Enough politics. Let’s have some political songs.
1. Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen
2. Winning The War On Drugs – Asylum Street Spankers
3. Arthur McBride – SixMileBridge
4. We Shall Overcome – The SNCC Freedom Singers, Dorothy Cotton & Pete Seeger
5. Come Out Ye Black And Tans – Larkin
6. There Is Power In A Union – Billy Bragg
7. Phil and Jesse – Austin Lounge Lizards
8. I Have Come To Take My Boy Home – Jiggernaut
9. Rain On The Scarecrow – John Mellencamp
10. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
As much as anything, this post was inspired by local columnist Ken Hoffman’s recent rant about “Born In The USA”, easily the most misunderstood political song in the American canon. But it just seemed like a good idea for the week. What are your favorite political songs?
I love some of the oldies: Brother Can You Spare a Dime?, Pretty Boy Floyd, Joe Hill, Talkin’ Union Blues, Which Side Are You On? Seems like the oldest ones are most appropriate for the new reign of the old kleptocracy.
Guthrie’s Deportee, Phil Ochs’s I Ain’t Marchin’ Anymore, Country Joe’s Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag.
Jackson Browne’s Lives in the Balance; Billy Joel’s Allentown.