The Protests ?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by radislav.banar

1960s protest song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KfbpPkZEc&feature=player_embedded Present Day Protest Song

It was the aftermath of WW2 and everyone was depressed. This John Lennon song in the 1960s was about the chorus which was echoed around the world and it became the most popular chant of the anti-Vietnam War movement. The sentiment is both clever and simple. This song quickly became the anthem of the anti-war movement as many Americans felt the country should not be fighting in Vietnam. On October 15, 1969, a multi-city demonstration called The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, took place, with protesters singing this song in mass.
Whereas todays present day song had to do with a balanced look at tensions between police and minorities.Both songs have different aspects and reasons behind them leading to different time periods.With lines like “The banker man said ‘Sorry, son, it’s all gone’” and “I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight,” it’s terrifyingly deft at taking apart short-term greed at the cost of the common good: “Big limousine, long shiny and black / you don’t look ahead, you don’t look back.”

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Protest Contest

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Farzana Akhter

Protest Song in 1969

 

Dear Mr. President

 

The first video is from the late 1960 and the second video was created in 2007. In the first video you have people who turn around as if to show disgust toward something they saw and show resentment toward other groups of people. I noticed that they showed different groups of people who eventually all come together. In the second video, the singer bashes former President George W. Bush. There are a lot of strong words used to give the idea that this song is about protest because she sings about the hipocracy of the president exposing to the people about things he says versus things he actually does. The first and second video are similar in that they both protest a problem t=which occurred and needed to be brought to the public. The first song pointed out the borders between different races and the second song pointed out the faults of the former president. The first song however, was much more “sugar-coated” than the second. It didn’t really give a clear point to its listeners about what exactly was going on except that he wanted to create unity. The second song was very direct and strong because it included facts about problems that were occurring and was more clear about who/what problem she was attacking. I think the language in songs have become stronger since the 60’s and 70’s and because it points out facts and includes things about the society that people may have been misinformed about.

 

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Protest Songs

Posted on May 3, 2011 by shayna.bracy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3L6uyxBPFc&feature=fvwrel

This video shows a protest against the Vietnam War and how the people reacted and/or handled the situation. I think one major difference about protests from then and now is how authority was able to handle  certain situations. For example, back then, cops seemed as if they could handle things in whatever way that they wanted. But now, they have to handle things in a more organized way that is accepted by both the people and the law.

This song shows how the War on Terror is basically not worth it and how easily it started. When compared to the song from the 1960’s, this shows a more modern way of expressing the problems of war. Back in the day, people expressed it more aggressively (rock music) but now, the music is more calm and the visuals are more realistic.

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Diamonds are Forever!!

Posted on May 3, 2011 by benjamin.amenechi

War Edwin Starr

This was a song written by Edwin Star in 1969. It is an anti Vietnam war protest song. As he said “WAR HUH!!, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?….War nothing but a heart breaker, war a friend only to the undertaker”.

Diamonds From Sierra Lonne

“Little is known of Sierra Lonne and how it connects to the diamonds we own”

Diamonds from Sierra Lonne by Kanye West was released in 2005. It is a protest against the trade of illegally gotten diamonds from Sierra Lonne, where children where forced against their will to mine diamonds. Most of these children would die in the process and more would be taken away from their families.

The United Nations passed the United Nations Security Council Resolution in 1n 1998 which crippled the trade of the “blood diamonds”.

These songs are very different as Diamonds are Forever has a more impactful video as opposed to “War”. The genre of music is also very different as War was more Motown while Diamonds are Forever is more modern and more hip hop vibe.

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“Join now! Don’t wait! Make death your date!”

Posted on May 3, 2011 by da124398

Bob Dylan – Masters of War

Above is a link to listen to the song Masters of War by Bob Dylan on his 1963 album “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan”. The song is addressing war and the reasons behind it. Masters of War is specifically targeting how convenient the financial benefits of war are to the government, suggesting that greed is the reason behind war and expressing how cruel that is. Bob Dylan states that he can see through it all the excuses the government may have. The song is soft but Dylan’s voice resonates. I think listening to the song when it first came out must have motivated many people to stand up for peace. Below is a link to the song Sold As Freedom by the band Anti-Flag off their 2003 album “The Terror State” . The song is mocking the government’s oxymoron of fighting for freedom. It is sarcastically telling you to go fight wars just because you’re told to. With irony, Anti-Flag attempts to open the listener’s minds to the truth about war and the reasons behind it. Like Dylan claimed to see through it all, Anti-Flag urges you by the end of the song to see through the lies the government feeds us. The songs are similar with their message and metaphor of being blinded by the government with patriotism. The songs are clearly different in style and cynicism and I think that’s due to the time periods and the respective artists. Bob Dylan wrote and performed protest music for a short time during the 60’s but moved on to other topics quickly whereas Anti-Flag(formed in the 90’s and still performing today) is protest punk rock, almost every song focuses on the corruption within the government or the media or corporations and so on. Anti-Flag’s words are more profane than Dylan’s but both songs are radical in their own right.

Anti-Flag – Sold As Freedom

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Protest Song

Posted on May 3, 2011 by jack horowitz

“War”, by Edwin Starr was the United States number 1 song in 1970.

This song was written to protest the war, and encouraging peace through out the world.

“Words I Never Said” Lupe fiasco

This song is protesting the wrong things in society , racism, hatred, violence, terrorism etc. and is encouraging us to speak out and voice our opinions on them, mobilize and do something about them.

The songs are different in many way, im sure the type of music is different due to the times the songs were made, but the essence of the songs are the same, they are both protesting the same issues that have been going on forever. 

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5 Changes

Posted on May 3, 2011 by jack horowitz

1. Women starting to work

2. Highway act of 1856

3. World War 2

4. Racism/racial tolerance

5. rise of sales in suburban areas

I believe women in the workforce is a huge change because this symbolizes the time in history. The men were no longer running the show the women first gained access in to the work world, and changed the role women played in society forever.

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If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus

Posted on May 3, 2011 by fl090216

If you miss me at the back of the bus

This protest song is about the times during the Civil Rights March, where people came together for a common purpose; which was to fight for freedom, respect, dignity, economic and social equality. This song was written by Peter Seeger.

Let\’s Impeach the President

This protest song by Neil Young was against the war in Iraq and against George W. Bush. His whole album which includes this song is anti-Bush and anti-war.

These two songs are similar in the way that they both want to deliver a strong message towards the political and social situations during the time periods. They’re different though in their lyric forms and their genre of music. Let’s Impeach the President is more rock while If you Miss me at the back of the Bus is more soul and gospel. In addition, Neil Young’s song is basically delivering a direct message while the other one has more of a subtler message with song lyrics that doesn’t say everything directly.

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Dear Mr. President, We Shall Overcome

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Anita Kamath

We Shall Overcome

This is a civil rights movement song created in the 1947 to give hopes to those who believed nothing was possible. This song is similar to “Dear Mr. President” because both are soft songs which you can’t dance to, but rather listen to the words and understand the deep meaning it contains. However, “We Shall Overcome” is all about bringing homes to the society and being optimistic; “Dear Mr. President” is about reminding us how a symbolic figure is lacking to look at the world from a normal perspective, and being rather pessimistic.

Dear Mr. President

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Assignment due 5/4

Posted on May 3, 2011 by

Next class we will be covering social protests of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly the Civil Rights Movement.  Write a post that includes 2 videos (or a link to video/audio).  One should show a protest song produced between 1960 and 1970 (the message can be about civil rights, peace, or any other social cause).  The other should be a protest song produced between 2000 and 2011.  Both songs should be new to the blog.  Write 1-2 paragraphs comparing and contrasting the two songs.  Explain what is being protested in each song and what terms are used to express protest.  What has changed about social protest between the 1960s and the 2000s, and how specifically do these songs show that change?

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