# Is "Cold War Rock" a genre? Looking for other examples. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047 "2016-09-27T17:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/41 "2016-09-28T06:26:23Z")
Back in the 1980’s, both the Cold War and the nuclear build-up cast shadows over us all, all the time. Asia’s “[Countdown to Zero](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0XNZHuCt58)” is _explicitly_ about European fear of being destroyed in a conflict between Washington and Moscow. Midnight Oil’s “[Put Down That Weapon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzEwCc4WVKs)” is pretty much what it says on the tin. (Wow, I’d forgotten how brilliant this recording is!) Midnight Oil had a giant social conscience reputation, and spent a lot of time in this genre, even if their lyrics weren’t typically about nukes as such. They had a song called, “Minutes to Midnight,” an album named _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1_ (called “The Countdown Album”), and of course “[My Country.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks7RrRFd-20)” When lead signer Peter Garrett later went into politics, a lot of fans were surprised he joined Labor instead of the Greens. The next two are not as explicit, but they are of the time and show it: “[Let’s Go All the Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-tYprm1WRo)” is more vague & oblique, but Sly Fox may have meant the title to refer to disarmament. Even vaguer, I guess, but of the time and the Zeitgeist, Eurythmics’ 1980’s track “[Adrian](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooRX9GB9vTU)” (with guest vocals by Elvis Costello) has a line that the liner notes render as “new clear morning.” Sure, as if that’s how you would say that. Listen, and Annie is saying “nuclear.” It was like that. I was trying to think of more bomb songs, and well, this one counts, really, considering the conceptual origins of the King of Monsters: BÖC’s “[Godzilla.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T65rW_SIzg0)” ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/42 "2016-09-28T07:17:54Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > [Two Tribes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2QAMqTgPKI). > [@robardin](#): > > Two Tribes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood I still have that 45. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/43 "2016-09-28T15:37:40Z")
Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne Its a Mistake by Men at Work. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/44 "2016-09-28T16:03:59Z")
Men Without Hats _Safety Dance_ and _Pop Goes the World_ are arguably cold-war themed (and in-arguably silly :)) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/45 "2016-09-28T16:12:50Z")
Anyone mention Kate Bush’s _Breathing_ yet? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9n2VSe_lja4/hqdefault.jpg "Kate Bush - Breathing") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n2VSe_lja4) ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/46 "2016-09-28T16:26:05Z")
Then there’s Jesus Jones’ [Right Here, Right Now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rlQqWbp7rY) that kind of bookend the period for me. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/47 "2016-09-28T16:35:10Z")
It’s a recurring theme in Bob Dylan’s early songs: [A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT8yTLzg-JU) [Masters Of War](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exm7FN-t3PY) [Let Me Die In My Footsteps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5jph1KWl_Q) (Happy Traum version, couldn’t find a Dylan link) And for comic relief (It’s really funny): [Talkin’ World War III Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFEe4eMBb3s) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/48 "2016-09-28T16:53:20Z")
I always thought of Billy Joel’s _We Didn’t Start the Fire_ as a Cold War Song. Also, _Leningrad_. And, um, _Back in the USSR!_ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/49 "2016-09-28T18:13:40Z")
“Modern Day Cowboy” by Tesla was based on the popular meme that Ronald Reagan was a trigger happy cowboy who wanted to start a nuclear war. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-a9DW_zhV84/hqdefault.jpg "Tesla - Modern Day Cowboy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a9DW_zhV84) ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/50 "2016-09-28T18:29:50Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Midnight Oil’s “[Put Down That Weapon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzEwCc4WVKs)” is pretty much what it says on the tin. (Wow, I’d forgotten how brilliant this recording is!) > > Midnight Oil had a giant social conscience reputation, and spent a lot of time in this genre, even if their lyrics weren’t typically about nukes as such. They had a song called, “Minutes to Midnight,” an album named _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1_ (called “The Countdown Album”), and of course “[My Country.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks7RrRFd-20)” When lead signer Peter Garrett later went into politics, a lot of fans were surprised he joined Labor instead of the Greens. The album Minutes to Midnight is on, [Red Sails in the Sunset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sails_in_the_Sunset_%28album%29) has a album cover depicting a post-nuclear apocalypse Sydney. Hard to not include the Oils in any “Cold War rock” list. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/51 "2016-09-28T19:14:32Z")
Safety Dance? Seriously? It’s about [dancing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Safety_Dance). I nominate CSN Wooden Ships. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/52 "2016-09-28T19:32:28Z")
Not rock but late disco/early dance: _Ponga un misil en su vida_, DJ Ventura. The name, “get a missile into your life”, is a take on a slogan for waching machines IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/53 "2016-09-29T01:10:07Z")
More and more are coming to me all the time. Of course Enola Gay by OMD Dissidents by Thomas Dolby. Probably more on “the Flat Earth” album, but I would have to check. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/54 "2016-09-29T01:24:37Z")
The Police had “[Walking in Your Footsteps.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgjXzKvZQcY)” ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/55 "2016-09-29T01:28:24Z")
[So Afraid of the Russians](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVf7m_YZ2zY). I used to hear this one on college radio all the time in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/56 "2016-09-29T02:07:52Z")
[Political Science](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqBrw3rQvKo) by Randy Newman [Who’s Next](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUue4dBZwI8) by Tom Lehrer [MLF Lullaby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM3jV3FSxXs) by Tom Lehrer [Thirteen Women](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSGEEswmqQ) by Bill Haley ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047/57 "2016-09-29T02:43:12Z")
Prince also had things like “Ronnie Talk to Russia” on _Controversy_ and “America” on _Around the World in a Day_. Oh, and “Sign ‘O’ the Times”, which was more generally about how dark and apocalyptic the late '80s were: AIDS, the Challenger disaster, etc. Genesis also had “Me and Sarah Jane”, which seems to be about a man creating an imaginary girlfriend to keep him company in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and “Domino”, about the nuclear winter after the domino effect of a nuclear chain reaction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cold-war-rock-a-genre-looking-for-other-examples/767047.md?page=2)