Purpleheepster From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 62 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1718 times:
I bought the Kaiser Chiefs album "Employment" today. I had never heard of them until I saw them on the Jools Holland show recently performing "I predict a riot"
I've played the CD a couple of times in the car and it's really good. Great to here a band whose lyrics aren't just about love but which comment on today's society.
It got me wondering about which other of the modern bands use their music to make social comment.
So I pass this on to the younger 'rockers' out there to enlighten me!
777236ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1712 times:
Usually preaching to the converted, and tend not to mind using big corporate to spread their 'message'. Weren't Rage Against The Machine on Sony? Hmmm.
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 3, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1698 times:
The only two I can think of straight away that do so are System of a Down and Marilyn Manson will occasionally throw in some social commentary. Rage Against the Machine used to until de la Rocha left the band and they toned down the politics with Audioslave, although Tom Morello does remain quite politically active, forming the Axis of Justice with SOAD's Serj Tankian to help motivate youth interest in politics.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
RayChuang From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 7711 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1692 times:
I think Bruce Springsteen and the group Green Day are easily the best-known for making political commentary as part of their music, at least here in the USA.
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1677 times:
DfwRevolution From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1671 times:
Quoting Jaysit (Reply 6): Some do it well. U2 comes to mind.
U2 for sure! You could also say Incubus to some extent with Meglomaniac
CCR with Fourtunate Son (Vietnam)
Coldplay with Politik (NAFTA)
Quoting RayChuang (Reply 5): I think Bruce Springsteen and the group Green Day are easily the best-known for making political commentary as part of their music, at least here in the USA.
Correction: Green Day tries to include social commentary. I wouldn't say the successfuly do so...
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38588 posts, RR: 80 Reply 11, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1670 times:
Quoting Garnetpalmetto (Reply 8): Remember, Logan...Superfly's calendar doesn't go further than 1979
Quoting Jaysit (Reply 6): Some do it well. U2 comes to mind.
I own 5 U2 albums and I just can't get passed Bono's voice no matter how hard I try. Same goes for REM with that goat as a lead singer. YUCK!
I'd much rather listen to Joan Baez.
DAL767400ER From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 5721 posts, RR: 50 Reply 12, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1664 times:
Rammstein does it as well, albeit in their own weird way . A side question about SOAD (currently my fav band) though: What are they gonna sing about after 2008 ?
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 13, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1662 times:
The Neoclowns won't agree but do you expect them to?
Green Day do it really, really badly. Cliched lyrics, with no real point other than 'we don't like Bush.' Yeah, great. They took advantage of public opinion in the US to sell records, there's nothing 'punk' about them.
JCS17 From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 8065 posts, RR: 43 Reply 16, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1647 times:
I don't know. The way I see it, is it's just like having Babs Streisand, Michael Moore, or Chevy Chase jab the Bush Adminstration. Great, you don't like the Bush administration or their "redneck agenda," but at the same time most of you don't hold a college degree, you have never been a part of any kind of government and I'm supposed to listen to you about what I'm supposed to believe? Yeah, right. I can deal with the New York Times editorial page bashing the administration, fine with me, most of their editorialists are very well educated and knowledgeable in world affairs. They just happen to have a different view than I do. In my opinion, the work of Green Day, Michael Moore, etc. is to score the imbeciles that are politically indifferent by saying that it's "cool" in American pop culture to hate conservatives. I railed against the "Get Out and Vote" movement here in October because all it does is incorporate pop culture in an attempt to get dumbasses to vote. It's different if you're liberal and you actually keep up with politics and are able to develop these thoughts by yourself.
And I do have all of the Rage Against the Machine albums, I disagree with them, but I like their music. And as 777236ER pointed out, it's always good for a laugh that these guys are so anti-corporation but they are signed with Sony.
TPASXM787 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 1730 posts, RR: 22 Reply 17, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1641 times:
Dave Matthews does it a lot too...good thing I don't pick my music based on politics.
They all have the right to say what they want to, I just couldn't care less about their political beliefs.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38588 posts, RR: 80 Reply 18, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1627 times:
I am as liberal as they come and I love music but I would never buy an album just because I like someones politics. It's all about the music.
Many bands I do like may have a lyric that is political but they don't run around chasing headlines either.
I'd be happy if Bono went in to politics and never, EVER sang again!
I love his politics but I hate his singing!
Aerobalance From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 4634 posts, RR: 51 Reply 20, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1610 times:
Jaysit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1607 times:
Same goes for REM with that goat as a lead singer. YUCK!
I'm with you on that one.
I can't stand that pretentious skinny twit twisting around and bleating on stage while attempting to make some political point which is usually "I'm skinny, the world is mean, I hate the establishment, therefore hug me."
Who the hell cares?
I railed against the "Get Out and Vote" movement here in October because all it does is incorporate pop culture in an attempt to get dumbasses to vote.
How noble. Now what about those anti-gay GOP ads that used the Bible to get a different kind of dumbass to vote?
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 23, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1593 times:
Quoting CPH-R (Reply 22): I would hardly say they make a social comment - most of the time, they're usually trying to piss off the people who call them nazis etc.
Amerika? The music video for Sonne? I'd say that, combined with media statements some band members have made (I believe Flake, in particular) would qualify as social commentary.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
KCMike From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (8 years 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1588 times:
Limp Bizkit has touched on it a little in their latest album "The Unquestionable Truth Part 1"
Dustoff
25 J.mo: I will disagree with Superfly on U2. I like Bono's voice for the fact it is not the most perfect. It works well with their music and there is no denyi
26 DLKAPA: I wonder how many of you people have heard Green Day's "Jesus of Suburbia" Medley? That and the rest of the American Idiot CD is arguably one of the
27 TheCoz: What I would like to think about is seeing the lead singer of any band as president. Could you see someone like the lead singer of Green Day running t
28 Srbmod: The sad thing is that the song was written in the late 1980s around the time "It's The End of the World As We Know It" was written (They both sound r
29 Garnetpalmetto: Dead serious. What do you think songs like "Californication" and "Venice Queen" are about precisely? Mind you they do stay away from social commentar
30 Senorcarnival: It's really annoying to listen to "the world sucks/my father beat me as a child/please help" lyrics, a la Staind, for example. You'd figure with all t
31 DLKAPA: Actually I like Staind alot. Let's just say they're lyrics helped me through some tough times ala the song "Blow Away."
33 Aerorobnz: Too Bloody right. They're about as punk as Michael Jackson is normal... Amen. Add The Dead Kennedys, The Ramones, NOFX, Bad Religion etc to that. The
35 NUair: I would say they are the one and only band that 100% fits into this category. THE DEAD HEART (Midnight Oil) We don't serve your country Don't serve y
36 Superfly: Jaysit & Mir: I know that I am all alone in my dislike of Bono's voice. The three other members are excellent performers but Bono comes off as a drama
37 JUANR: I think there are two different subjects here: one is using their music to express a politic point of view and other is making social comments without
38 Aerobalance: ......and Morrison, Tyler, Plant and Daltrey don't? Kind of hard to just stand behind a mic and sing without an instrument.....
39 Superfly: Aerobalance: I am not crazy about Jim Morrison and I can't stand Steven Tyler. Robert Daltry is OK but Robert Plant is a God! Robert Plant has a natur
40 AA61Hvy: System of a Down is very political. I think Green Day is full of shit. They all of a sudden got political, where were they in 2000? They had many CD's
41 DLKAPA: Out of purely idle curiosity, have you listened to the Pre-dookie albums, Kerplunk and 39/Smoothed?
42 AA61Hvy: I've heard Kerplunk, but not in quite some time. I love Dookie, one of the best cd's I own.
43 Superfly: That just sound hillarious! Bust I understand you're talking about Green Day.
44 777236ER: Complete rubbish. Someone at the record company obviously saw NOFX, and decided Green Day should do something like that. Obvious, trite, sensationali
45 Alessandro: Dead Kennedys, "Holiday in Cambodia" and Ramones "Bonzo goes to Bitburg" comes to mind...
46 AA61Hvy: I have no problem with a political CD, System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine are two of my favorite bands, I don't really agree with their sta
47 Superfly: I've had this discussion with some of my friends that are a lot more liberal than I am (yes they do do exist). I was saying that music really isn't a
48 Kay: Rage against the machine are the most political band I can think of. Never heard someone mean it (instead of just trying to sell it) like them. "he ma
49 RODOL: Bad Religion, SoCal Punk stalwarts, this is Kyoto Now! from 2002's Process of belief album. It's a matter of prescience No, not the science fiction ki
50 RODOL: ps, there are plenty more lyrics on the site www.thebrpage.net.
51 DLKAPA: Ok it's time the Green Day bashing needs to stop. How many of you people here were bashing the band back in 2000 saying "Green day sold out... they ar
52 777236ER: Green Day themselves admitted that the album that became 'American Idiot' had no political songs. Because they 'didn't like the administration' (read
54 Superfly: WhitaHatter: Within the last 15 years? Hard to believe but USA For Africa was 20 years ago. In 6th grade, we had to sing that at our graduation (June
55 Texan: Terri Hendrix and Billy Joe Shaver do it fairly consistently on the folk/country side of things. Texan
57 Lehpron: I think you folks forgot about "Bob Marley" About the political commentary, I've heard things from people along the line of "they do not know what the
58 FDXMECH: Bob Dylan .............. .............. ..............
59 Garnetpalmetto: Nope, didn't forget about him, but the thread starter was interested in "rock bands." Bob Marley doesn't qualify as a "rocker."
60 OzarkD9S: IMHO the best political track EVER was "Sun City" - Artists United Against Aparthied. The song COOKS and the message was, at the time...dead right.
61 Superfly: OzarkDC9S: I have that video on a VHS tape of 80s videos. I agree with the message and I liked the song when it came out. There is one short scene in
62 WhiteHatter: Proves my Fox News comments over again. Bob Geldof has NEVER STOPPED. Unfortunately what we see on the news here isn't what you see. Bob Geldof has n
63 Superfly: WhiteHatter: What I meant was artist who's lyrics that changed anything. Look at all the Fratboys and like minded people that loved Run-DMC and Public
64 WhiteHatter: "Do they know it's Christmas" certainly changed the world. Music and lyrics by Geldof and Ure. And continues to as it makes money year on year for Af
65 LTBEWR: As an old fart of 50 I remember a large amount of popular, rock and even R&B music lyrics of the 1967-1975 era based in political and social commentar
66 Mir: Oh I agree completely, but I'd still do anything to have that voice. -Mir
67 Superfly: Funny! If theres one or two vocalist I'd do anything to have there voice would be Gino Vannelli or Dennis DeYoung of STYX.
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From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 62 posts, 
From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38588 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, 
From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 5721 posts, 
. A side question about SOAD (currently my fav band) though: What are they gonna sing about after 2008 
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From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5754 posts, 
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