Political protest songs

I had been wondering where these people were. I've heard one good John Mellencamp song (To Washington audio), and the Willie Nelson one (What happened to peace on earth? audio), but not much else. 'Course I don't have the radio on much.

Left I points to David Rovics - singer, protest songwriter...

Links are to audio tracks - excerpts follow. Rovics site with dozens of other songs here. This isn't a guy I'm going to sit around and listen to all day - or even more than two songs in a row, but it's his way of blogging, and it's audio, so....

Occupation

You ask me how it is
That I dare to take a side
You say I loathe myself
For pointing out that you have lied
You say it's tribal warfare
But I disagree
For the dynamics of the situation
Are not difficult to see
On one side is the fighter jet
On the other side the stone
On one side is the slave
On the other is the throne
For the many there are checkpoints
While foreign soldiers rule the street
For one side there is victory
But the people don't accept defeat

(Chorus)
The word you need to know is occupation
The very definition of a land without a nation
And if peace is what you're after then let us not deceive
It will come on the day the tanks return to Tel Aviv


Who Would Jesus Bomb

I've seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I've seen you in the house upon the hill
And I've heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound

But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb



The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (Inspired by Greg Palast's book title)

But we've got two parties
Maybe someday we'll have three
Maybe Tweedledumber
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
But one thing's fairly certain
It won't be you or I
'Cause it's the best democracy money can buy

And when it's finished
And they've finally achieved
The most corporate dollar-ocracy
That could ever be believed
The Martians will come to visit our graves
And when they go back to the sky
They'll say it was the best democracy money can buy



Moron

Perhaps you protested
And said it wasn't fair
He didn't even win the vote
He should not be in there
But maybe you still have some dignity
And you try to put on the best face
'Cause you just can't come to grips
It seems like it just shouldn't be the case
It's as if there's this really stupid cop
With a nuclear baton
Not only is he evil
But George Bush is a moron

Well perhaps you are hoping
You can make it to the end
Just a few more years
And we'll be around the bend
If the world is still standing
And not yet blown up into pieces
With a rally at the ballot box
We can see that this nightmare ceases
Until you look over your shoulder
At what might happen when he's gone
Once it captures your attention
That Joe Lieberman* is a moron

*Insert here the name of whichever moron appears to be the Democrats' lead candidate.
Created November, 2002



Instant Runoff Voting

Poor Al Gore complained most bitterly
The Greens had stole the vote from the Democratic Party
The election was lost 'cause of that three percent
And now you look at how the whole thing went
You say you want the elections to be free and fair
Well then let's see how much freedom you can bear

(Chorus)
I - R - V
It rhymes with democracy
I - R - V
Let's hear for a third party

Give me a second, I'll tell you how it works
If you're tired of choosing between two jerks
If the tally doesn't go the way you hopefully reckoned
Your first choice then becomes your second
And if the so-called Democrats don't like the news
They can't blame us next time they lose

(Chorus)

It may not bring us paradise
But perhaps a little competition might be nice
But you know they're worried about domino effects
We get this, what might be next
Pretty soon we might set a new norm
When we pass campaign finance reform

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.