“I go to the movie and I go downtownSomebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang aroundIt’s been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will” Sam Cooke is responsible for composing and performing one of the most essential tunes of the civil rights era, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, from his 1964 album Ain’t […]
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DeeDee Austin is an 18-year-old Canadian Indigenous singer-songwriter from Fall River, Nova Scotia. On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, she performed the emotionally powerful tune on Canada’s Got Talent and received Howie Mandel’s golden buzzer. She originally released the song as a single in 2021 and the official video in 2022. Austin wrote the lyrics about her great-grandmother’s harrowing experience at […]
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On August 16, 2018 Aretha Franklin passed away at 76 years of age, due to pancreatic cancer. Very few artists have had the indelible impact on music that the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin had. Many of her tunes also expressed a keen understanding of the human condition, and her soaring vocals transformed many songs into anthems of empowerment. Here […]
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When determining whether or not a song meets the definition of a protest tune, an important factor is intent. Often, it is the intent of the songwriter. At other times, it is the intention of the singer. It is possible to have two versions of the same song, and only one of the versions is a protest song. A notable […]
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Originally released by Russell’s currently on-hiatus band Birds of Chicago in 2018, the tune is a plea for universal love. For this updated version the Canadian singer-songwriter updates the opening line of “Tears of rage, tears of grief, from Inglewood to Nairobi,” to “Tears of rage, tears of grief, Palestine, Israel, to Tennessee.” The tune also benefits from the gorgeous […]
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John Lennon was no stranger to socially conscious music, contributing many notable tunes to the canon of protest songs. One of his standouts is “Working Class Hero” off of his 1970 album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono. While some of his songs might come across as simple sloganeering, “Working Class Hero” is an insightful social commentary on class splits and how society […]
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This is the latest single and video from the spoken word punk group featuring Algiers guitarist Lee Tesche and Indigenous artist Gregg Deal (their self-titled debut was one of the best protest albums of 2023). This tune is from their upcoming album PO$T AMERICAN, out April 11th. The lyrics single out actors John Wayne and Kevin Costner for performing heroic […]
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The latest intense single by the UK metal band is from their upcoming album, Death Hilarious, out April 4th. The song also includes a hard-hitting feature from RTJ’s El-P. Concerning the motivation behind the tune, the lead singer Matt Baty explains “My lyrics reflect on how fondness of the past and senses of nostalgia can affect and influence the present, […]
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“Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses” Often the most effective protest songs are the most direct. That is the case with “Killing in the Name” off Rage Against The Machine‘s 1992 self-titled album. In the face of injustice sometimes the most appropriate response is a defiant “fuck you.” This anthem of disenfranchisement attacks systemic […]
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“Emancipate yourselves from mental slaveryNone but ourselves can free our mindsHave no fear for atomic energy‘Cause none of them can stop the timeHow long shall they kill our prophetsWhile we stand aside and look? OohSome say it’s just a part of itWe’ve got to fulfill the Book” More of a solo acoustic folk song than a traditional reggae song, Bob […]
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