The Forces of Protest Music of the Past

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Music has always been a powerful force. It speaks to people and allows musicians themselves to express their feelings and grievances in the best way they can. It has messages ranging from the storytelling of personal experiences to bold declarations regarding the state of the world. The history of protest music worms its way into every corner of social justice activism, resulting in a patchwork of powerful tunes that still ring true despite being released in a different social or political context than today. 

1. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke (1964)
Music was a powerful inspiration and expression for those involved during the Civil Rights Movement. Folk singers such as Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez performed at marches and wrote songs about injustice. However, one of the most iconic melodies of the movement was Sam Cooke’s 1964 hit “A Change Is Gonna Come,” a hopeful ballad inspired by Cooke’s experience living in the Jim Crow South. After hearing Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” a song with similar messaging, he was inspired to communicate his hopefulness and drive for his cause through his lyrics: “Lor,’ there been a time that I thought/ I couldn’t last for long / But now I think I’m able to / Carry on…” It is one of the most iconic protest songs of all time, commemorating the Civil Rights Movement and its accomplishments while still looking constantly toward the future and the changes to come. 

2. Only a Pawn in Their Game - Bob Dylan (1964)
By the time he’d released “Only A Pawn In Their Game,” Dylan was already a folk superstar, known for his 1962 classic “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Much of his music was politically charged and intended in protest, as with this particular song. “Only A Pawn In Their Game” is a criticism of politicians who sowed racially divisive rhetoric among poor white populations, which manipulated thousands of people into racial hatred of African Americans. It specifically references the murder of Medgar Evers, the field secretary of the NAACP, who was shot outside of his home in 1963. Though not one of his most known tunes, it’s a strong condemnation of the culture in which racism is bred and encouraged.

3. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
The Vietnam War was a difficult time for America, and those experiencing the brunt of it were hardly silent in their frustration. The war, one with no apparent cause or importance to the American people, prompted mass activism in protest of the war machine as hundreds of thousands of young men died overseas. John Fogerty, the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, saw his own experiences reflected in those young men. He observed how children of politicians and businessmen, along with wealthy children, were often able to avoid the draft, while lower-class men were almost always mandated to serve. This disadvantage disturbed him greatly and catalyzed him to write “Fortunate Son,” the most iconic song of the war and a totem of protest music for decades to come. “It ain't me, it ain't me / I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no / It ain't me, it ain't me / I ain't no fortunate one, no,” snarls Fogerty, jabbing sharply at the circumstances and people, such as President Richard Nixon, that allowed the war and its unequal effects to take place.

4. F*** the Police - N.W.A. (1989)
In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Police Department was rife with corruption. Among their main focuses was the issue of gang violence, spawning equally violent initiatives to combat it, ones that specifically targeted Black and brown communities of the city. “A war on gangs, to me, is a politically correct word to say a war on anybody you think is a gang member… It meant a war on every black kid with a baseball hat, a T-shirt, some jeans, and some tennis shoes. So it was just too much to bear, to be under that kind of occupying force, who was abusive. It’s just - enough is enough. Our music was our only weapon,” said Ice Cube in a 2015 Rolling Stone interview. N.W.A, composed of rappers and producers Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Arabian Prince and DJ Yella, responded to this wave of oppression and their own experiences with “F*** the Police,” an unwavering declaration against the mistreatment of Black people at the hands of law enforcement. The issue of police brutality was not new at the time or now - the song experienced a revival in popularity following the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. It follows the format of a mock court proceeding in which the group’s members act as prosecutors to the Los Angeles Police Department and its crimes. The song and the group faced intense censorship and backlash in response to the song. Despite this, the members still reinforce its message, and its timelessness is seen throughout today's activist movements. 

Music is a product of a moment in history, and this history continues every day, with more music being released than ever before. The legacy of songs and artists who put their beliefs out into the world to pledge allegiance to a cause stands out, strong and remarkable, among all the noise. These artists and their creations will speak to future and current generations for years to come, with each message ringing clearer and hopefully closer to freedom with each listen.