Favourite Political Tracks
Back in July I was interviewed by Chris Jury for his programme Agitpop on North Cotswold Community Radio (NCCR), and asked to select the 10 'political' records that have moved/influenced me the most. As you can see, I decided to interpret 'political' in the broadest, largely Aristotelian sense. You can now listen to the programme in full at http://bit.ly/9SYLxP. Here are the tracks I chose, in no particular order:
Nina Simone: Aint Got No (I Got Life)
Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam
Verdi: Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows
Barry McGuire: Eve of Destruction
John Lennon: Working Class Hero
Emmylou Harris: Deeper Well
Clash: London Calling
Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter
Beethoven: Ode to Joy
In the event, there wasn't time for the Beethoven, and we ended with Gimme Shelter. But that proved a terrific finale, with its move from the extreme fragility of human life and happiness - so devastatingly captured in the scene from Apocalypse Now where it is used as a soundtrack - to the tentative possibility of love and redemption at the end. Overall, I wanted a rousing mix of the human spirit enduring and ultimately soaring in the face of adversity - Aint Got No (I Got Life); Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves; Deeper Well, coruscating anger against injustice and hypocrisy - Mississippi Goddam; Eve of Destruction -and sly, sardonic wit - Everybody Knows; Working Class Hero. London Calling is, admittedly, not exactly a political song - certainly in its lyrics - but I can never hear its raw. pounding energy without wanting to get up and change the world, at least for a bit. It would be my choice to open the London Olympics.
So what are your favourite 'political' songs (interpreted as loosely as you like)? Do let me know via this blog or Twitter (http://twitter.com.drangiehobbs)
15 Aug 2010 22:03
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Tags: Political Tracks
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James Zborowski
This got me very excited, and I felt the urge to reply immediately! More will probably occur to me later, but my first thoughts are (in no particular order – and I’m surer of the artists than the specific tracks!):
Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come
Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
Bruce Springsteen – The River
Steve Earle – Copperhead Road
Billy Bragg – Rotting on Remand
Woody Guthrie – This Land is Your Land
John Coltrane – Alabama
Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit
Jarvis Cocker – Running the World
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Drive By Truckers – The Three Great Alabama Icons
15 Aug 2010, 23:01
Sue
I love anything like this. I’ll have to think about it before I let you know.
15 Aug 2010, 23:29
Sue
If I were a Carpenter The Four Tops
Common People Jarvis Cocker
Up the Ladder to the Roof The Supremes
War! Edwin Starr
Sex by Proxy Rufus Wainwright
If God was a DJ ?
One Love Bob Marley
Days Kinks
A hard Rain is Gonna Fall Bryan Ferry
18 Aug 2010, 00:03
John
It’s not necessarily political but I love “She Gives me the Chills” by Lucas Renney
06 Sep 2010, 22:57
John
Maybe in the broadest sense of the word.
06 Sep 2010, 22:58
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