Since music has stood as the universal language for all people, it is no surprise that passionate individuals have written everlasting works when yearning for social change. These near-cultural hymns were used while protesting the Vietnam War and to express anger toward capitalism, racism, and many other issues that dominated political conversations in their respective times. However, these songs aren’t just meant for the times they were written in. They made their impact, but that doesn’t mean they can’t and shouldn’t be used again.
In this article, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite protest anthems that remain relevant in our current political climate. These songs are unifying and share a voice others feared to shed light on, which should never be forgotten.
“Redemption Song”: Bob Marley & The Wailers
First up, we have “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley. Throughout Marley’s career, he maintained his identity as an activist, advocating for love and unity while pushing for social change. I landed on “Redemption Song” specifically for this list, simply because it is my favorite.
The last song released during Marley’s lifetime lures us in with a stripped-down acoustic guitar. Moments later, his voice is heard and remains the only accompaniment throughout the piece. He quotes activists like Marcus Garvey in the line, “emancipate yourself from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our mind.”
Metaphors, imagery, and allusions are used throughout to aid in Marley’s quest to animate us versus them — them, as in the governments and institutions that enforce the enslavement of Black people in the modern world, as well as any entities that actively block the freedom of all living individuals.
“Redemption song,” he repeats in his chant-like fashion, as this is Marley’s final push to get us to gather as a people and save ourselves. He reminds us, “These songs of freedom are all I ever had,” as music was his greatest form of protest from the beginning.
“Masters of War”: Bob Dylan
Another artist who was no stranger to making political commentary throughout his career is Bob Dylan. Dylan wrote multiple works that highlighted the corruption and injustice that he saw in American policy. “Masters of War” in particular was written right before the U.S. joined the Vietnam War. Like many young people and anti-war protestors at the time, Dylan thought the choice for the U.S. to join the war was unnecessary.
In proper Dylan manner, he constructed a piece that seemingly “bends” the rules of traditional protest songwriting. He shied away from the standard rhetorical devices that tend to be used in these songs, including blunt lines like,
“You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.”
The lack of literary devices brings an element of accountability that other protest songs lack. By not using metaphors as descriptors, a haunting honesty blares throughout.
Dylan also consistently begins his claims with the sentiment of “you”. His consecutive use of “you” creates a direct address, which asks the question of who that “you” is. Is “you” just the system? Is “you” society as well? Does the “you” also include me? Is it all of us? That’s up to interpretation, but it’s used often enough throughout the piece that it’s a thought worth exploring.
Like Marley, in his original version, Dylan solely used the acoustic guitar to accompany his rugged voice. This piece is almost like a collection of slam poetry against the American government for their choice in joining the war. His words pack a punch and are intended to sting, with no remorse for those who sit in their guilty chairs. If you’re looking for a protest song with no apologies, this is the one for you.
“Fight the Power”: Public Enemy
“Fight the Power” was first popularized for being a part of the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s 1989 film, Do the Right Thing. Do the Right Thing explores racism, racial tension, and police brutality in a small neighborhood in Brooklyn. The film was seen as very innovative but was also heavily critiqued for its controversy.
The song samples renowned Black artists like James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Isley Brothers, ultimately creating a piece that fits Public Enemy’s sound but takes from musical influences across Black culture.
Instead of expressing the grievances of the Black experience in its lyrics, the song seeks to round people up and empower them to join the fight that they already know is more than valid. The phrase “Fight the power” is repeated 28 times throughout the piece, serving as a repetitive reminder of the task that’s meant to be embraced.
Public Enemy is not speaking to a wide audience of people here. They are not trying to address white individuals or convince anyone to join their cause. They are speaking to the people who know the reality of their experience and are letting them know that there is a cause and a community with them, who are ready to fight and seize change.
I chose these three protest songs because they have remained the most memorable for me throughout my lifetime and feel applicable to several different atrocities that are plaguing our world today. It feels like there are so many different issues to choose from that it can feel almost unbearable, but this music and the timelessness of it is proof that there is a community behind all these sentiments and that we can’t let their fight be lost, either.