Archive by Song Title

Q-Z

Ramblers' Song (Ewan McColl)
Nigel Baldwin, UK

The Rebel Girl (Joe Hill)
(American labour union organiser framed and executed in Utah in 1914)
Steven Weeks, UK

Redemption Song (Bob Marley)
Gillian, London
Mike, USA
Umesh, Nepal
Fran, UK
Michael, USA
Julian Hunt, UK
Clare Hudson, UK

Religious Persuasion (Andy White)
Samantha Chapman, UK

Revolution (The Beatles)
Eddie Janssens, Belgium
John Paul Rosario, USA
Rajesh Kumar, Malaysia
Jim, USA
David Lowther, Ireland
Malcolm Saunders, Grand Cayman

The Revolution was Postponed Because of Rain
(Brooklyn Funk Essentials)
(A humorous reflection on the contradictory nature of movements).
Glen Heller, USA

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
(Gil Scott Heron)
Doug Stratton, London
Susan Schomburg, USA
Samson Tadesse, Canada
Stella Maranga, Kenya

Rockin' In The Free World (Neil Young)
Paul Higham, UK
Akshay, USA

Rosa Luxemburg
Mark Craig, Scotland

Ruby (Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)
Stephen Chance, UK

Running on the Rocks (Shreikback)
Hooman, USA

Sahyyed Oussourak aal mazareh (Sheikh Imam Issa) translates to 'Build your castles on our farms.'
Fouad, USA

Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud
(James Brown)
Helena Marie Hill, USA

Sci-Finance (Van Der Graaf Generator)
(Raw in your face song about corporate greed, hypocracy, and the idea of money as the absolute goal. Perfect for todays corporate scandals).
Phebe Hemphill, USA

Sheep Farming in the Falklands (CRASS)
David Lowther, Ireland

Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello, Robert Wyatt)
Stephen Chance, UK
Fran, UK
Mick, UK
Mario, New Zealand
Mikael Persson, Sweden
Amanda Timperley, UK
Phil Cook, USA
Jorge Sanchez, Spain
Geraint Emes, UK
Heather, Liverpool

Short Memory (Midnight Oil)
(It is a song about 'issue fatigue' and 'it doesn't affect me so I don't care'. This song calls on us all to change).
Susan Collins, UK

Sixteen Tons
Ilya Girin, USA

Sleep Now in the Fire
(Rage Against the Machine)
Andrew Donaldson, Edinburgh

The Socialist ABC (Alex Glasgow)
John Whysall, London

Solidarity Forever (Joe Hill)
(American labour union organiser framed and executed in Utah in 1914)
Steven Weeks, UK

Someday We Will All Be Together
(Mordechai ben David)
(Expresses strong Jewish feelings for a unified Israel, the return of the Jewish People, and the coming of the Messiah).
Joshua E. Corey, USA

Something Inside So Strong (Labi Siffre)
(The song is primarily about the injustices of the Aparthied regime of South Africa).
Imran, UK
Barry, Ireland
Penny, London

So Much Trouble in the World (Bob Marley)
Jeremiah Massoud, USA

Song of the Bird (Pablo Casals)
(Pablo Casals the cellist used to play a little Catalan folk song at the end of every concert he did. He exiled himself from that country as a protest at the fascist regime of Franco).
John Ling, UK

Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Fela Kuti)
Chris Niemitz, USA

Stand Down Margaret (The Beat)
Mario, New Zealand

Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix)
Reuben Ayres, UK
xTx, UK
Victoria Sharp, USA

States of Emergency (Stiff Little Fingers)
James Frederic, UK

Straight To Hell (The Clash)
(It is about immigrants who escape to a supposedly civilised country like Britain or the US, only to face poverty, hardship and even hatred. It's a compassionate song and, as shown by the treatment of modern asylum seekers, sadly still relevant).
Lisa Marie, Manchester

Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday)
Stephen Chance, UK
Mikael Persson, Sweden
Peter Murphy, Australia
Michael Dingle, USA

Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan)
(The ultimate protest song in my opinion).
Rolf Jonsson, Sweden

The Sun Of Justice (Mikis Theodarakis)
Andrew Stone, UK
(It is one of the most famous of his Greek protest songs from the 1960's).

Sunday, Bloody Sunday (U2)
Tarik, Ukraine

Superfly (Curtis Mayfield)
(A controversial song about a drug dealer and the forces that drive the illicit drug trade).
Nathan Savage, USA

Suspect Device or Wasted Life
(Stiff Little Fingers)
Mike, USA

Swamp Thing (The Chameleons)
Mick, UK

Sweet and Tender Hooligan (The Smiths)
(About the inadequacy of the UK judicial system).
Barry, UK

Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution (Tracy Chapman)
Celeste M. Castorena, USA

Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues (Bob Dylan)
Patrick K. USA

Talkin' World War III Blues (Bob Dylan)
Patrick K. USA

Taxman (Beatles)
Rajesh Kumar, Malaysia
Shakir Khan, UK

Tender Comrade (Billy Bragg)
Dana D. Boyette, USA

There Were Roses (Tommy Sands)
Ian, UK

The Wall (Steppenwolf)
(Song is about the plight of the East German people seeking freedom).
Danny Crouse, USA
Tony Mullan, Canada
Agwu Kalu, Nigeria

Third World Child (Asibonanga (Mandela's song))
Raphael, USA

This Land is Our Land (Woody Guthrie)
Julian Hunt, UK
Richard Weeks, UK
Florence Halprin, USA
Julian Hunt, UK
Joe, USA

Throwin' Stones (The Grateful Dead)
(An anthem of the world political mess).
Eric Morris, USA

The Times They are a Changing (Bob Dylan)
James, USA
George Pappas, USA
Malcolm Saunders, Grand Cayman

'Tis of Thee (Ani DiFranco)
Jaime Jones, USA

To Hell With Poverty (Gang of Four)
Chris Niemitz, USA

Tramp The Dirt Down (Elvis Costello)
Mads Ravn, Denmark

Treaty (Yothu Yindi)
Louisa, Australia

Trelawney (the Cornish National Song)
Malcolm Saunders, Grand Cayman

Trouble Man (Marvin Gaye)
Kirstie Forbes

Truth Is Marching In (Albert Ayler)
Karl Evangelista, USA

Uncle Song (The Kinks)
Duncan Smith, Canada

Union Sundown (Bob Dylan)
Andy Canfield, Thailand

United States (Theo Simon)
(A great contemporary anti-war song written in the wake of September 11th).

United States of Amnesia (Robert Wyatt)
(Right on target in its portrayal of the blissfully ignorant attitude we Americans adopt when it comes to our genocidal treatment of the indigenous population, past and present).
Ken Lyons, USA

Universal Soldier (Donovan)
Paddy O'Connell, Edinburgh
D. Kilgallon, UK
Mike, USA

The Unwanted (Third Circle)
Joseph Daly, UK

The Update (Beastie Boys)
Thomas Dolister, USA
(Tackles both the Tibetan struggle and environmental damage: "The Mother Earth needs to be respected, it's been far too long that she's been neglected.")

Uprising (Bob Marley)
Samson Tadesse, Canada

Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation)
(Anthem of the armed wing of the ANC).
Mick Kahn, UK

U.S. Forces (Midnight Oil)
William Nedblake, UK

Vande Mataram (Bangla/Hindi) Written by Babkimchand Chattopadhyaya.
Avatans Kumar, USA

Victoria (The Kinks, The Fall)
Tony Mullan, Canada

Viva la Quinte Brigada (Spanish Civil War)
K.F.kelly

Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine)
Tom Stubbs, UK

Waiting for the Great Leaps Forward
(Billy Bragg)
James Goldschmidt, USA

Wallflower (Peter Gabriel)
(For prisoners of concience)
Simon, Germany

Wannabe (Spice Girls)
Daniel, London
(Highlighting the collapse of communism in an increasingly capitalist world).

War (Bob Marley)
Marc, USA
Seymour Burke, USA
Raphael, USA
Ben Cochrane
Kiarie Nguri

War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
J.Poirier, USA
Rob G, London

Washington Bullets (The Clash)
Michael, USA

Wasteland of the Free (Iris Dement)
Graham Watkins, UK

Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
Steve Newman, USA

We Didn't Start the Fire (Billy Joel)
Jonkergouw, Netherlands

We Seek No Wider War
(Phil Ochs)
Mary, USA

We Shall Be Free (Garth Brooks)
Brian Gipson, USA

We Shall Overcome (Joan Baez)
(Because it reminds everyone of the fight for civil rights in the US, T. Clarkson)
(The most poignant, yet positive expression of hope from the 60's. Mitzi Walsh, USA).
A Dasgupta, UK
Fubara Seki, Nigeria

We Work the Black Seam (Sting)
Mario, New Zealand

Welcome Back Victoria (Jesus Jones)
Alexi, London

Wele di Gymru (Take a look at Wales) (Dafydd Iwan)
(It has the universal message of asking people who have risen from the masses exactly what it is they are doing for the people now that they have found their comfortable positions in government, the media etc).
Martin Morgan, UK

We're All Going to Die
(Country Joe & the Fish)
Paddy O'Connell, Edinburgh

What About Me?
(Quicksilver Messenger Service)
Brandon Sutherland, USA

What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)
Cameron, USA
Kirstie Forbes

What It's Worth (Stephen Stills)
(This is the song which first awakened my political conscience).
Cheryl Anderson, USA

What Should I See (Frozen Ghost)
Shawn, USA
(In this age of increasing government supervision and decaying civil liberties, its central message is ever more valid: beware the man who claims to know what's best for you).

When Ya Get Drafted (Dead Kennedys)
Scott Wingo, USA

Where do the Children Play (Cat Stevens)
Sufyan Al-Jeadah, Qatar

Where Have All the Flowers Gone
(Peter, Paul & Mary)
Shel, USA
Esther Streep, Amsterdam

Where Next Columbus? (Crass)
Chris Niemitz, USA

When The Ship Comes In (Bob Dylan)
Chris Toll

Which Way are you Goin' (Jim Croce)
(This song provides socio-political criticism of right and left wing Americans).
Joanne, US

Whitey on the Moon (Gil Scott Heron)
Missouri Waite, USA

Who's Next? (Tom Lehrer)
Paul, UK

Who's Watching You (Anti Social Workers)
Paul Wellings, UK

The Wicklow Boy (Christy Moore)
Fran, UK

Winds of Change (The Scorpions)
Manova Lowman, USA

Winter Song (Alan Hull)
(For victims of social injustice)
Simon, Germany

With God on Our Side (Bob Dylan)
Erik Haatvedt, Norway
Chris Gabb, UK
Patrick K. USA
Wendy, USA

Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)
Tania, London
Dan Samaras

Workers' Song (Dick Gaughan)
(The ultimate truth of life for most ordinary people since the Industrial Revolution).
Mike Edwards, UK

Working Class Hero (John Lennon)
Angie Drakopoulos, New York
Michael, Ireland

World Turned Upside Down
(Leon Rosselson also Billy Bragg)
Alison, St.Lucia
Rina Picciotto, UK

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore (John Prine)
Ron Viers, USA

Zahrat al-Mada'in (Fayrouz)
A.Bichara

Zimbabwe (Bob Marley)
(Within one song he put together the aspirations of the vast majority of people all over the world as it relates to their freedom. Innocent Monya-Tambi, USA).
Kwabena Tawiah, Ghana

Zombie (Fela Kuti)
Mohamed, London
(Because it says so much about the sheep like qualities of human nature 'Zombie no go think unless you tell'em to think').