Protest songs that still hold up years later

[darkandrew]

I was listening to Simple Minds Live in the City of Light a few days ago and on it is a medley featuring Simple Minds' "Love Song" and a cover of "Sun City". As I was listening to it, it struck me that many (if not most) protest songs are very much rooted to a particular moment in time and lose their relevance outside of that moment. So, I was thinking, are there any protest songs that still hold up outside if their particular moment? Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and Peter Gabriel's "Biko" came to mind but other than these two, I couldn't really think of any others - can you?

[Bolo]

Rage against the Machine's generic but effective 'flip you I won't do what you tell me' ?

 

edit: great bit of sensorship. I suppose no protest shall survive our looming sense of common decency.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Bolo

[Maude]

I don't wish to seem insensitive but 'Nelson Mandela' by The Special Aka takes on a whole new meaning now. 

Get the shovels boys! 

[ambient]

Steve Lawson asked this on Facebook a few days ago. This was my suggestion.

 

[scalpy]

20 minutes ago, ambient said:

Steve Lawson asked this on Facebook a few days ago. This was my suggestion.

 

Funny this should come up now as i was thinking the revolution will be live streamed the other day. Except in this country where we just roll over and take it by the looks of things. 

[dmccombe7]

Biko came to mind right away but i'm struggling to think of anything else.

Sure i'll recognise them as they appear on this thread.

Dave

[tinyd]

1 hour ago, ambient said:

Steve Lawson asked this on Facebook a few days ago. This was my suggestion.

 

Excellent choice, with the added bonus of the great Ron Carter on bass.

[Paul S]

I quite like this one - lovely bass, too! - lyrics are a bit heavy handed but still poignant today.

 

[chris_b]

Anything Bob Dylan wrote.

 

The studio version of this was getting played a lot by the soldiers when I was playing the US bases in Germany in the early 70's. When being sent to Vietnam was a real possibility for many of them.

 

[MuddBass]

 

[MuddBass]

As relevent now as always.

[Earbrass]

Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi' has only grown in relevance as the decades roll on.

[bartelby]

Not so much protest songs, more social commentary but a lot of The Levellers - Levelling the Land is still relevant

[bartelby]

This too:

 

[Cat Burrito]

I always liked Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction

 

[Cat Burrito]

Oh & this early environmental song is great too. Harrison was in Chairmen of the Board (of Gimme Just a Little More Time fame). He had the weakest voice but made up for it by having the best hair! 

 

[franzbassist]

I think that although these two are of a particular time, their themes are as relevant today as they were then... which is a sad indictment really.

 

[pete.young]

Coal Not Dole , original and best by Oysterband.

[Rich]

 

 

 

 

[scalpy]

4 hours ago, tinyd said:

Excellent choice, with the added bonus of the great Ron Carter on bass.

Can of worms time, I thought it was Jerry Jemmott.

[troubadour]

Keith Christmas - Forest and the shore . . .

. . . nearly 50 years old and every word rings true today. He's still going strong as well. Good on 'im! 

 

[taunton-hobbit]

 

[TheGreek]

Still inspires me...we can only live in hope...

 

[MuddBass]

 

[MuddBass]

Arguably the most timeless song about the human abuse of Earth.