Political song lyrics

Here’s what I have so far:
Cult of Personality (Living Colour)
Fortunate Son(Creedence)
The Times They Are a-Changin’ (Can’t remember his name, Zimmerman? Something like that.)

Please add your favorites.

Eve of Destruction.

Bobby’s “Political World.”

Buffalo Springfield. "For What It’s Worth"

CSNY, “Ohio

Bruce Cockburn, “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” (If you’re not familiar with this, listen to it now. It’s dynamite.)

And two oddly similar takes on a more generalized vision of politic strife. Leonard Cohen, “The Future” and Dylan’s “Jokerman.”

Stevie Wonder, “You Haven’t Done Nothin

Lost Dogs, “Bush League” (from the Bush I era)

Jackson Browne, “Lives in the Balance” (and several other of his songs from that era)

Tom Lehrer is the undisputed master of political songwriting. This is my favorite:

Combine Tom Lehrer with Allan Sherman and you get Mark Russell.

I was going to post that one. :slight_smile:

Instead, Cockburn’s “Wondering Where the Lions Are” (his only U.S. hit), which is about the threat of nuclear war.

This entire album recorded by Bobby Darin in 1968.

Keep On Rockin’ In the Free World by Neil Young:

We got 1000 points of light
For the homeless man.
We got a kinder, gentler
Machine gun hand.

Rage Against the Machine – every song they did.

U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Bullet the Blue Sky”, “Seconds”, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, many others.

Almost anything by Rage Against the Machine.

Ted Nugent, “Bound and Gagged

Chris de Burgh, “Revolution”, “Light a Fire”, and “Liberty”. Technically three songs, but they run together to make a nice medley. Also, “Borderline” from the same album.

The Capitol Steps, who have been doing political songs since the first Bush administration (though they use existing songs and write new lyrics).

My faves The Bonzo Dog Band had “No Matter Who You Vote For, the Government Always Gets In.”

There’s also the Byrds’ “I Want to Grow Up to Be a Politician.”

War, by Edwin Starr
The Times They Are a’Changin’, Bob Dylan

Nina Simone, Mississippi Goddam

Bruce Springsteen, The Ghost of Tom Joad (also covered by RATM).

Johnny Cash, The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Marvin Gaye, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Cream,Politician

Forgot this one:

John Lennon, Just Gimme Some Truth

All the good songs from the sixties were political. An exaggeration, but I especially like American Ruse by MC5 and Almost Cut My Hair and If 6 turned out to be 9.

Sunshine by Jonathan Edwards

Political Science by Randy Newman

I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag by Country Joe and the Fish

Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday

When I’m Gone by Phil Ochs

“God Save the Queen” - The Sex Pistols
California Uber Alles - The Dead Kennedys
“The Death and Resurrection Show” - The Killing Joke

Steve Earle: Rich Man’s War
(This video features visible lyrics.)