Sebastian Flyte's top 20 PROTEST songs!!!

[Sebastian Flyte]

OK - and the first IS:

20) "America is Not the World" : Morrissey

A newie and perfectly timed - a brilliant swipe at US arrogance, hamburger culture and Bush's loveless eyes surveying the world.

[Agnetha]

Fuck off

[Sebastian Flyte]

19) "Tramp the Dirt Down" : Elvis Costello

An 80s classic - from his best album "Spike". Starts with Thatcher kissing babies in the election with "all that greed & avarice" coming down on the kiddie's lips. Ends up with him fantasising about dancing on her grave. Great stuff and the rest of the album is also.

[Agnetha]

Both are RUBBISH

[Sebastian Flyte]

18) "Hurricane" : Bob Dylan

The first entry from his Bobness - a folk-rock classic from 1976. Hurricane Carter was a black boxer wrongly convicted of murder by a racist court. Dylan sounds angrier than ever "ashamed to live in a land where justice is a game". The only man that could get away with rhyming trigger with nigger .

[Sebastian Flyte]

Originally posted by Agnetha
Both are RUBBISH

I somewhat DOUBT you have heard either song

[Sebastian Flyte]

17) "Ain't Gonna Take it" : Tom Robinson Band

"They're keepin' us under but we ain't gonna take it no more" sings Tom . A new wave classic from the"Power in the Darkness" album.

[Alex]

16) Cheeky Girls - Take Your Shoes Off

[Indie]

N-N-N-N-Nineteen

[jester]

1) TLC - No Scrubs

"No, I don't want no scrubs" Preach the truth, SISTA.

[Sebastian Flyte]

16) "The Last Great American Whale": Lou Reed

Superb song - about environmental destruction which draws parallels with the persecution of the Indians. From his consistently brilliant "New York" album.

[jester]

Originally posted by Sebastian Flyte
16) "The Last Great American Whale": Lou Reed

Superb song - about environmental destruction which draws parallels with the persecution of the Indians. From his consistently brilliant "New York" album.

Fuck off, you sad bastard.

[Dark Carnival]

Originally posted by jester1436
Fuck off, you sad bastard.
You don't care about the Indians!

[Sebastian Flyte]

15) "I'm So Bored With the USA" : The Clash

Seems more relevent now than in the late 70s.

[jester]

Originally posted by Sebastian Flyte
15) "I'm So Bored With the USA" : The Clash

Seems more relevent now than in the late 70s.

Fuck off, you sad bastard.

[octophone]

Originally posted by Sebastian Flyte
19) "Tramp the Dirt Down" : Elvis Costello

An 80s classic - from his best album "Spike". Starts with Thatcher kissing babies in the election with "all that greed & avarice" coming down on the kiddie's lips. Ends up with him fantasising about dancing on her grave. Great stuff and the rest of the album is also.

I'm not being awkward, but I think that's one of Costello's most hamfisted and unconvincing songs. The same album houses "Baby Plays Around", "Let Him Dangle" and "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" all of which are bloody marvellous.

[Sebastian Flyte]

14) "Working Class Hero" : John Lennon

One of the best songs in the entire Beatles/Lennon canon - a dylanesque vocal accompanied by acoustic guitar. "You're still f@ckin peasants as far as I see" "They hate you if you're clever & despise a fool": some of his best lines. From the "Plastic Ono Band" album.

[Pia_Zadora]

My favourite is Pat Benatar's 'Invincible' from The Legend of Billie Jean :angel:

[Sebastian Flyte]

Originally posted by octophone
I'm not being awkward, but I think that's one of Costello's most hamfisted and unconvincing songs. The same album houses "Baby Plays Around", "Let Him Dangle" and "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" all of which are bloody marvellous.

"Let Him Dangle" is excellent .

[Sebastian Flyte]

13) "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" : Country Joe & the Fish

Brilliant anti-Vietnam War song - before my time but the lyrics are brilliantly done - best bit is where is lampoons consumer competitiveness : "you can be the first one in your block / to have your boy come home in a box".

[Sebastian Flyte]

12) "World Turned Upside Down" : Billy Bragg/Leon Rosselson

An absolute classic - the best version is by Billy Bragg although Rosselson wrote it. About the Diggers led by Gerrard Winstanly who tried to sieze back the land in the Civil War before being crushed by the landlords. Included on Braggy's recent compilation - originally the 'Between the wArs' ep.

[Sebastian Flyte]

11) "Big Yellow Taxi" Joni Mitchell

This and Cat Stevens' "Where Do the Children Play" were the first rock era songs to address environmental concerns (both 1970). "Don't it always seem to go/that you don't know what you've got till its gone". Indeed.

[Sebastian Flyte]

10) "Shipbuilding" : Elvis Costello/Robert Wyatt

Written in the aftermath of the Falklands War - about the connection with building weapons/ships and the usage to which they are put. The Wyatt version was a big 80s hit - I can still remember him singing it in his wheelchair on Top of the Pops.

[Sebastian Flyte]

9) "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" Phil Ochs

Ochs was an odd songwriter and this is an odd song - in a good way. Over a jaunty 'music-hall' piano he sings in pure sarcasm about a bunch of apathetic yanks who are playing monopoly while a woman is stabbed to death outside. Its an attack on apathy and indifference - but like much sarcasm it went over the heads of the idiots. Banned from the radio for the cannabis line.

[Sebastian Flyte]

8) "Only A Pawn in their Game" Bob Dylan

One of the best early Dylan songs. About a piece of 'dumb white trash' who kills a black guy in the deep south without realising he is simply a pawn in the game of ruthless klan-supporting politicians.

[Sebastian Flyte]

7) "Margaret on the Guillotine" : Morrissey

Has to be included - not the most intelligent of lyrics but it says what many felt in a nice simple way. And the melody is so gentle and pretty - adds to the effect no end.

[Sebastian Flyte]

6) "It Says Here" : Billy Bragg

One of Braggy's best - the first version on "Brewing Up With Billy Bragg" is the best. About the Tabloid press : just as relevent now as in the 80s.

[Sebastian Flyte]

5) "Why?" : Bronski Beat

Absolute classic gay anthem from the superb album "The Age of Consent". Jimmy Somerville at his best. This and "Smalltown Boy" are two of the greatest songs of the 80s.

[Sebastian Flyte]

4) "Strange Fruit" : Billie Holiday

Chilling song about lynchings in the deep south in the 20s & 30s . "Southern trees bare a stange fruit"... which are the victims hanging. "Pastoral scene of the gallant south/the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth". An amazing song.

[Sebastian Flyte]

3) "Masters of War" : Bob Dylan

And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
Till I'm sure that you're dead

[Sebastian Flyte]

2) "Meat is Murder" : The Smiths

The music on this is quite brilliant - Marr's guitars echoing the sound of a meat saw - with the sounds of sheep & cows awaiting the knife in the background.
"Its not natural normal or kind
The flesh you so fancifully fry
The meat in your mouth
As you savor the flavour of murder"

[Sebastian Flyte]

And the WINNER is:

[spicebrain]

Seb! I never had you down as a Lou Reed fan... what do you make of The Velvet Underground?

Don't know a lot of the choices, but like most I do know. And a BIG :D @ the presence of the divine "Strange Fruit" on your list. It'd be my #1, and is prolly in my top 10 fave songs EVAH, like.

[Bunty's Magic Vegetable]

After the Goldrush?

[Sebastian Flyte]

1) "With God On Our Side" : Bob Dylan

Excellent song about the manipulation of religion - delivered in an ironic mock-naive way.

[Sebastian Flyte]

Originally posted by spicebrain
Seb! I never had you down as a Lou Reed fan... what do you make of The Velvet Underground?

Don't know a lot of the choices, but like most I do know. And a BIG :D @ the presence of the divine "Strange Fruit" on your list. It'd be my #1, and is prolly in my top 10 fave songs EVAH, like.


I do like the Velvets - apart from "Loaded". "Pale Blue Eyes" my favourite.

[Sebastian Flyte]

Originally posted by gggggg
After the Goldrush?

Oh - I forgot that - should've been in there really. "Look at mother nature on the run in the 1970s..." (he now sings "in the 21st century")

[Joseph]

Originally posted by jester1436
1) TLC - No Scrubs

"No, I don't want no scrubs" Preach the truth, SISTA.

[PJL]

So no FGTH 'Two Tribes' then, considered by many to be the best protest song ever (though it's the video that really makes it).

Or for that matter Specials 'Ghost Town'. Or Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' Or Edwyn Starrs' 'War', Or Simon & Garfunkels 'El Condor Paso', etc.

Basically a snobbish list of protest songs really (hell not even Bob Dylans' Like A Rolling Stone' isn't even on that list)

[Joseph]

Sebastian Flyte has shit taste it seems