Nov. 16 – Protest Songs (607)

“There is the idea that a pop star has no right to voice their opinion.
But I was a person before I was a pop star,
and I’m due my opinion as much as anyone.”

–  Michael Stipe (R.E.M.)

For as long as there have been wars and civil injustices, there are have been artists giving voice to the powerless. Protest songs have been a well-documented and crucial part of our social dialogue and cultural fabric since as far back as the 1381 English Peasant Revolt. Since then, protest songs have taken many forms: Irish Rebel Songs, Algerian Rai, field hollers, Anti-apartheid anthems, Vietnam folk and rock music, 1960s civil rights ballads and Post-9/11 laments, to name a few. Even today, we have artists such as Pete Seeger, Tom Morello, Michael Franti, Jay-Z, Kayne West and Jeff Mangum visiting Occupy Wall Street sites across the country.

But protest songs have an inconsistent history. Some have been effective agents for change. Others have been labeled propaganda, fascist/socialists/hippie tripe, utopian or a reason for treason. Some have incited violence and hatred (Dixie Chicks, anyone?). And many others – well well-intentioned – have just been bad music.

It’s our semiannual Social Justice Awareness Week (SJAW) here again at KUST, and Great River Radio will be taking a listen to protest songs throughout history. What makes an effective protest song? Can a song be a protest song without deliberately saying as much? We’ll look into this when we play protest songs from some of our favorite artists (Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Tom Waits Arcade Fire, R.E.M., Bruce Cockburn, Jeff Mangum, Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, U2, Bright Eyes, The Staple Singers and Steve Earle). We’ll also play a few songs that might surprise you as protest songs. And finally, we’ll have a candid discussion about the current state of protest songs.

Please join us today from 4:15-5:45 p.m. for another informative and entertaining SJAW show from Great River Radio.

Details:
Great River Radio – Wednesdays 4:15-5:45 p.m.
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Brian and Dan

Playlist
This Land Is Your Land- Pete Seeger, Doc Watson, Sweet Honey In The Rock
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Time and Live-Bruce Springsteen
Ohio-Crosby Stills Nash  & Young
Let’s Impeach The President-Neil Young
When The President Talks To God-Bright Eyes
If I Had A Rocket Launcher-Bruce Cockburn
Talkin’ Bout A Revolution-Tracy Chapman
Final Straw-REM
Sunday Bloody Sunday-U2
Masters of War-The Staples Singers
Rich Man’s War-Steve Earle
Day After Tomorrow-Tom Waits
We Are The Many-Makana
Suburban War-Arcade Fire
Yell Fire!-Michael Franti & Spearhead
We Stand As One-Joseph Arthur

Nov. 9 – Walking (606)

 

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

                        J R R Tolkien 

Walking is the great adventure, the first meditation, a practice of heartiness and soul primary to humankind.  Walking is the exact balance of spirit and humility.

                      Gary Snyder “The Etiquette of Freedom”

Today on Great River Radio we’ll be doing an entire show on the theme of walking.  Dan has been walking more than running lately, due to a (hopefully minor) knee problem.  Walking in St. Paul and Minneapolis, along the Mississippi River and seeing the river flowing, the trees losing their leaves, the barges moving slowly upstream, and catching the eyes of fellow walkers, some solitary and quiet, others side by side and animated, one begins to experience a different kind of world, the outside world, the world of trees, grass, crows, dogs, rivers and sky.  There is a different awareness of the body in nature.  You see the world up close.  The legs are moving, the heart is pumping and the blood is flowing.  It is life.  It is humility and solitude and a sweet kind of meditation.

Many songs have been written about walking and we’re sure that many titles are springing to your mind right now.  Today, we’ll play some of them, and introduce you to a few new ones.  People walk away, they walk when they are blue, they walk when they are happy, they walk home.  And, sometimes, people run.

We’ll hear classics from Patsy Cline (the first song you thought of?), Dionne Warwick (the second?), as well as bluesmen Paul Butterfield and Robert Lockwood – walking has been the subject of some great blues tunes.  God walks, too, and we’ll hear from Iris Dement and The Blind Boys of Alabama on that topic.  Tune in this afternoon for these and more from Greg Brown, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Stacey Earle, Yo La Tengo, Vampire Weekend and Cloud Cult.  You may even want to download this show for later walks with your iPod.

Playlist
The Blues Walk-Clifford Brown and Max Roach
Cakewalk Into Town-Taj Mahal
Two Little Feet-Greg Brown
Walkin’ After Midnight-Patsy Cline
Walk On By-Dionne Warwick
Ramble On-Led Zeppelin
Blue Sky-Allman Brothers
New Walkin’ Blues-Paul Butterfield’s Better Days
Take a Little Walk With Me-Robert Lockwood Jr.
God Walks the Dark Hills-Iris Dement
Just A Closer Walk With Thee-The Blind Boys of Alabama
Walk With Me-Neil Young
I Walk Alone-Los Lobos
Long Walk Home-Bruce Springsteen
I Feel Like Going Home-Yo La Tengo
Runaway-Bonnie Raitt
How I Ran-Stacey Earle
Run-Vampire Weekend
Running With The Wolves-Cloud Cult