One thing I am happy about during these turbulent times is the re-emergence of protest songs, although they have never really gone away.
However, I have noticed an increasing number of protest songs in recent years.
That should tell us something.
One that we have been enjoying lately is by Shungudzo, a Zimbabwean-American artist that knows about being oppressed by the system.
She wrote her protest song during the Floydian summer of troubles, one reason she sings, "La-la-la-la, fuck the police".
I didn't know this lyric until I looked it up because conventional radio scrubs the reality out with a dismissive bleep, so I had never heard it.
It is a strong statement, but if the police are treating ordinary people like the enemy (and increasingly they are everywhere it seems), what do they expect?
Having said that, the song has a dreamy gentle sound that shouldn't fool you, it is all protest all the time.
"I love a harsh lyric enveloped in beautiful melodies", the artist says.
"I try to use sounds that either evoke the emotions I want to express or sounds that are so contrasting in emotion, that the words stand out more.
For example, my song “It’s a Good Day (to fight the system)” is meant to make people feel happy, but also to empower them to fight the systems that oppress them."
It’s a Good Day (To Fight The System)
By: Shungudzo
I woke up feelin’ great
The birds are in the trees
They’re singin’ me a melody
La-la-la-la, fuck the police
My head is on straight
My heart is in peace
My soul is incredibly
Ready to change history
It’s a good day
To fight the system
(To fight the system)
It’s a good, good, good day
Yes, a good, good, good day
I just realized the date this was posted - and how perfect that is. 6 August was my dad's birthday - always a rebel, always fighting the system and expectations - he refused to celebrate his birthday after 6 August 1945; he would have felt like he was dancing on the graves of the victims of Hiroshima (his words).
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out this important date in history that some would like us to forget. It was one of the sickest moves humanity has made in our short history, and one I hope will never be repeated again... even if they are presently spending a trillion dollars in nuclear upgrades getting ready for such a scenario.
DeleteYour dad was a good and intelligent man.