# 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:** 2
**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, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/21 "2016-10-23T20:58:03Z")
Bob Marley, [Get Up Stand Up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg97JiBn1kE) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/22 "2016-10-23T21:20:10Z")
Don Henley’s “End of the Innocence”. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/23 "2016-10-24T04:07:24Z")
_The Ballad of October 16th_ (the Almanac Singers, May 1941) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhbrYhL3OPk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhbrYhL3OPk) Chorus: > [@](#): > > Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt, > We damn near believed what he said, > He said, I hate war and so does Eleanor, > But we won’t be safe till everybody’s dead. _Washington Breakdown_ (Pete Seeger, May 1941) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zn8TyWYCQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6zn8TyWYCQ) > [@](#): > > Franklin D., listen to me, > You ain’t a-gonna send me 'cross the sea. ---
**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 24, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/24 "2016-10-24T05:36:41Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Don Henley’s “End of the Innocence”. Another one from Henley: _Little Tin God_, with a couple of lines about Reagan. _The cowboy’s name was “Jingo” And he heard that there was trouble So in a blaze of glory He rode out of the west No one was ever certain What it was that he was sayin’ But they loved it when he told them They were better than the rest_ Also some references about televangelists such as Jim Bakker. John Fogerty wrote some political songs when he was with CCR, such as _Fortunate Son_ and _Run Through the Jungle_. He wrote a few more in the 2000s. [Deja Vu All Over Again](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnfogerty/dejavualloveragain.html) [Long Dark Night](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnfogerty/longdarknight.html) [I Can’t Take It No More](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnfogerty/icanttakeitnomore.html) John Mellencamp wrote [Country Gentleman](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johncougarmellencamp/countrygentleman.html), about Ronald Reagan, and [Rodeo Clown](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johncougarmellencamp/rodeoclown.html), and. [To Washington](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johncougarmellencamp/towashington.html), about George W. Bush, ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/25 "2016-10-24T07:13:53Z")
Waiting For The Great Leap Forward - Billy Bragg Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello The Ghosts of Cable Street - The Men They Couldn’t Hang 51st State - New Model Army Heartland - The The Biko - Peter Gabriel Rise - PIL Ghost Train - Madness Inglan Is A Bitch - LKJ Margaret On The Guillotine - Morissey ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2016, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/26 "2016-10-24T07:45:25Z")
Like 88% of punk lyrics. The trick is sorting out the crappy, preachy ones from the inspired ones. Dead Kennedys are one of the good ones even if you don’t agree with the message, because they used sarcasm and POV shifts rather than being humorless revival meetings if not occasionally good like some bands (Anti-Flag, Propagandhi, and RATM though not punk). ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/27 "2016-10-26T01:03:24Z")
> [@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.) Rocket Launcher is one of my all-time favorites. And Bruce is excellent at all times. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/28 "2016-10-26T15:55:36Z")
Iris DeMent pulls no punches: There’s a Wall in Washington [Iris Dement There's a Wall in Washington - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqCUvpVseZw) Livin’ In the Wasteland of the Free [Livin' in the Wasteland of the Free Iris DeMent - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYqDpL0YCvI) ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/29 "2016-10-26T16:15:45Z")
_Better Days_ - Supertramp _Holiday_ - Green Day \*Lowdown \* - Chicago ---
**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 26, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/30 "2016-10-26T17:49:45Z")
Public Enemy, [Fight the Power](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWTrAVLhbS8) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/31 "2016-10-26T18:04:06Z")
“Tramp the Dirt Down” by Elvis Costello ---
**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 26, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/32 "2016-10-26T20:35:14Z")
“[Nixon’s the One](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtCeBws4jpA)” by the Vic Caesar Orchestra and Chorus. ---
**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 26, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/33 "2016-10-26T20:50:32Z")
Anything from Queensryche’s [Operation: Mindcrime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation:_Mindcrime) album. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/34 "2016-10-26T20:51:13Z")
[Crush on Obama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyjXt1zSXHU) ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/35 "2016-10-26T23:57:59Z")
[System of a Down - Prison Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yndfqN1VKhY) ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/36 "2016-10-27T00:19:44Z")
As someone has already said, Tom Lehrer was the master of political songs. One not remembered as well is “The MLF Lullaby” https://www.youtube.com/embed/FM3jV3FSxXs?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLVllgpqE3l2IeCW1XFOECMQOp8wDEHVQg ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/37 "2016-10-27T00:38:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [Crush on Obama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyjXt1zSXHU) Taryn Southern did a response video, [Hot for Hillary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sudw4ghVe8) It was Southern’s first YouTube video but she went on to develop her own channel. Here she is looking back on the video from [nine years later](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWt8f7WEL_0). ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/38 "2016-10-28T20:45:24Z")
Eddie Grant [Electric Avenue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtPk5IUbdH0) Men at Work [It’s a Mistake](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0AxrOUJ62E) Toby Keith [Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNrdmjcNTc) Black Sabbath [War Pigs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0Ws3YfONY) Black Sabbath [The Mob Rules](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owJJQgt_jgs) “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan, though I prefer Edie Brickell’s [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE5f5_FvLic) Pete Seeger, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” > **[Where Have All the Flowers Gone?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Have_All_the_Flowers_Gone%3F)** > > "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" is a folk song originally written by American singer-songwriter Pete Seeger in 1955. Inspired lyrically by the traditional Cossack folk song "Koloda-Duda", Seeger borrowed an Irish melody for the music, and published the first three verses in Sing Out! magazine. Additional verses were added in May 1960 by Joe Hickerson, who turned it into a circular song. > Its rhetorical "where?" and meditation on death place the song in the ubi sunt tradition. In 20 The 1964 re... ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/39 "2016-10-28T20:54:45Z")
Just released – [Seriously](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI8TCA3fJcs) written by Sarah Bareilles, performed by Leslie Odom Jr Brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353/40 "2016-10-30T06:05:18Z")
Pearl Jam - [Bu$hleaguer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lOY01c4Ops) Clutch - [The Mob Goes Wild](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUpf7dEHv50), [Worm Drink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYtEOUHB9E), and [The Swollen Goat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfyoeljsrVw) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-song-lyrics/769353.md?page=3)