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“Go down moses and let my people go”
Go down moses and let my people go is a work song written at the very beginning of slavery. Indeed slavery began in 1619. During this period black slaves sang spirituals songs refering to parts of the Bible. Go down moses and let my people go expresses the hope that slaves had to be freed from slavery. This song was interpreted by Louis Armstrong in 1958 during Segregation. -
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The era of american slavery
The era of slavery in the united states begans in 1619. Slavery began in the colony of virginia and ended during the civil war. -
“Liberty song”
The writer of this song is still unknown. Yet the song was heard the first time in 1768 and was inspired by John Dickinson’s lyrics. Another inspiration is the Royal Navy anthem : Heart of Oak. It is considered as one of the very first patriotical songs from the 13 colonies. Here’s a famous quote : “united we stand, divided we fall”. An update two years later mentioned the quarrel with England which led to the independence of these colonies. -
"lift every voice and sing"
This spiritual song was written in the 1900s but was sung during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. This song was also used to protest for equal rights, freedom, and loyalty. -
"we shall overcome" charles tindley
This music is one of the most famous protest songs in the United States. There are many versions of this gospel song for example John baez or pete seeger. But originally this song was written by charles tindley in 1900. -
“Which side are you on ?” by florence reece
Which side are you on ? was written in 1931 during the Harlan County War by Florence Reece. Since her husband was the leader of an union organizer that fought for miners’ rights, the Sheriff of the city tried to intimidate them to stop him. After that night, Florence wrote this song. Nowadays it is still a symbol of rebellion for miners and an anthem for trade unions. -
"The times are A-changin" Bob dylan
This folk song written by bob dylan in the 1960s to fight against war. At that time the war was in Vietnam and Algeria. -
"respect" aretha franklin
Respect" is a soul song written by Aretha Franklin in the 1960s. The 1960s was the time when women started standing up for their rights. "Respect" entered the white charts. It was obviously a great performance for women and the black population. -
“You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore
This protest song was written by Lesley Gore. It originally came out in 1963 but was interpreted several times by other artists, showing its relevance through the years. Lesley Gore sings about men’s need to control women’s body, mind, choices and basically their life. Furthermore she sings about how women don’t belong to men and are independent. Indeed, “you don’t own me”. -
"Imagine" by Jon Lennon
This soft rock ballad was written by John Lennon to warn people about the war in Vietnam. This song contains a call for peace and unity with its children's melody. -
“Born in the usa” by Bruce Springsteen
Born in the USA is a rock protest song which was written and sung by Bruce Springsteen. This song criticizes the Vietnam war while paying tribute to Springsteen’s best friend who died during the war. Moreover he fights for a better rehabilitation of war veterans in the society since at this time they were rejected. -
"Fight the power" by enemy
"fight the power" was written in 1989 by enemy. Initially written for a film, it will be a great success independently of the film. This music invites us to fight inequality by rebelling against the power in place. -
“Wake me up when september ends” by green day
Wake me up when september ends came out June 13 2005. The song deals with the struggles after his dad’s death the first of september 1982. Through the storyline of the music video, Green Day denounces the engagement of young people in the military. Indeed, they condemn the delusional marketing around the military which doesn’t portray reality. During the Iraq war, a lot of young people enlist in the marine part of the military, also known as Jarhead. -
“This is america” Childish Gambino
This is America is a rap song that came out in 2018 and written by Childish Gambino. This song protests against police brutality but also firearms’ legal. This song made even more sense during the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the United-States. Indeed, this movement denounces racism and police brutality, which are the issues tackled in This is America.