# Counterculture Anthems **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 15, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721 "2022-08-15T23:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/41 "2022-08-17T19:31:04Z")
Not really an anthem, but Pete Townshend’s _Psycoderelict_ ends with the main character lamenting, > “Gridlife” was a vision, a real vision. Not a fiction, not a fairy tale, a glimpse of the future. Today, twenty years later, the apocalypse it foresaw is nearer. But, whatever you read in the newspapers, we still don’t have any alternative reality. It’s all games now: all lies and deceit. What happened to the truth? What happened to the dream? What happened to all that lovely hippie shit? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/42 "2022-08-17T19:59:27Z")
Speaking of Woody, I haven’t seen this mentioned yet. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wxiMrvDbq3s/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLA4hbtuJ27HCXQDmzfLJjaNKok8mA "Woody Guthrie- This Land Is Your Land") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s) Not being American I may not fully understand it’s cultural significance, but to me it seems to fit. j ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/43 "2022-08-17T23:19:01Z")
Maybe a little Fugazi… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cMOAXm94VWo/hqdefault.jpg "Fugazi-Waiting room") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMOAXm94VWo) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nVCMLWtVN5E/hqdefault.jpg "Fugazi-Repeater") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVCMLWtVN5E) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/44 "2022-08-18T07:07:33Z")
A couple of non-Engolish language songs: The first is “I Don’t Have Another Country”, written originally as a patriotic left-wing song, but adopted by protestors on the left, the right and oddly, Nancy Pelosi. Written by Ehud Manor, this is the original recording by Corinne Allal: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5rlHA21a05c/maxresdefault.jpg "קורין אלאל - אין לי ארץ אחרת") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rlHA21a05c) The second is “A Song for Peace”, which despite being written for and performed by a military entertainment troupe, has become THE anthem of the Israeli peace movement: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d4JyiXsta10/hqdefault.jpg "להקת הנחל - שיר לשלום") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4JyiXsta10) (Both clips have English translations of their lyrics in their comments) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/45 "2022-08-18T08:36:20Z")
Not exactly what the OP is looking for, but I’d suggest “F.T.A.” It’s a movie, actually, from 1972, when the Vietnam War was raging. But segments of the movie are held together by a bouncy little ditty called either “Free The Army” or “Fuck The Army”, depending on whatever the singers want to sing; hence “F.T.A.”. The movie lasted about a week before being withdrawn from theatres. I’ve seen the movie–it appeared in the usual Sunday afternoon monster movie slot on a local station that must have been starved for content that day back in 1977 or so. But the song reappears through the show, which really has no plot; it’s a series of skits and sketches, joined together by the song, like I said. Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland star. Anyway, here’s the trailer, with the song sprinkled in throughout: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YWAbhonmCOg/hqdefault.jpg "F.T.A. – Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland – Official Re-Release Trailer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAbhonmCOg) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/46 "2022-08-18T16:38:15Z")
Yes, this one. The original version. > [@XOldiesJock](#): > > For me the “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish is the first that came to mind. > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqeLZ-oDc8g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqeLZ-oDc8g) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/47 "2022-08-18T16:47:01Z")
Wait, I have a classic one that inexplicably hasn’t been posted. It’s not radical, but definitely counts as an important counterculture anthem. I also has a beautiful melody: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7I0vkKy504U/maxresdefault.jpg "San Francisco - Scott McKenzie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I0vkKy504U) ETA: fun fact: my father, who was born in 1935, never had any hippie affiliations whatsoever and doesn’t know squat about pop and rock music, loves this song. I know it because he always hums along when it comes on the radio, and though he’s a good singer (he sang for almost 70 years in a choir), he doesn’t do this with any other song. He also barely knows a word of English and only knows that it’s about San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/48 "2022-08-18T16:48:50Z")
Another Phil Ochs. **Outside of a Small Circle of Friends**. An “anthem” mocking apathy, not “getting involved.” BTW that superb piano is played by classical pianist Lincoln Mayorga. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dMeG6dAFqXw/hqdefault.jpg "Small Circle of Friends - Phil Ochs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMeG6dAFqXw) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/49 "2022-08-19T03:46:56Z")
At the very least, anthem adjacent… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iE7lVN07Q-Y/maxresdefault.jpg "John Prine Sings "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore..."") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE7lVN07Q-Y) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/50 "2022-08-19T03:59:27Z")
“Come on, people, now, Smile on your brother, Everybody get together, Try and love another, right now.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/w_inXx-J3nU/maxresdefault.jpg "The Youngbloods - Get Together") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_inXx-J3nU) ---
**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:** [August 19, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/51 "2022-08-19T14:11:02Z")
IMO Jefferson Airplane did it better. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-DIluFDkw0g/hqdefault.jpg "Jefferson Airplane - Let's Get Together") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DIluFDkw0g) And while we are talking Airplane [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/m4vg2uOR3fk/maxresdefault.jpg "Jefferson Airplane - We Can Be Together") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4vg2uOR3fk) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/52 "2022-08-19T14:51:41Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Not really an anthem, but Pete Townshend’s _Psycoderelict_ ends with the main character lamenting, > > > “Gridlife” was a vision, a real vision. Not a fiction, not a fairy tale, a glimpse of the future. Today, twenty years later, the apocalypse it foresaw is nearer. But, whatever you read in the newspapers, we still don’t have any alternative reality. It’s all games now: all lies and deceit. What happened to the truth? What happened to the dream? What happened to all that lovely hippie shit? To quote Pete in one of his songs, “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.” ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/53 "2022-08-19T22:06:43Z")
What, you guys think that only dudes write protest songs? Throw a dart at a list of Ani DiFranco’s songs, and you’ll be pretty much guaranteed to hit one that skewers some sacred cow. Like abortion: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WbNRA9JVMQM/maxresdefault.jpg "Ani DiFranco - Lost Woman Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbNRA9JVMQM) Or guns: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/81tmJAxvlds/maxresdefault.jpg "To the Teeth") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81tmJAxvlds) Police violence: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7OuJQ0dg3Mc/maxresdefault.jpg "Ani DiFranco - Every State Line") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OuJQ0dg3Mc) Sexual abuse: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cfB_7igQlnQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Ani DiFranco - Letter To A John") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfB_7igQlnQ) Voter suppression: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/quSvEOzZqhI/maxresdefault.jpg "Ani DiFranco - Do or Die (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quSvEOzZqhI) I could go on. The woman is our generation’s Woody Guthrie. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/54 "2022-08-20T15:36:33Z")
_[Earache My Eye](https://youtu.be/VJW67QN24SA)_ by Alice Bowie. So counterculture it’s counter-counterculture. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/55 "2022-08-20T22:32:00Z")
Go with it While it doesn’t make me want to tear anything down, [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m57gzA2JCcM/hqdefault.jpg "Alice's Restaurant - Original 1967 Recording") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/56 "2022-08-20T23:10:03Z")
Here’s a glam rock counterculture anthem. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GpVqWS-cUKc/hqdefault.jpg "Children of the Revolution by T.REX") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpVqWS-cUKc) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/57 "2022-08-20T23:12:58Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tBGVqy8pGQc/maxresdefault.jpg "I Want to Conquer the World") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGVqy8pGQc) hell 90 percent of their output can be considered counterculture but this is one of their fastest songs and here’s one of the few directly political ramones songs [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PZzEHd7t8lo/maxresdefault.jpg "Ramones - "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)" - Hey Ho Let's Go Anthology") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZzEHd7t8lo) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/58 "2022-08-21T15:23:10Z")
Like the others, the Fish Cheer (Feel Like I’m Fixing to Die) first comes to mind. Alice’s Restaurant is way up there but the refrain by itself doesn’t convey the sense of the story behind it. There are also the songs with secret subversive lyrics like “[Louie Louie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-2CKsaq5r8)”. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/59 "2022-08-21T16:51:25Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > He also barely knows a word of English That would explain it all right. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721/60 "2022-08-21T23:42:45Z")
I think Masters of War and War Pigs are two of the best “in your face” antiwar songs. I know Ozzy has done Masters of War, but to my knowledge Dylan has never done War Pigs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/counterculture-anthems/969721.md?page=4)