One of my musical pet peeves is songs about current events, particularly protest songs. Even worse are songs that name-drop political figures.
A classic example, in an otherwise good song, is this verse from Sting’s ‘They Dance Alone’:
You’ve sown a bitter crop
It’s foreign money that supports you
One day the money’s going to stop
Hey Sting… spare me.
Another example, again from a song that I otherwise like quite a bit… Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Black Boys on Mopeds’:
Shocked by the deaths that took place in Bejing
It seems strange that she should be offended
The same orders are given by her
I appreciate the sentiment but it just doesn’t work for me as a song.
One major exception to this rule is Bob Dylan, who made an early career out of protest songs that often went into encyclopedic detail about historic events. Maybe it’s the 60s milieu of those songs, or some authenticity in Dylan himself, that sets them apart. Perhaps I’m just too cynical to take a singer in the 80s, 90s or 00s at his or her word when they spout off about this stuff.
‘What’s Going On’ is another example of a protest song done right. It probably has everything to do with the sound and feel of the song, because frankly the lyrics are pretty lame (“War is not the answer for only love can conquer hate”).
But it’s hard to argue with the sound and feel of the song. Not even Mr. Pinochet could resist this one.
And as a bonus, here’s a clip of Cuba Gooding Jr. singing the song in Jerry Maguire.
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today – Ya
Father, father
We don’t need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what’s going on
What’s going on
Ya, what’s going on
Ah, what’s going on
In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on
Father, father, everybody thinks we’re wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Oh
Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What’s going on
Ya, what’s going on
Tell me what’s going on
I’ll tell you what’s going on – Uh
Right on baby
Right on baby
Meet Me In Montauk 
Can I assume today’s song was chosen for its “Father, father” invocation on Father’s Day? 🙂 Lovely.
I love this song – lyrics, music, sound, feel – whatever it is. I think it’s likley the simplicity with which Marvin Gaye addresses the chaos. In the face of war, protests, confusion, anger, violence, to ask, “What’s going on?” with such sincerity and sadness, then to ask it of your mothers, your brothers, your fathers, well, “lame” or not, those lyrics are going to be effective, especially when sung by Marvin Gaye.
As for your other point about contemporary protest songs, my guess is that it’s more difficult to distance yourself from the subject matter and allow yourself to appreciate the song on its own merits. There are more songs than the few you mention here that name drop. Elvis Costello does it quite a bit (if not dropping names of people, dropping allusions to events). Paul Simon talks about implanting a baboon heart in a boy – we often marvel at the tongue twisting, prosaic “lyrics” Simon manage to put to music. Sting has done it in more songs than “They Dance Alone.” It probably depends on the mood you’re in, or whether you’re annoyed with the particular artist at the moment, or whether it just feels too forced in that instance, but I certainly don’t believe that no contemporary protest song can work. Now I’ll be on a mission to find a few that do 🙂 The one that immediately came to my mind was Costello’s “Let Him Dangle,” so let’s start there. Do you like that one?
This is a well known pet peeve of Clay, but not one I particularly share. I have no problem with the mentioning of Pinochet in They Dance Alone, or Sinead’s mention of Thatcher or Costello’s reference to Thatcher in Tramp the Dirt Down. These references don’t bother me because artists often write about what they know or what is affecting them, and why not do so? After all, there are only so many songs one can write (or hear) about falling in love and having your hear broken. I, frankly, appreciate the change in subject matter.
Among the artists who write political songs particularly well today are Jackson Brown and Randy Newman. I’m fine with their railing against the conservative establishment-and maybe it’s because I agree with their points, but, still, I think there is both a place and a need for their music. Perhaps the times today are less overtly divisive than they were in the 60’s, but there are still social injustices to bring to the public’s attention, and I have no problem with a gifted artist doing it.
I absolutely agree that gifted artists writing about social injustice is important and worthwhile.
Randy Newman is a genius or writing provocative satire about politics and society… he’s the perfect example of how to do it right (without ever being obvious in the “Hey Mr. Pinochet” way). And he poked some fun at Jackson Browne on his last album for doing things the other way.
I like ‘Let Him Dangle’ because it’s a great piece of music that tells a provocative tale. It’s a good example of socially aware music done right, hearkening back to Dylan’s ‘The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.’ I find ‘Tramp the Dirt Down’ less effective, though it’s certainly pretty.
U2’s ‘Mothers of the Disappeared’ tackles the same subject matter as ‘They Dance Alone’ but I find it much more effective, mostly because it’s more enigmatic. Honestly, it’s the “Hey Mr. Pinochet” line alone that really irks me.
Isn’t there something just a little bit provocative (and maybe even funny) about saying, “Hey, Mr. Pinochet,” as though you could get his attention with a simple “Hey,” then tell him what you want to say? It reminds me of those columns written as open letters to the recipient. Carl Hiaasen and Leonard Pitts have done this often enough that I associate the style with them. The speaker in the song gets to directly address Pinochet, and we all get to listen to the scolding. I don’t know. I go back to the impression one has of the artist. If you believe Sting is a smug ass, then, of course, you’re going to find it difficult to stomach that line. So… maybe it’s not the line but the singer of it?
I do think Sting is (or at least can be) a smug ass, but I love a lot of his music and lyrics. I don’t think a less smug singer would pull off that line any better? Well, Randy Newman could, but you’d know he was having fun with it. The context of ‘They Dance Alone’ makes it very serious.