FROM THE BOSS TO LIL BABY: TEN SONGS OF PROTEST

Bob Dylan had strummed his acoustic protests at the Newport Folk Festival before. But when he arrived at the 1965 festival with an electric guitar, drums, and distortion, folks were furious. The crowd booed. They thought he sounded like a sell out, so they called him a traitor. Pete Seeger reportedly found the sound so distressing that he threatened to cut the cables with an axe. Could the kid who was called the voice of his generation only sound a certain way?  What should the music of a time of protest sound like? Through changing sounds and changing times, some music always cries in revolt. Here are ten examples of protest songs from the last 65 years.

4. FORTUNATE SON BY CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL 

‘Fortunate Son’ is a song of the Vietnam Era, and it became an anti-war anthem. It is a song against war, especially wars that are waged by people who do not fight in them. It is about not being one of the fortunate ones who might by their wealth or position find a way out of involvement in the war. The politicians’ sons may have had enough money and privilege to find themselves in college rather than Vietnam. Not everyone was so fortunate. This is a song for those who have been drafted to fight a war, one casualty of which is their patriotism. 

We ought to learn the sounds of protest. Even if we don’t understand the music, we can hear the cry for justice.  Some songs we may sing along in solidarity.  And other songs simply ask us to stop and listen to the pain and injustice. Without an ear for justice, even our best worship songs will sound disgustingly off-key.  In Amos 5:23-24 we hear God’s plea:”Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.  But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”