavier Rudd

these guys may not be influencing millions, buuuuuuut at least they are making music and influencing a few and one must remember that the nature of the music/money making machine is very, very different these days than from the days in the 60s.....
 
U2girl said:


New Year's Day, Pride, In God's country, Please, Walk on.

I believe all of those are not about love but are politics related. (as well as non-singles on their albums, SBS, Bullet the blue sky being the best known. Or different to love topics like One, Stuck in a moment, Where the streets have no name)

I think the current climate in US is probably against any political songs (anti-US administration) - remember what happened to Dixie Chicks and now Linda Ronstadt. There are bands who still do it - all being mentioned earlier - but the big labels aren't really interested in that.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%.

I think many educated people got what REM was talking about with It's the End of the World...and it still gets airplay.

I think the same about 'Born in the USA' although Reagan didn't get it.

I think you underestimate what U2 has done their "hits."

I can think of a lot of great bands that have done this over the years. I think the biggest issue with this are the media outlets. Today we have Clear Channel and Infinity running our airwaves, back then the DJs had a lot of say, guys who were real music lovers and in touch with what the climate was. I think if there were a band like Midnight Oil or Rage who wrote very obvious political stances then there would be absolutely no way they would get airplay...unless their political message was to vote for Clear Channel's good friend Bush.:wink:
 
Danospano said:
You're all listing great artists, but how many of them have consistently found success on the radio with songs that clearly express a political opinion? How many have found success illicting change or made millions reconsider their values after hearing one of their songs.
Click to expand...

Call me cynical, but I very much doubt that any song has a power to make millions reconsider their values after hearing it. Songs often ride along a social movement, but IMO they accompany the social change rather than cause it.

Also, when a politically-charged song does connect with masses in a big way, it may not necessarily be because of its lyrics or message. People might just like it because they think that it "rocks" or that it's got a a nice melody. Nothing more.
 
The majority of songs which possess a conscious express the feelings in an artistic manner, but aren't obviously accessible to the masses. This isn't a bad thing, but then what's the point? To a certain extent, why even bother making a statement of politics if hardly anyone will hear it? Are they just trying to please themselves while playing it safe? That doesn't sound like rock and roll, does it?

You all seem to resorting to naming a few examples that prove the exception, but failing to acknowledge that a few U2 songs represent the majority of music in America's present culture. U2's last album only sold 3 million copies (roughly) and that was enough to make it 24th or something on the best sellers of the year list. That's hardly the most popular music in the country, but rather a band selling to it's most dedicated base.

In response to the interview posted above concerning artist being weary of writing lyrics which may be construed as timingly, yet fleeting in coming years: Sure, for every "Subeterraen Homesick Blues" and "Rockin' in the Free World", there are "Wild Wild West" and "Right Here, Right Now"'s. That's IMO a wussy way of getting out of having an option. Those people seem to care more about their ego and less about having an educated opinion and owning up to their choices. Makes me sad. :(
 
Bad Religion's albums are usually about half political/social songs also.
Click to expand...

especially the new album. stuff like 'let them eat war'. or even on the last tour, adding 'all good soldiers' back to the setlist, introducing it as a song about iraq I, and now it's appropriate to play it again...

while i'm all for artists doing that if they have a coherent point and aren't jumping on some kind of bandwagon, i'd prefer not having someone like bono's face plastered all over my newspapers and magazines as some kind of celebrity poster child for a cause. good for them, but...

Street Dogs - Don't Preach to Me

Take your soapbox rants and your politics
Stick them where the sun don't shine
Won't solicit your advice
You're on the red carpet
Espousing your opinions
Why can't you just shut your mouth
Don't tell us how to feel

Don't preach to me, I cannot hear you
Don't preach to me, we really won't care
Don't preach to me, you're so self-righteous
You're a celebrity

They wear views on their sleeves
Thinking that it counts
But we have minds of our own
Sarandon shut your mouth
Just stick to the acting
Films and TV shows
Give us time to think for ourselves
Please give us that much

Yet these stars don't get it
We have minds of our own
We're capable of opinions
Madonna hit the road

Don't preach to me, we're not backin' you
Don't preach to me, we really won't care
Don't preach to me, you're so self-righteous
You're a celebrity
 
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IWB :up:


Honestly, I've never really been all that interested in what ANY musician has to say about politics. Lets face it, the majority of them arent really geniuses in the field....
 
Not geniuses in the field? What does it take to be a genius in that "field". They are artists, and therefore reflect the attitude of the populace, namely the youth. The youth apparently don't care about political issues, or civil rights, or anything aside from getting laid and satisfying their own hedonistic pleasures.

Bob Dylan didn't reflect the times with Like a Rolling Stone, All Along the Watchtower, and Hurricane?

Creedance Clearwater Revival didn't reflect the times in Fortunate Son?

Edwin Starr wasn't in tune with the times when he recorded "War, what is it good for"?

I could go on, but I think the point that artists don't deserve credit for educating the public is ludarcis
 
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