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wilco protest songs?


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Hello all, i read this forum a lot, but never post, and thought now might be a novel time to seek out some opinions!

You see, my high school music teacher wants us to do a project analyzing a protest song, and even though i realllly dont like protest music, and am not very knowledgeable of any...at all, i still have to do it!

So, i was thinking of taking a wilco song, and making my teacher believe it is protesting something!

This will be tough, but i think with the right suggestions, i can make it happen.

okay!

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Check out some of the tracks on Mermaid Ave, both Vol I and II, there are a number of pretty clear protest songs in there.

 

"Kicking Television" could also probably qualify as an (albeit simple) protest song.

 

Uncle Tupelo material is also full of protest like stuff, just search around, "Coalminers" jumps to mind or "Sauget Wind"

 

 

There are a lot of good protest songs out there, you just have to find ones that suit you. Maybe you just don't like overtly political music...try something that is just more general like Sonic Youth's "Peace Attack" or a good portion of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Inventions' We're Only in it For the Money.

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Theologians,

they don't know nothing....

 

Not sure I'd categorize it as "protest" but could be interesting if you want to think more about religious protest rather than political (though usually closely related).

 

Have fun foolin the teacher!!

 

:thumbup

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Hello all, i read this forum a lot, but never post, and thought now might be a novel time to seek out some opinions!

You see, my high school music teacher wants us to do a project analyzing a protest song, and even though i realllly dont like protest music, and am not very knowledgeable of any...at all, i still have to do it!

So, i was thinking of taking a wilco song, and making my teacher believe it is protesting something!

This will be tough, but i think with the right suggestions, i can make it happen.

okay!

 

"Ashes of American Flags" protests commercialism and the de-personalization of society.

 

"She's a Jar" protests the declining wages of American fathers.

 

"Monday" protests youngsters dropping out of high school.

 

"Spiders" protests accountants.

 

I'd say you have several to choose from.

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Unwelcome Guest is my personal favorite ... it may have been Jeff's backing vocals on that one that really set me on the Wilco trail.

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As far as non-Wilco songs...

 

Masters of War - Bob Dylan

 

"How much do I know

To talk out of turn

You might say that I'm young

You might say I'm unlearned

But there's one thing I know

Though I'm younger than you

Even Jesus would never

Forgive what you do"

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Christ for President

 

 

Let's have Christ our President

Let us have him for our king

Cast your vote for the Carpenter

That they call the Nazarene

 

The only way

We could ever beat

These crooked politician men

 

Is to cast the moneychangers

Out of the temple

Put the Carpenter in

 

Oh it's Jesus Christ our President

God above our king

With a job and pension for young and old

We will make hallelujah ring

 

Every year we waste enough

To feed the ones who starve

We build our civilization up

And we shoot it down with wars

 

But with the Carpenter

On the seat

Way up in the capitol town

 

The USA

Be on the way

Prosperity bound

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Get a copy of "Political Science" that they did on their tour 2 years ago.

 

nice one. I know they perform it at the 9:30 club show in D.C., and it can be found on NPR's website. I always have like their cover of Randy Newman's awesome song.

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I second "Kicking Television"... it's not the same old subject matter for a protest song, and the message is a lot deeper than the simple lyrics suggest.

 

Although, if I were you I would do "Fuck the Police" or something. Of course, I was a total smartass bastard in high school.

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Unwelcome Guest is my personal favorite ... it may have been Jeff's backing vocals on that one that really set me on the Wilco trail.

:worship Excellent choice!

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Pretty sure almost anything from Neil Young's Living With War album would work

 

My thoughts exactly... and the lyrics are very obvious and easy to understand...

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