“Gimme an F … !”
The Fish Cheer by Country Joe and the Fish … I was in the crowd at Woodstock when that irreverent intro and legendary war protest tune were performed to the crowd of a half-million, then on to a far greater audience through the movie and album. Just one of countless politically motivated tunes. Songs of protest and political positions have been recorded for about as long as recording was possible. People listened to laments about the Great Depression in the ’30s, rallied around the tunes of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger in the ’40s and ’50s, then on to the folk and rock movements of the ’60s, Anarchy in the ’70s and right up to now.
My radio show (Roundtrip) on WNRB-LP (93.3 FM, Wausau) this Thursday night (7-9) will be dedicated to that sort of thing. This is where politicians get skewered, tyrants get exposed, policies get argued, people get prodded to get off their asses and act. I will likely do this sort of show several times between now and presidential voting day.
Big-time politics is in the air. Crap and rhetoric are flying like cows in a tornado. It’s time to get fired up. It’s time to take a stand. Tell me what you think I should play this Thursday. Offer me a loan of your CDs for the things I don’t have. Step up to the barricades and be heard. Let’s all get off our asses! “Gimme an F …!!!!”
P.S. — general thoughts:
Political tunes:
1. should be topical (i.e. about things like war, equality, environment, hypocrisy, greed, politicians)
2. should be smart or funny or angry or sad or rousing or any combination of these
3. can be ironic or tongue-in-cheek
4. should not be so subtle that you don’t know what the hell is being communicated
5. can be specific to a “now” issue, past issue or deal with general, universal observations
6. should not be about “I hate my parents, hate my school, hate the world, want to die or kill someone”
oldwoodchair said:
We all know that I know nothing about music, however, I do know a little bit about what I like, and having grown up surrounded by social & political rebels, these are a few strong songs that move me:
War - What Is It Good For, Edwin Starr (That’s a given…it blasts in my Jeep on the way to work everyday.)
Love Train, O’Jays. We just gotta get together, man.
One Tin Soldier, Coven. Always relevant…back then, and now.
Fortunate Son, CCR. No justification needed.
And one for a current local topic….Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell. Think Scott Street.
Just a few obvious suggestions from a music retard.
owc
September 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Oh, and Pink Houses & The Authority Song, John (when he was the Couger)Mellencamp. Those always put me in the rebel spirit.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:00 pm #
Citizen Wausau » Blog Archive » Your Voice: Sept 9 said:
[…] Tom Neal gears up for a radio show of protest songs with some thoughts on the form and a call for requests for his Thursday-night […]
September 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm #
Jim Sisko said:
As a huge John Prine fan I have to suggest:
Sam Stone (a classic about a Viet Nam War vet returning home)
Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Any More
Some Humans Ain’t Human
Paradise (An environmental protest song he always ends his shows with)
And yes, I can loan you the CD’s….
September 10th, 2008 at 7:37 am #
Jim Sisko said:
As a huge John Prine fan I have to suggest:
Sam Stone (a classic about a Viet Nam War vet returning home)
Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Any More
Some Humans Ain’t Human
Paradise (An environmental protest song he always ends his shows with)
And yes, I can loan you the CD’s….
September 10th, 2008 at 8:51 am #
Tom Neal said:
Yes, Jim …
I have Prine’s Sam Stone in the line-up already.
But I don’t have the Flag Decal tune and wanted to play it too.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:08 am #
Jim Sisko said:
I can borrow you the CD (it’s on his first album) or email an MP3…
September 10th, 2008 at 9:52 am #