In the spirit of Soul Asylum's election message and Dave's new political anthem, I thought it might be interesting to share/discuss other favorite political songs.

I'll start. Here's one of my favorite anti-Bush songs, from the band Count Zero.


Sham Maker

I can't keep getting screened by your thought police
I can't live my life doing as you please
Can't have a voice, have a choice

I won't see your face and ever rejoice
I won't shake your hand in your Rolls Royce
I won't catch the fleas carrying your disease

I wore all the suits of your biologies
Bore all the fruits of your theologies
Cooled down the rods of your ecologies
What does it take 'til you acknowledge these?

Back to the wall, sham maker
Can't fool us all, sham maker
Back to the wall sham maker!
Can't fool us all, sham maker

I won't beat myself to death with a wet rat
I can't live my life watching you get fat
I won't sleep all wet from sour sweat

I won't just forget you cloaked me in debt.
I won't kiss your ass, and that's a threat
I won't lay down flat; I ain't your welcome mat
No!

Taught all the tots your tautologies
Bought all your botched ideologies
Sung to the gods your doxologies
Here I come looking for apologies

Back to the wall, sham maker
Can't fool us all, sham maker
Back to the wall sham maker!
Can't fool us all, sham maker



Politics, of course, is a thorny subject, so let's avoid attacking each other as we criticize and challenge our politicians.

Here's one of my favorite political songs by System of a Down...

B.Y.O.B.

Why do they always send the poor

Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels
Victorious victories kneel
For brand new spankin' deals

Marching forward hypocritic and
Hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions

Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Blast off
It's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation

Blast off
It's party time
And where the fuck are you?

Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?

Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions

Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion,
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine

Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sun

Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?

Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor
They always send the poor

Normally, I don't listen to political songs. I also rarely like reggae. But this song struck me. Hope you all like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNNfAuMq-M0

about that system of a down song - my husb plays that sometimes -i recognized it, but i never could get past the screaming to hear the words. interesting, but i still don't like to hear it. reading it is OK

i always loved that anti-war song country joe and the fish sang at woodstock "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die"

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Gotta go out and get those reds —
The only good commie is the one who's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Huh!

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

ok had to add ONE more from arlo guthrie one of his newer-ish songs
lyrics are at this link. song is called "when a soldier makes it home"

http://www.metrolyrics.com/when-a-soldi ... thrie.html

I don't really have any political songs that are specific to any election, but I do have some favorites that are just generally political.

Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

And there's a song by Yoko Ono that I heard years ago that I can't track down. It's controversial, feminist, and crude. The repeating line I recall is "So, what do you think of that, brother?"

When I want to have more fun with my politics, I like these songs:

Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves by Aretha Franklin and The Eurythmics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDQE4UMVhEQ

I'm Just a Girl by no doubt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygqew4RxIg8

and

The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades) by Timbku3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvIAyxpjEuc
(for when the Reagan-era optimism just got to be too much)