It is an eternal debate within music whether one can separate a song from the context in which it was written. This context could be a problematic artist or an event that shaped a song to have a specific meaning. Personally, I love when music is the product of its political and personal context; what was the author going through when they wrote it, what was happening at the time, who was it aimed at?
Music has been used, through all cultures and context, as a way of conveying opinions and of telling stories. Often the most potent subject matter is an injustice observed by the writer which moved them to put pen to paper in an effort to capture the moment. Such music can be confronting, asking us to consider our own situation as well as the plight of others in the world, but I believe this makes the music even more powerful.
So, I present to you six song recommendations with uniquely political perspectives. Many of the artist featured here have other songs that speak to different political struggles, these are just my personal favourites from their repertoires.
Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
In recent years, the American right has tried to use this song as a ringing endorsement of their belief in American superiority, and to be fair when you look at the catchy chorus you can see why. But when put in the context of the other lyrics we can see that Springsteen’s words are riven with sarcastic patriotism. As he sings, Springsteen’s character expresses his feeling of being left behind after his service in the Vietnam war, struggling to deal with the mental load he now carries and the injuries he sustained.
“Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land”
…
“I had a brother at Khe Sanh
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They’re still there, he’s all gone”
The now 76-year-old singer has been accused of becoming more political, but the existence of ‘Born in the USA’ and other similar songs like ‘Lost in the flood’ and ‘Long walk home’ on his earlier albums prove that he has always used his music as a way to comment on the failings of a country he does deeply care about.
Not ready to make nice – The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks)
In 2003, this country girl group’s vast fan base came crashing down when lead singer Natalie Maines, expressed the bands condemnation of the Allied invasion of Iraq and her shame that President George Bush was from Texas. This overtly political statement was too much for what had been a largely conservative fan base, and the three members experienced the full force of early 2000 cancel culture with records burned, radio boycotts and thousands of death threats.
But the group refused to “shut up and sing”. From this vitriol came some of their best music, returning in 2006 with the album ‘Taking the long way round’ fronted by their grammy winning single ‘Not ready to make nice’. Alongside this, other songs commented on the effects that war was having on the American psyche and on how the public treat women who do not conform to traditional values.
“It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over”
One could observe a marked change in the Chicks after this ordeal. They had experienced how quickly the public can turn on you for simply speaking your mind, going from being darlings to deviants in the eyes of many conservative music fans. But since those days the group has chosen to wear their views on their chest railing against Donald Trump and the scourge of gun violence experienced by young people in the US (in their song ‘March March’). As with ‘Born in the USA’, right wing activists tried to use this song to empower female Trump supporters loudly proclaiming their support for the problematic president. But if they had just listened to the lyrics and done a little research, they would see how laughable that effort really is.
Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Some of the best protest tunes have come out of the Vietnam era, where it was common place for artists to mix the political movements of the day with a catchy tune. Ohio perfectly encapsulates this combination with its signature guitar progression getting stuck in my own head for days at a time.
This song came as a reaction to the Kent State Shootings. The protesters were objecting to the expansion of the war into neighbouring Cambodia and numbers only surged when the national guard was sent, once again demonstrating the overreaching power of the government. Elements of the protest had gotten out of hand but after the masses refused to disperse and were not deterred by tear gas, the armed soldiers opened fire killing four and injuring nine.
“Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We’re finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio”
…
“Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground”
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young typify the folksy rock of the 60-70s and were never coy about their political leanings. The raw vocals and repetitive lyrics in the song are an effective call to arms, displaying the outrage that was felt in America after the shootings. Often political messaging is hidden within songs (which is still powerful) but the group makes the bold choice to call out, by name, the man they saw as responsible – President Richard Nixon.
Bella Ciao – Unknown
Now I am certain that you have heard at least a snippet of this catchy Italian song. It feels wrong to say that Bella Ciao was popularised by the hit Spanish show Money Heist, but the show did help to cement this partisans chorus in the psyche of a new generation.
The traditional folk song was initially sung by women working in the fields under harsh conditions. Later it was adopted by Italian partisans resisting the rise of fascism in their country. Now this anthem is famous across the world as a symbol of resistance and community. In recent years, the song has been sung in protest against far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and was referenced on the bullet casings involved in the assassination of far-right political commentator, Charlie Kirk.
“And if I die here, in the resistance
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
And if I die here, in the resistance
You must lay me in my grave”
….
“This is the flower of resistance
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
This is the flower of resistance
And those who died for liberty”
Whilst the words have received minor alterations over the defiant tone, its message remains. The reason I think it is one of the most enduring protest songs is that it is often sung in groups, spontaneously. Very different from a song streamed on the radio, Bella Ciao often involve communities coming together to openly oppose their oppressors. Its message is one of enduring hope that even if the revolution passes you by, at some point it will come to fruition.
Good Boy – Paris Paloma
You may have heard Paris Paloma’s first punchy hit ‘Labour’ which went viral on TikTok in 2023. But recently she has dropped an equally catchy anthem in ‘Good boy’. The song comments on the rise of misogyny and near incel culture. Much of her inspiration seems to come from the bro-culture movement lead by the infamous Andrew Tate.
One of the character’s Paloma plays within the music video is ‘Patriarchy’. This off-putting figure both encourages and taunts a young worker who is seeking acceptance in his office’s highly toxic culture. The hooded figure of ‘Patriarchy’ highlights the scary aspect of the manosphere – that young men who are feeling genuine loneliness are manipulated by those who hold power to think that the only acceptable form of masculinity is tough and provocative. This manipulation is central to the lyrics, which highlight the vicious cycle of such an attitude.
“Good boy!
You’re working exactly as intended
Has the penny dropped, you’re never gonna get it?
Unrewarded for all of your defending
From your loneliness epidemic
Good boy!
Has any of the money trickled down yet?
You say one day you’ll be rich, well tell me how then
Unpaid marketing department for the power”
The idea that being an ‘alpha’ male will reap rewards both economically and in ones dating life is mocked by the singer. Whilst on the surface this approach may seem enticing and logical to a vulnerable person, it is actually a solution to no one’s problems. The lyrics are also a comment on economic inequality. In a video uploaded to her Instagram, Paloma says the song is a critique of billionaires who have less in common with the average man than they portray. What she wants men to take away from the song is that they don’t need to be ‘good boys’ in service of these men who don’t care about them, just their money.
Redemption songs – Bob Marley and the Wailers
The reason Bob Marley’s music was so popular with so many (aside from it being very catchy) was its political nature. Marley, who grew up in Jamaica, often sung about the violence and poverty within his homeland and the racial prejudices that were prevenient all over the world. He was a true cultural icon for the global peace movement. So, while there are many songs to pick from that would fit within that theme, I have chosen a quieter tune.
Redemption Song was penned in Marley’s later years, while he was suffering with the cancer that would kill him far too soon. Melancholic reflection is clear in his musings on mortality and the concept of redemption. And yet despite his illness, Marley still used his power of song to encourage others to wake up and realise the mental chains that society’s status quo shackles them with.
“Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
‘Cause none of them can stop the time”
A common theme within Marley’s work was slavery and the effects it had and still has on Jamaica and the African diaspora as a whole. Although there will always be hardships in our lives, citing slavery and the threat of nuclear war, none of that matters if we seek to rise above and free ourselves. It is a beautiful and peaceful call to arms from a man who knew he would not see the result.