Story Behind The Protest Song: A Reference Guide to the 50 Songs That Changed the 20th Century by Hardeep Phull

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Synopsis

Protest songs are united by the fact they all have something to say, something to dispute, or something to rile against, whether it be political, social, or personal. Story Behind the Protest Song features 50 of the most influential musical protests and statements recorded to date, providing pop-culture viewpoints on some of the most tumultuous times in modern history. Among the featured: songs about the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, the most recent upheaval over policy in the Middle East, as well as teenage rebellion, animal rights, criticisms of mass media, and even protest songs that lambaste other protest songs.

This indispensable guide tackles it all: the behind-the-scenes stories of the most influential protest songs in American popular culture, examining the subjects they address, the legacy they left, and the fabric of the songs themselves. Chronically arranged entries cover nearly 70 years of music and offer an expansive range of genres, including rock, punk, pop, soul, hip-hop, country, folk, indie, heavy metal, and more.

Each entry discusses the songwriter(s); the inspiration behind the song; and the social, cultural, and political context in which the song was released. Following a detailed musical and lyrical analysis, the entries explain the songs' impact and relevance today. Among the featured:

• The Unknown Soldier (The Doors)

• Masters of War (Bob Dylan)

• Say It Loud-I'm Black and I'm Proud (James Brown)

• Get Up, Stand Up (The Wailers)

• Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)

• Their Law (Prodigy)

•American Idiot (Green Day)

• Sweet Home Alabama (Lynrd Skynrd)

• Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen)

• Southern Man (Neil Young)

Entries are accompanied by further readings and a select discographies as well as a comprehensive resource guide at the end of the book. A must-read for students of music, history, and politics, this volume offers a unique reflection on the most significant and moving protest songs in American history.

VOYA

Phull's choice of fifty protest songs that he claims changed the twentieth century is grouped in dated chapters, such as "The Birth of a Nation (1939-1964)." The reader is given the artist, song title, songwriters, album, label, and date, followed by some history of the writer and song and the context in which it was written. The songs cover many societal categories, including war, animal rights, civil rights, the environment, and more. There are some concerns for this reviewer. Phull does not tell readers his selection method for these particular songs. They are not given his criteria for inclusion other than his personal view that they "changed the twentieth century" and that he wanted his choices to be as broad as possible. Where is "Where Have all the Flowers Gone?" Two appendixes list the songs chronologically and alphabetically, with no page references that might enable the reader to immediately find the text. Instead one must employ the extra step of going to the index, and then flipping to the correct pages. Of more use would have been a listing near the table of contents or the introduction, with page numbers. There are many sidebars that discuss songs, writers, or performers related to the main entries, but a check shows that quite a few are not listed in the index. All of the above could have been corrected by better editing. Did these songs change the twentieth century? It is doubtful that all did. This title might serve as a reference book particularly for teens, but its lightweight content will prevent its placement in academic libraries' reference shelves. Reviewer: Jane Van Wiemokly

Biography

HARDEEP PHULL is Hardeep Phull is a music journalist who writes for such publications as NME, Rock Sound, The Independent, Metro, Record Collector, Hip-Hop Connection, and Dazed And Confused.