# Best and Worst Political Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097 "2008-10-15T21:52:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/1 "2008-10-15T21:52:03Z")
My nominee for best would be Shipbuilding as done by Elvis Costello or Robert Wyatt. My nominee for worst would be The Luck Of The Irish by John Lennon with Yoko Ono. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/2 "2008-10-15T22:02:19Z")
Definitions, please. Best tune? Worst lyrics? Do you have to agree with the stance of the composer? C’mon…a little help here. Provisionally ( 😃 ), let me offer Best: “Come Out Ye Black and Tans” - Dominic Behan ---
**Author:** ![Elementary\_Penguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@Elementary\_Penguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elementary_Penguine)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/3 "2008-10-15T22:13:25Z")
With so much hostility toward many aspects of the governement, I have always found a sort of solace in Rage Against the Machine. Favorite song: Sleep Now in the Fire Least favorite: Anything by Shenade O’Conner ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/4 "2008-10-15T22:14:19Z")
Without too much thought applied … among the best are Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and The Pretenders’ “My City Was Gone” (and no, not because of the Rush Limbaugh connection 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/5 "2008-10-15T22:14:57Z")
Well, while it didn’t help Walter O’Brian much, the MTA song is catchy and became famous by the Kingston Trio. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/6 "2008-10-15T22:16:32Z")
> [@Elementary\_Penguine](#): > > With so much hostility toward many aspects of the governement, I have always found a sort of solace in Rage Against the Machine. > > Favorite song: Sleep Now in the Fire > Least favorite: Anything by Shenade O’Conner You just reminded me Sinead O’Connor’s Famine is one of the most unintentionally most hilarious songs ever written. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/7 "2008-10-15T22:17:46Z")
Another good one is Peter Gabriel’s “Games Without Frontiers”. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/8 "2008-10-15T22:18:02Z")
Best: “Political Science” by Randy Newman ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/9 "2008-10-15T22:41:35Z")
I won’t say it’s the best, but I like Rush’s “Trees”. I will say the worst AND most overrated is John Lennon’s (yes, I’m ready for the pile-on) “Imagine”. Musically, it’s beautiful. Lyrically- bleh! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/10 "2008-10-15T22:51:41Z")
[This Johnny Cash song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDSN1F72QU4) has always been one of my favorites (though it actually deals more with the danger of infusing music with politics, albeit in a playful and humorous way). 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Pimms\_o\_clock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@Pimms\_o\_clock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pimms_o_clock)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/11 "2008-10-15T22:56:55Z")
No Surrender? Only joking 😛 I agree with the sentiments (at least the polite lyrics) but the song became so distorted that it’s effectively unusable. Also musically it’s shit. I’m quite a fan of “The times they are changing” or “The fletcher memorial home”… and who can forget “Ghost Town”… or “Anarchy in the UK”. I love all of those despite not agreeing with any of them especially. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/12 "2008-10-15T23:00:42Z")
Do they have to be modern songs? A helluva lot of traditional Irish and Scottish songs were political back in the day. “Loch Lomond” and “The Wearing of the Green” are only two examples. “The Skye Boat Song” may have the sweetest tune of any political song ever. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/13 "2008-10-15T23:11:28Z")
Three currently residing on my Ipod: Phil Ochs’ “Love Me, I’m A Liberal” Bill Horwitz - “If I Had A Friend Like Miss Rosemary Woods” (the best Watergate-themed song) The Fugs - “C.I.A Man” > [@Friar Ted](#): > > I will say the worst AND most overrated is John Lennon’s (yes, I’m ready for the pile-on) “Imagine”. Musically, it’s beautiful. Lyrically- bleh! I suppose it was inevitable that someday I would agree with **Friar Ted** on something. “Embarassingly pretentious trash” would be overgenerous praise for “Imagine”. Even the music sounds like something a precocious third-grader might write. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/14 "2008-10-15T23:23:14Z")
I have always (I say this, but they’re both relatively new songs) Bright Eyes - When the President Talks to God and Cursive - 10 Percent to the 10 Percent ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/15 "2008-10-15T23:29:28Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I won’t say it’s the best, but I like Rush’s “Trees”. > > I will say the worst AND most overrated is John Lennon’s (yes, I’m ready for the pile-on) “Imagine”. Musically, it’s beautiful. Lyrically- bleh! You picked “The Trees” and you’re complaining about dumb lyrics? My favorites: “Divide And Conquer” by Husker Du, “Revolution” by The Beatles Least favorite: “What’s Going On?” by 4 Non Blondes and “Masters Of War” by Dylan (actually, anything by early Dylan - it’s all too friggin’ obvious IMHO) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/16 "2008-10-15T23:34:58Z")
Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth” is one of the top songs of the 60s. Although he later converted it to an attack on Vietnam, it was written about the so-called Sunset Strip riots which were to keep clubs open. That’s why it has the most perfect, cynical observation about protests ever written: > [@](#): > > A thousand people in the street > Singing songs and carrying signs > Mostly say, hooray for our side Steppenwolf’s “Monster” is off an angry political album of the same name. Even for the time, it was too angry and political to be a hit, but it’s an unjustly neglected album. For all purpose the-world-is-going-to-hell political purposes, though, there’s nothing that beats Leonard Cohen’s “The Future.” “Revolution #9” has to be on any worst list. Even if the list has nothing to do with music. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/17 "2008-10-15T23:45:57Z")
Nixon’s the one Nixon’s the one Nixon’s the only one We believe in Nixon N-I-X-O-N Nixon’s the only one. Recorded for the 1972 presidential campaign. The only campaign song that could be agreed upon by both supporters and opponents (“Nixon’s the one, all right.”) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/18 "2008-10-16T00:01:00Z")
Speaking of Nixon, Neil Young’s _Ohio_ is quite a good one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/19 "2008-10-16T00:11:00Z")
Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel IMF Lullabye – Tom Lehrer ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097/20 "2008-10-16T00:14:42Z")
I don’t 100% agree with all the songs on this list, but they do rock. Peter Gabriel, [Biko](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNQuJm67OzE) U2, [Bullet The Blue Sky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J2uYVdC6S4) Midnight Oil, [Beds Are Burning](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td1ZLqrEpXI) Crosby Stills Nash & Young, [Ohio](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCS-g3HwXdc) Neil Young, [(Keep On) Rockin’ In The Free World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eWEfnhWbow) Kinks, [Catch Me Now I’m Falling](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBzasGRUk98) KRS One, [Sound Of Da Police](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VRZq3J0uz4) Public Enemy, [Fight The Power](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_t13-0Joyc) Tracy Chapman, [(Talkin’ 'Bout A) Revolution](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKYWOwWAguk) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-political-songs/468097.md?page=2)