Can you suggest a song with reference to social justice?

[PeckaRolloverAgain]

Hi

Im helping a friend with a presentation as part of her Youth and Community degree.

We need to think of a song that she can present and invoke a discussion on that link professional ethics, to equality, social justice and empowerment.

We have got as far as deciding to find a song that talks about racism but open to ideas.

Suggestions so far : Buffalo Soldier, Bob Marley; Talkiing bout a revolution, Tracey Chapman etc etc

Any suggestions would be great - thanks!

Pecka
xxx

god I love Billy Bragg

Waiting For The Great Leap Forward is one fo my favourites

"If no one seems to understand - start your own revolution and cut out the middle man"

must go dig it out and play really really loud

oh yes me too
The revolution is just a T shirt away

you have to really shout out that line don't you

Must I paint you a picture makes my scalp tingle

Agree JAA re BB.Personal fav BB lyric of all time is "How can you lie there and think of England/when you don't even know who is in the team!" always makes me chuckle he is very witty and writes excellent songs :0

Ordinary man Chrisy Moore

Songs about racism - The Staple Singers When Will We Get Paid for the Work That We've Done

Curtis Mayfield: We are the people who are darker than blue

YOUng gifted and black

Keep your eyes on the prize

Rotting on remand is good too also Billy Bragg

Nina Simone has done some great ones.

I was gonig to say 'War' too by Bob Marley.
Based on speech by Martin Luther King.
Bloody brilliant.
Did my A levels to that album (Rastaman Vibration)

Beds are burning is good too (Aussie band-can't remember who) All about Aboriginal land rights

Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell are good too for this sort of stuff.

Not a song but the poem by Benjamin Zephaniah, forget the name of it!

"I waz whitemailed
By a white witch,
Wid white magic
An white lies,
Branded by a white sheep
I slaved as a whitesmith
Near a white spot
Where I suffered whitewater fever.
Whitelisted as a whiteleg
I waz in de white book
As a master of white art,
It waz like white death."

Ooo! Free World by Kirsty Maccoll

Beds are burning was midnight oil. Good suggestion.

And deffo dylan.

Lots more from reggae world. Burning Spear is quite political, Linton Kwesi Johnson also.

Weird,listening to radio 4 simultaneously to Mumsnetting and they just played Billie Holliday singing "Strange Fruit" and are discussing the civil rights movement.

tons and tons by Peter Gabriel - Biko being the most obvious, but check out some of these song lyrics

Strange Fruit would be a great one to fuel discussion on racism.

(trawling through CD collection)

Radiohead - something from OK Computer Electioneering or No Surprises.

Linton Kwesi Johnsonn ffs, haven't thought of him in years. I'm off to download now.

Marvin Gaye - Abraham Martin and John; What's going on?

Bob Marley - No woman no cry; Redemption Song; Survival; Get up, Stand up

21 years in captivity
are you so blind that you cannot see?
are you so .... that you cannot feel?
freeeeeeeee eeee Nelson Mandela

Not sure it's exactly what you're looking for but "Weeping" is a song I find incredibly powerful to listen to.

It was written by a white South African during Apartheid - he was drafted into the army but was very Anti-Apartheid.

here about the band and

here a brief explanation of the lyrics from the author of the song.

Martyn Joseph?

Thanks for such fab suggestions!! They are brilliant.

She will be well chuffed