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THE ALLEYNIAN 709
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
Abel Banfield (Year 11) considers the nature of the successful protest song
Songs that declare that the times aren’t a-changing, and that we really need to do something about it “
Which tips did Bob Dylan gain from Woody Guthrie, before passing them on to Bob Marley and Billy Bragg? Why did a protest song by The Clash become a Northampton football chant? Which of Kendrick Lamar’s statements was met with blank expressions from critics? Whose lyrics were so complex and overwhelming that no one quite knew what they were protesting about? Pete Seeger’s ‘We Shall Overcome’ captures the essence of the protest song, its central statement being picked up and carried to the forefront of a vast political movement, inspiring people to stand up for what was right and meaningful. Written in 1948, it remains to this day one of the most famous emblems of the Civil Rights movement. What about ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’? This is possibly the simplest and yet the most powerful protest song ever recorded, written by a young Bob Dylan in the midst of the Civil Rights movement against the backdrop of the threat of nuclear war, and launching his career. It is worth noting that this song is contained on an album featuring many other protest songs that declare that the times aren’t a-changing, and that we really need to do something about it. ‘Only A Pawn In Their Game’, for example, puts forward an argument that politicians in America are involved in a conspiracy that aims to keep its poor white citizens downtrodden and angry so they ‘keep up their hate, and never think straight’. Indeed, the final lines read: ‘carved next to his name, on the stone that remains, his epitaph plain, only a pawn in their game.’ It is one of the most nihilistic of protest songs but funnily enough, not the most nihilistic example of Bob Dylan’s work. With his ‘this machine kills fascists’ guitar under his arm, Woody Guthrie’s ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is arguably the gentlest of the protest songs, containing no real warning or horror but a simple, peaceful meaning summarised in the brief chorus, ‘This land was made for you and me’. Is this the way protest songs should be? Or is this song, along with Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up Stand Up’ and others, too kind and not urgent enough to be considered a genuine protest song?
When Dylan’s ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ was released, it immediately sparked conversation, as all good protest songs do. People listened to the six-minute rant of complex imagery and warnings, including the lyrically terrifying chorus that is the song’s title. However, no one quite knew what the warning was. Was the hard rain nuclear fallout? Was it alluding to the bible and other stories of destruction brought on by sin? Was the hard rain addressing the then surfacing problem of global warming? The truth is, no one quite knows. Dylan’s answers were allusive and confusing and everyone has a different interpretation of the meaning. What about the ‘black branch with blood that was dripping’? Is Dylan alluding to racial inequality? It is likely that Dylan intended the song to be a warning, an epic and confusing stream of post-apocalyptic images meant to spark off conversation. Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The USA’ has been taken up by several Republican presidents of America despite it being an anti-Vietnam War song which explicitly states its frustration with the US. ‘I got a brother at Khe Sanh, fighting off the Viet Cong, they’re still there, he’s all gone.’ Despite Springsteen explaining his stance on the politics and crimes of America, it is still seen by many as jingoistic praise of the United States. So what makes a great protest song? Must it be long? The epic ‘Alright’ (Kendrick Lamar) and lengthy ‘Idioteque’ (Radiohead) are both considerably longer than the average song and they both convey their respective messages powerfully. Lyrics are obviously key, but while those of ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ and R.E.M’s ‘Orange Crush’ are ambiguous and allusive, with disjointed rhymes and broken imagery, they are arguably just as strong as the down-to-earth lyrics of ‘Police and Thieves’ by The Clash. Don’t just stick to the ancients though; while the classics of the protest song genre might still contain relevant meanings and haunting themes, contemporary singer-songwriters such as Kendrick Lamar and Stormzy have demonstrated that modern protest songs can be just as important, effective, and, in the case of both these artists, brilliant.
Say it loud
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