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# Protest song

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A protest song is kind of folk music (or, more recently, pop-influenced folk music). They become popular during times of social disruption and among socially neglected groups. They rail against injustice, racial discrimination, war, inflation, social inequalities and the like. Folk songs occur throughout history, as in the American Revolutionary War and the abolitionist movement of the 1800's. In the 20th century, the [union movement]?, the Great Depression and the [Vietnam War]? were the primary periods of popularity for protest songs. The common form, with acoustic guitar and harmonica, was popularized by the work of Woody Guthrie during the Great Depression and [Dust Bowl]?.

Main protest song singers :

- Woody Guthrie
- [Burl Ives]?
- [Pete Seeger]?
- Bob Dylan
- Donovan?
- [Joan Baez]?

The protest songs :

Unions, Depression era and World War II

- This Land is your Land Woody Guthrie
- Union Maid [Woodie Guthrie]?
- Dump the Bosses [John Brill]?
- Sixteen Tons [Tennesee Ernie Ford]?
- Casey Jones - The Union Scab [Joe Hill]?
- Hallelujah I'm a Bum [Harry McClintock]?

The 1960's

- We Shall Overcome Traditional?
- Eve of Destruction [Barry McGuire]?
- My Generation [The Who]?
- Today I killed a Man [P. J. Proby]?
- Charlie on the MTA [The Kingston Trio]?
- Turn, Turn, Turn [Pete Seeger]?
- Signs [The Five Man Electrical Band]?
- Where have all the Flowers Gone [The Kingston Trio]?
- For What its Worth [Buffalo Springfield]?

More recent

- Biko [Peter Gabriel]?
- 99 Luftballoons Nena?
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday U2
- Ohio [Neil Young]?
- The Hurricane Bob Dylan
- Rain on the Scarecrow [John Cougar Mellencamp]?
- If I had a Rocket Launcher [Bruce Coburn]?

See also REM, [Midnight Oil]?, U2

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Last edited July 5, 2001 11:29 am (diff)
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