A Couple Bottles Short of a Six-Pack
Nov 27, 2006 Politicians / Politics, Suppression of Ideas
Don’t ya just love readin’ the news… saw an interesting article today and this piece was the result. Don’t have the music yet… but it’ll come.
I was in Pagosa Springs just the other day
Saw a man on a soapbox, stopped to hear what he’d say
He screamed take that peace sign off your abode
It’s the sign of the Devil, it belongs in your commode.
Take it down, we won’t ask twice
It ain’t no sin to kill a Commie for Christ
He said:
Freedom is for me,
Freedom’s not for you
You ask me how I know it’s true
‘Coz my neck is red
My skin is white
And my blood is blue
He stood on his toes to emphasize his point
While in the air behind me I thought I smelled a joint
He ranted and screamed that what he spoke was true
This passion for peace was the devil’s due
The value of our homes is gonna drop, you see
If our neighbors start to think their speech is free
He said:
Freedom is for me,
Freedom’s not for you
You ask me how I know it’s true
‘Coz my neck is red
My skin is white
And my truck is blue
He shouted let’s fine ‘em twenty-five a day
Show ‘em free speech has a price to pay
We mean business, this is not any bluff
Our property values are serious stuff
Remember, we got cov-e-nants
To stop people sayin’ whatever they want
He said:
Freedom is for me,
Freedom’s not for you
You ask me how I know it’s true
‘Coz my neck is red
My skin is white
And my dog’s named Blue
JOHANNESBURG BLUES – From the 1980s
Oct 21, 2006 Racism, Suppression of Ideas, Suppression of People
CHORUS:
You can tie my hands, you can shackle my feet
But you never can kill the beat
Of Freedom
You can jail my brothers and my sisters too
But you never can jail the truth
Of Freedom
So few of you have all the power
you seem so afraid of darkness
But you have to know it’s the eleventh hour
and recognize the real darkness
is in your hearts,
and in your minds,
and in your souls
CHORUS
The truth is something you fear most
you use your guns and jails to keep it quiet
You shoot the children, then you boast
that you have quelled a riot
It’s in your hearts,
and in your minds,
and in your souls
CHORUS
The day’s coming soon when you’ll have to run
and leave South Africa to its owners
You secret police will throw down their guns
and escape to different shores
you have no hearts,
you have no minds,
you have no souls
you have no hearts,
you have no minds,
you have no souls
repeat til fade
Cry Freedom – 1987
Oct 21, 2006 Racism, Suppression of Ideas, Suppression of People, Uncategorized
Just watched this film last night. I saw it when it first came out as an experience with the Denver International Film festival, had forgotten what an incredibly moving experience this film was. Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington were both brilliant. The story of the courage of Steve Biko and Donald Wood’s against the rages of an oppressive regime is incredible. Anyway, I moved on the inspiration and did some more research… here are a couple of the more interesting links I found.
Freedom Blues: S.African Jazz Under Apartheid
for more interesting stuff, Google music apartheid
Over the next couple of days I’ll dig into my archives and post a couple of pieces from the past.
Quack
What a Magic Word, this Freedom
Sep 4, 2006 Music Styles, Politicians / Politics, Racism, Suppression of Ideas, Suppression of People
The freedom to believe… or not to believe
The freedom to speak… or to remain silent
The freedom to vote… or to abstain
Freedom (Paul McCartney – New York City 2001)
Freedom (Richie Havens – Woodstock 1969)
Chimes of Freedom (Bob Dylan 1964)
Songs of Freedom (Bob Marley 1992)
Songs of Freedom (Santana)
We Shall Overcome (Guy Carawan, Candy Carawan from a piece by Charles Tindley)
Blowin’ in the Wind (Bob Dylan)
Your turn…..
Reggae Rules!
Sep 1, 2006 Racism, Reggae, Suppression of Ideas, Suppression of People, War
No appropriate discussion of political implications in music would be complete without the inclusion of Reggae. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytalls… the list is endless.
Some of my favorites (in no particular order):
Reggae Down Babylon (Jimmy Cliff) — reggae down apartheid!
Buffalo Soldier (Bob Marley) — the US government using former slaves to fight indigenous Americans…
Downpressor Man (Peter Tosh) — the Jamaican police state.
