I have badly neglected this blog for a couple of years now, but since I managed to make one post last year, I didn't want to let this year go by without at least one new entry. Obviously the list below was compiled over 6 months ago, but at the time I didn't think to post it here, though I did post it elsewhere. It matters little, since the songs themselves are timeless - and more regrettably, the problems they address haven't been adequately dealt with. Let's hope we see more progress in 2021, which at least seems possible now that the US will have a decent president.
Six Plus Nineteen: Songs for Juneteenth
Juneteenth, celebrated every June 19th, is a holiday commemorating the day when African American slaves in Texas were first informed that they had been freed by Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. It's an official holiday in Texas and an unofficial one across the United States, but it has gained special resonance this year in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests against police violence that have taken place over the past few weeks, not only in the US but around the world. As a result, there are rallies, protests and activities happening all around the US and beyond this weekend under the heading six nineteen (i.e., the sixth month's nineteenth day). As my own small contribution, I've made a list of songs from the past century or so addressing racial issues in the US and celebrating black pride. There are of course many other worthy songs, and probably I'll be kicking myself over having left out an important one soon after I post this, but I think I've at least covered many of the best ones here. Black Lives Matter!
We Shall Overcome (Traditional), performed by Pete Seeger (1964) - A song with a very complex history stretching back well over a century, it became an anthem of the civil rights movement in the US. There are countless versions of the song, but here I'm including the one by Pete Seeger, who helped popularize the song and was probably responsible for changing the original "We Will Overcome" to "We Shall Overcome".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfo_W73n0hE
Strange Fruit (A. Meeropol), performed by Billie Holiday (1939) - Jewish-American writer Abel Meeropol first wrote the harrowing lyrics to Strange Fruit, a song about the lynching of black people in the US South, as a poem, which he published under his pen name Lewis Allen, and he later set it to music with the help of his wife and a black singer named Laura Duncan. They performed it around New York, and it came to the attention of Billie Holiday, who recorded it in 1939. Her version went on to sell more than a million copies, despite the grim subject matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mO92ll_q0k
Black, Brown and White (B. Broonzy), performed by Big Bill Broonzy (1950s) - This song by blues singer Big Bill Broonzy addresses racial discrimination in the US, but instead of merely focusing on the different treatment received by black and white people, Broonzy points out that being "brown", i.e. an African American with lighter skin tones, while not as good as being white, was considered more acceptable than being black, i.e., dark skinned. The song covers discrimination in employment, entertainment, wages and voting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0c1c0ZsTLA
Blowin' in the Wind (B. Dylan), performed by Bob Dylan (1962) - Dylan's famous folk song, while it addresses war as well as race relations, became an anthem of the civil rights movement, and inspired black musicians like Sam Cooke to create their own civil rights anthems. Also worth mentioning is Dylan's "Oxford Town", inspired by anti-black rioting in Oxford, Mississippi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA
Mississippi Goddam (N. Simone), performed by Nina Simone (1964) - This song by African American singer Nina Simone was her response to violence against black people in the South. While stations in the South refused to play it, it became another civil rights anthem, and Simone sang it at the 1965 civil rights marches in the South.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tHYGfRot5w
A Change Is Gonna Come (S. Cooke), performed by Sam Cooke (1964) - I posted something about this classic song by Sam Cooke a couple of weeks ago. Inspired in part by "Blowin' in the Wind" and by racism Cooke experienced personally, it is widely considered the best song in his already impressive catalogue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4
People Get Ready (C. Mayfield), performed by The Impressions (1965) - This gospel-influenced song written by Curtis Mayfield, lead singer of The Impressions, is another highly regarded classic inspired by the African American fight against oppression. It has been widely covered by artists including Aretha Franklin and Bob Marley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG-KNy1MRTc
Respect (O. Redding), performed by Aretha Franklin (1967) - This song was originally written and recorded by soul singer Otis Redding, but Aretha Franklin drastically rearranged it, turning it to an anthem for both feminism and black rights. Also worth noting is Aretha's own composition "Think", probably my favorite song by her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0
Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (J. Brown, A. Ellis), performed by James Brown (1968) - Just months after releasing the reactionary "America Is My Home", James Brown took a big step towards restoring his reputation with this call for black empowerment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bJA6W9CqvE
Blackbird (P. McCartney), performed by The Beatles (1968) - Paul McCartney has said this classic song from the Beatles' White Album was inspired in part by the civil rights movement, with the "blackbird" being a metaphor for a black woman struggling for her rights. Many years later, McCartney addressed racial issues again with his hit duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo
Everyday People (S. Stone), performed by Sly and the Family Stone (1968) - This song by Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart is a plea for racial equality and mutual understanding. It popularized the catchphrase "different strokes for different folks".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUUhDoCx8zc
What's Going On (A. Cleveland, R. Benson, M. Gaye), performed by Marvin Gaye (1971) - This classic soul song addresses all the social problems going on the US at the time, including racial conflict and the war in Vietnam, and is still considered one of Gaye's best recordings. This video from 2019 opens and ends with clips of Gaye performing and intercuts the song with scenes from recent events and protests in America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5TmORitlKk
Black and White (D. Arkin, E. Robinson), performed by Three Dog Night (1972) - This anti-racism song dates back to 1954 (Pete Seeger was the first to record it, in 1956), but the best known recording was Three Dog Night's hit version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f65mO146Zo
Living for the City (S. Wonder), performed by Stevie Wonder (1973) - This song by Stevie Wonder tells the story of a young black man from Mississippi who moves to New York City and paints a picture of the hardships faced by many African Americans, from hard, low-paying jobs to a racist criminal justice system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu95a_RiH54
Rednecks (R. Newman), performed by Randy Newman (1974) - A listener who heard this song by Randy Newman without paying close attention might easily conclude that the song is racist, sung as it is by a white man who makes heavy use of the n-word and repeats lines about "keeping the n***ers down". But it is in fact a satire, one that mocks both ignorant racists in the South and hypocrites in the North, who call Southerners racist while forcing black people living in Northern cities into ghettos through policies such as redlining. Not comfortable listening for anyone, but razor sharp in its criticism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTLHxpUQ_B8
Redemption Song (B. Marley), performed by Bob Marley (1980) - Bob Marley recorded this song solo, singing and playing acoustic guitar, and released it only half a year before he died of cancer. With its lines about emancipating yourself from mental slavery taken from a speech by Marcus Garvey, it had strong associations with black consciousness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5xonFSC4c
The Way It Is (B. Hornsby), performed by Bruce Hornsby and the Range (1986) - This song by Bruce Hornsby was one of the most social conscious hits of the mid 1980s, condemning hardened racist and classist attitudes and featuring a great piano hook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRQjzltaMQ
Sign o' the Times (Prince), performed by Prince (1987) - Prince wasn't known for writing socially conscious lyrics, but he addressed a wide range of social ills in the title track to this album that many critics consider his best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdxM72EZ94
Talkin' 'bout a Revolution (T. Chapman), perfomed by Tracy Chapman (1988) - Tracy Chapman's songs often addressed social issues, and one of her best songs in that vein was this one from her first album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv8FBjo1Y8I
Funny Vibe (V. Reid), performed by Living Colour (1988) - A couple of weeks ago I posted about Living Colour's "Which Way to America", one of black rock band Living Colour's many songs that focused on social problems faced by African Americans, and this song, which tells about the racial profiling that is a daily experience for black men, is another great example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag2KgtwATfI&t=1s (original version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D_uJFs76zU (new version with extra rap verses)
Fight the Power (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Boxley, K. Boxley), performed by Public Enemy (1989) - This classic rap song by Public Enemy featured in Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing and is still a favorite theme song for those fighting unjust authorities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj9SeMZE_Yw
Free Your Mind (D. Foster, T. McElroy), performed by En Vogue (1992) - This hit song performed by En Vogue attacks prejudice and calls for racial tolerance, with a musical backing that's a powerful fusion of rock and soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7iQbBbMAFE
Where Is the Love? (will.i.am, api.de.ap, Taboo, J. Timberlake, P. Board, M, Frantantuno, G. Pajon), performed by The Black Eyed Peas (2003) - This Black Eyed Peas hit lists numerous social ills in the US and around the worlds and makes a plea for racial unity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYeekQkAdc
Formation (B. Knowles, Rae Sremmurd, A. Hogan, M. Williams), performed by Beyonce (2016) - Beyonce's powerful video for this song helped cement its message of female black empowerment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZJPJV__bQ
This Is America (D. Glover, L. Goransson, J. Williams), performed by Childish Gambino (2018) - One of the most lauded and discussed videos of the past few years is this one by Childish Gambino, the alter ego of singer/rapper/actor Donald Glover, which paints a grim picture of gun violence and conflict in America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY
