Political Music

So our assignment was to choose a few songs that are politically charged.  Although I like a wide variety of musical genres, one band immediately jumped out to me.  Rage Against the Machine.  The band name is a lightning bolt of opposition toward those in power.  Not just political power, but across a broad spectrum of power such as mega-corporations and even teachers.  I simply had to start with a Rage song.  Many of the bands I enjoy, like a majority of any entertainment I enjoy, are liberal-leaning groups.  While I don't agree with the basis of many of their political points, I can certainly enjoy the music for what it is to me - stress release.


Let's start with Rage Against the Machine's Take the Power Back. [MATURE]  There are many other examples I could have used from Rage such as Testify and Killing in the Name of.






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Crank the music up.

Bring that * in! Uggh!

Yeah, the movement's in motion with mass militant poetry
Now check this out...uggh!

In the right light, study becomes insight
But the system that dissed us
Teaches us to read and write

So called facts are fraud
They want us to allege and pledge
And bow down to their God
Lost the culture, the culture lost
Spun our minds and through time
Ignorance has taken over
Yo, we gotta take the power back!
Bam! Here's the plan
Mother* Uncle Sam
Step back, I know who I am
Raise up your ear, I'll drop the style and clear
It's the beats and the lyrics they fear
The rage is relentless
We need a movement with a quickness
You are the witness of change
And to counteract
We gotta take the power back

Yeah, we gotta take the power back
Come on, come on!
We gotta take the power back

The present curriculum
I put my fist in 'em
Eurocentric every last one of 'em
See right through the red, white and blue disguise
With lecture I puncture the structure of lies
Installed in our minds and attempting
To hold us back
We've got to take it back
Holes in our spirit causin' tears and fears
One-sided stories for years and years and years
I'm inferior? Whose inferior?
Yeah, they need to check the interior
Of the system, who gets em about only one culture
And that is why
We gotta take the power back

Yeah, we gotta take the power back
Come on, come on!
We gotta take the power back

Hey yo check, we're gonna have to break it, break it, 
break it down
Awww *!

Uggh!

And like this...uggh!

Come on, yeah! Bring it back the other way!

The teacher stands in front of the class
But the lesson plan he can't recall
The student's eyes don't perceive the lies
Bouncing off every * wall
His composure is well kept
I guess he fears playing the fool
The complacent students sit and listen to some of that
Bull* that he learned in school

Europe ain't my rope to swing on
Can't learn a thing from it
Yet we hang from it
Gotta get it, gotta get it together then
Like the mother* weathermen
To expose and close the doors on those who try
To strangle and mangle the truth
'Cause the circle of hatred continues unless we react
We gotta take the power back

Yeah, we gotta take the power back
Come on, come on!
We gotta take the power back

No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies
No more lies

Uggh!

Yeah!

Take it back y'all
Take it back, a-take it back
A-take it back y'all, come on!
Take it back y'all
Take it back, a-take it back
A-take it back y'all, come on!

Uggh!

Yeah!
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The second politically-charged song I wanted to share comes from one of the most politically-charged eras in our country's history - the 60s and early 70s.  The song is What's Going on, by Marvin Gaye.  In this song, Gaye questions the rational for the Vietnam War.  What the hell is going on?  Marvin may have been inspired to write this song after hearing first-hand accounts of the war from his brother, Frankie.




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Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today - Ya

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Ah, what's going on

In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on

Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Oh

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's going on - Uh
Right on baby
Right on baby
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sources:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1547

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ou0wIUUZ_I&feature=player_embedded

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Take-The-Power-Back-lyrics-Rage-Against-The-Machine/DE6609124E5595C9482568A50012A47D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f39Zs0gB87c

http://www.squidoo.com/whats_going_on