# Political song lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353 "2016-10-22T16:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/1 "2016-10-22T16:26:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/2 "2016-10-22T16:31:36Z")
Eve of Destruction. ---
**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 22, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/3 "2016-10-22T17:10:55Z")
Bobby’s “[Political World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg29g6D0sPs).” Buffalo Springfield. "[For What It’s Worth"](https://youtu.be/DIoKr9VDg3A) CSNY, “[Ohio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRE9vMBBe10)” Bruce Cockburn, “[If I Had a Rocket Launcher](https://youtu.be/N7vCww3j2-w).” (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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsdAnYLvGe4)” and Dylan’s “[Jokerman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSvsFgvWr0).” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/4 "2016-10-22T17:25:49Z")
Stevie Wonder, “[You Haven’t Done Nothin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uQCJ6PzRdA)” Lost Dogs, “[Bush League](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9cy_p8W-gw)” (from the Bush I era) Jackson Browne, “[Lives in the Balance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms5J2U_ySdI)” (and several other of his songs from that era) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/5 "2016-10-22T17:35:56Z")
Tom Lehrer is the undisputed master of political songwriting. This is my favorite: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CgASBVMyVFI/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Lehrer - National Brotherhood Week - with intro") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgASBVMyVFI) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/6 "2016-10-22T18:29:38Z")
Combine Tom Lehrer with Allan Sherman and you get [Mark Russell](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+russell). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/7 "2016-10-22T20:56:23Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Bruce Cockburn, “[If I Had a Rocket Launcher](https://youtu.be/N7vCww3j2-w).” (If you’re not familiar with this, listen to it now. It’s dynamite.) I was going to post that one. 🙂 Instead, Cockburn’s [“Wondering Where the Lions Are”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Lpx6JIMmk) (his only U.S. hit), which is about the threat of nuclear war. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/8 "2016-10-22T21:26:15Z")
This [entire album](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVfFKmyUQyM&list=PLkaK5DhzmyNmsChRoZ3mF1Hc8hp1txtcu) recorded by Bobby Darin in 1968. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/9 "2016-10-22T21:26:29Z")
_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._ ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/10 "2016-10-22T21:59:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/11 "2016-10-22T22:13:30Z")
Almost anything by Rage Against the Machine. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/12 "2016-10-23T00:59:27Z")
Ted Nugent, “[Bound and Gagged](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4p1krGn0_Q)” Chris de Burgh, “Revolution”, “Light a Fire”, and “Liberty”. Technically three songs, but they run together to make a nice [medley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FwIlfE7Euw&list=RD3FwIlfE7Euw). Also, “[Borderline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNr3FxLbLPc&list=RD3FwIlfE7Euw&index=4)” from the same album. ---
**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 23, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/13 "2016-10-23T01:12:36Z")
The [Capitol Steps](http://www.capsteps.com/), 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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-pT-w7qFl4).” There’s also the Byrds’ “[I Want to Grow Up to Be a Politician](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDM6ceGZSA8).” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/14 "2016-10-23T01:25:19Z")
[War](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztZI2aLQ9Sw), by Edwin Starr **The Times They Are a’Changin** ’, Bob Dylan ---
**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:** [October 23, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/15 "2016-10-23T03:29:53Z")
Nina Simone, [Mississippi Goddam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHKHHj82EoE) Bruce Springsteen, [The Ghost of Tom Joad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi0kWe2ixzU) (also [covered by RATM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMaCg4fpJKg)). Johnny Cash, [The Ballad of Ira Hayes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9f22Awruts) Marvin Gaye, [Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Ykv1D0qEE) Cream,[Politician](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJqgk2XAg4k) ---
**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:** [October 23, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/16 "2016-10-23T03:37:53Z")
Forgot this one: John Lennon, [Just Gimme Some Truth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orz9-85Fr14) ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/17 "2016-10-23T03:38:53Z")
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. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/18 "2016-10-23T05:20:28Z")
[Sunshine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoGxz7Tsmxo) by Jonathan Edwards [Political Science](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqBrw3rQvKo) by Randy Newman [I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbBCfeM964s) by Country Joe and the Fish [Strange Fruit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Web007rzSOI) by Billie Holiday [When I’m Gone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB-BBVQLnxI) by Phil Ochs ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/19 "2016-10-23T19:24:55Z")
[“God Save the Queen”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMxqcgBhWQ) - The Sex Pistols [California Uber Alles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG8UuZ0NZGY) - The Dead Kennedys [“The Death and Resurrection Show”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y-a7T7S9eE) - The Killing Joke ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/20 "2016-10-23T19:34:24Z")
Steve Earle: Rich Man’s War (This video features visible lyrics.) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tjT6B6IFUU8/hqdefault.jpg "Rich Mans War by Steve Earle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjT6B6IFUU8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353.md?page=2)