About the Songs Page
This page will contain a list of all songs we listen to in the class and as well as links to any song videos we’ll be watching. Nearly all the songs will be available on our Spotify playlist. If the song is not on Spotify, I will alert you in the homework and will provide a link to it below or, if necessary, on the Readings and Texts page. Sheet music is available on the Readings page.
Protest Music Spring 2021 Spotify Playlist
List of All Required Songs
The below list and the Spotify playlist will be updated throughout the semester.
- Week One
Jimi Hendrix, “Star Spangled Banner” (1969) - Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A” (1984)
- Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (1982)
- Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.” (2018)
Week Two - Janelle Monae, “Turntables” (2020)
- Shakira & J. Lo’s Full Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show (2020)
- Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit” (1936)
- Nina Simone, “Strange Fruit” (1965)
Week Three - Springsteen’s My Home to Yours, Episode 5 (June 3, 2020)
Bruce Springsteen, “American Skin (41 Shots)” (from High Hopes) - Bruce Springsteen, “Murder Incorporated” (from Live in New York City)
- Childish Gambino, “This Is America”
- Joe Grushecky & Bruce Springsteen, “That’s What Makes Us Great”
- Joe Grushecky & Bruce Springsteen, “Idiot’s Delight” (Vault Version premiere)
- Bob Dylan, “Political World”
- Bob Marley & the Wailers, “Burnin’ and Lootin'” (live at the Roxy)
- Martin Luther King Jr., “Keep Moving,” Birmingham 1963
- Kanye West, “Who Will Survive in America”
- Kanye West & Jay-Z (with Frank Ocean), “Made in America”
- Paul Robeson, “Go Down Moses”
- Bruce Springsteen, “Heaven’s Wall”
- Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, “Get Down Moses”
- Thea Gilmore, “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?”
- Bob Dylan, “Blind Willie McTell”
- Billie Holiday, “Strange Fruit”
- Nappy Roots, “Work in Progress”
- Paul Robeson, “The House I Live In”
- Patti Smith, “People Have the Power”
- Bob Dylan, “Murder Most Foul”
- United States Army Field Band Soldier’s Chorus, “America, My Country Tis of Thee”
- Gram Parsons, “In My Hour of Darkness”
Kristin Kurtis’s XPN Morning Show Playlist (June 1, 2020, between 6:00am and 8:00am) - Brittany Howard, “History Repeats”
- Leon Bridges, “Ball Of Confusion”
- BAILEN, “I Was Wrong”
- Timmy Thomas, “Why Can’t We Live Together”
- Elvis Costello & The Attractions, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding”
- Devon Gilfillian, “Unchained”
- Nina Simone, “Sinnerman”
- Hozier, Mavis Staples, “Nina Cried Power (feat. Mavis Staples)”
- Laura Marling, “Held Down”
- Bruce Springsteen, “We Shall Overcome”
- Black Pumas, “Colors”
- Aretha Franklin, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
- Sam Cooke, “Blowin’ In The Wind”
- Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin'”
- Elton John, “Border Song”
- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “What’ve I Done to Help”
- Richie Havens, “Freedom”
- Pete Townshend, “Stop Hurting People”
- The War and Treaty, “Healing Tide”
- Janelle Monae, “Cold War”
- Peter Tosh, “Equal Rights”
- Mavis Staples, “Change”
- Mavis Staples, “All In It Together”
Kristin Kurtis’s XPN Morning Show Playlist (January 7, 2021, between 6:20am and 7:30am) - Local Natives, Dark Days
- Stevie Wonder, “Love’s In Need Of Love Today”
- Ingrid Michaelson, “Be OK”
- Ray LaMontagne, “We’ll Make It Through”
- Yola, The Highwomen, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Hemby, “Hold On”
- Jamiroquai, “Virtual Insanity”
- Keane, “Everybody’s Changing”
- Amanda Shires, “That’s All”
- Genesis, “Land of Confusion”
- Childish Gambino, “This Is America”
- David Bowie, “I’m Afraid of Americans”
- Dr. John, “Revolution”
Week Four - Guy and Candace Carawan, “We Shall Overcome”
- MLK “We Shall Overcome” Speech on Westside Blanco’s Rise to Power II
- The Freedom Singers, “We Shall Overcome”
- Robert Paris Moses, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize”
- Charles Jones and Cordell Reagan, “Keep Your Eyes on the Price”
- Kim Weston, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
- Beyonce, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”
- The Montgomery Improvement Association, “This Little Light of Mine”
- The Freedom Singer, “This Little Light of Mine”
- Fannie Lou Hamer, “This Little Light of Mine”
Week Five - This Little Light of Mine – Betty Mae Fykes
- Oh Freedom – Hollis Watkins
- Go Tell It On The Mountain – Fannie Lou Hamer
- Wade In The Water – Fannie Lou Hamer
- We Shall Overcome – Voices Of Civil Rights Movement
- We Shall Not Be Moved – SNCC, Rutha Harris
- Which Side Are You On? – SNCC Freedom Singers, Cordell Reagon
- Oh Pritchett, Oh Kelly – SNCC Freedom Singers, Bertha Gober
- In The Mississippi River – SNCC Freedom Singers, Marshall Jones
- Ain’ Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around – SNCC Freedom Singers, Cordell Reagon
Week Six - Woody Guthrie, “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie (1947)
- Pete Seeger, Brother Kirk, Sesame Street characters and children, “This Land is Your Land,” Pete Seeger, Brother Kirk, Sesame Street characters and children (1974)
- Bob Dylan, “Song to Woody,” (1962)
- Woody Guthrie, “Hard Travelin’” (1944)
- “Johnny Hart (John Hardy),” Woody Guthrie (1944)
- “1913 Massacre,” Woody Guthrie (1945)
- “Do Re Mi,” Woody Guthrie (1940)
- “Talking Dust Bowl,” Woody Guthrie (1940)
- “So Long It’s Been Good to Know Ya,” Woody Guthrie (1940)
- “Union Buryin’ Ground,” Woody Guthrie
- “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World No More,” Woody Guthrie
- “1913 Massacre,” Woody Guthrie
- “Deportees,” Arlo Guthrie (1974)
- “Deportees,” Odetta (1964)
- “Deportees,” Dolly Parton (1980)
- “Deportees,” Sandra Velasquez (2012)
- “Deportees,” Tish Hinojosa (2013)
Songs by Artists Mentioned in the Garmen Reading - “John Hardy Was a Desperate Little Man,” The Carter Family (1928)
- “Can the Circle Be Unbroken,” The Carter Family (1935)
- “Lonesome Valley,” The Carter Family (1936)
- “Worried Man Blues,” The Carter Family (1930)
- “John Hardy,” Lead Belly
- “The Midnight Special,” Lead Belly
- “We Shall Be Free,” Lead Belly
- “Cotton Fields,” Lead Belly
- “Jim Crow Blues,” Lead Belly
- “The Bourgeois Blues,” Lead Belly
- “Blind Lemon,” Lead Belly
- “Broke and Hungry,” Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “Blind Lemon’s Penitentiary Blues,” Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “Hangman’s Blues,” Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “Match Box Blues,” Blind Lemon Jefferson
- “John Henry,” Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (1968)
- “Po’Boy,” Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Songs for Song Lineage Discussion - Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, “This Land is Your Land” (2005)
- Childish Gambino, “This is America” (2018)
- Gary Clark, Jr., “This Land” (2019)
Week Seven
Artist Focus: Pete Seeger - “If I Had a Hammer,” Pete Seeger
- “Goodnight Irene,” The Weavers
- “Wasn’t That a Time,” Pete Seeger
- “Ilka’s Bedouin Tune,” Pete Seeger
- “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,” Pete Seeger
- “Ha, Ha Thisaway,” Pete Seeger
- “Here’s to Cheshire – Here’s to Cheese,” Pete Seeger
- “Kumbaya,” Pete Seeger
- “Wimoweh,” Pete Seeger
- “Guantanamera,” Pete Seeger
- “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” Pete Seeger
- “If you Miss Me at the Back of the Bus,” Pete Seeger
- “I Ain’t Scared of Your Jail,” Pete Seeger
- “Oh Freedom,” Pete Seeger
- “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” Pete Seeger
- “Little Boxes,” Pete Seeger
- “Shenandoah,” Pete Seeger
- “Turn, Turn, Turn,” Pete Seeger
- “Where Have all the Flowers Gone,” Pete Seeger
- “It Could Be a Wonderful World,” Pete Seeger
Artist Focus: Nina Simone and Black Power - “Sinnerman,” Nina Simone (1962)
- “Mississippi Goddam” (Live), Nina Simone (1964)
- “Alabama,” John Coltrane (1964)
- “A Change is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke (1964)
- “People Get Ready,” Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions (1965)
- “Four Women,” Nina Simone (1966)
- “I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to Be Free,” Nina Simone (1967)
- “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” James Brown (1968)
- “Why? The King of Love is Dead” (Live), Nina Simone (1968)
- “Why I Sing the Blues,” B.B. King (1969)
- “Stand,” Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
- “To Be Young Gifted and Black,” Nina Simone (1970)
- “Ball of Confusion (That’s the Way the World is Now),” The Temptations (1970)
- “Whitey on the Moon,” Gil-Scott Heron (1970)
- “Is It Because I’m Black,” Syl Johnson (1970)
- “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye (1971)
- “Respect Yourself,” The Staples Singers (1972)
- “Chocolate City,” Parliament (1975)
- “Redemption Song,” Bob Marley (1980)
Week Eight
Artist Focus: Bob Dylan - “This Land is Your Land” (Live), Bob Dylan (1961)
- “Song to Woody,” Bob Dylan (1962)
- “Blowin’ in the Wind” (Live), Bob Dylan (1963)
- “Masters of War” (Live), Bob Dylan (1963)
- “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (Live), Bob Dylan (1963)
- “Girl from the North Country,” Bob Dylan (1963)
- “Oxford Town,” Bob Dylan (1963)
- “Talkin’ World War III Blues,” Bob Dylan (1963)
- “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” Bob Dylan (1964)
- “The Times They Are-A Changin’,” Bob Dylan (1964)
- “When the Ship Comes In,” Bob Dylan (1964)
- “Chimes of Freedom” (Live), Bob Dylan (1964)
- “Mr. Tambourine Man,” Bob Dylan (1965)
- “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” Bob Dylan (1965)
- “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Bob Dylan (1965)
- “Maggie’s Farm,” Bob Dylan (1965)
- “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan (1965)
Week Nine
Artist Focus: Dolly - “Dumb Blonde,” Dolly Parton (1967)
- “Just Because I’m a Woman,” Dolly Parton (1968)
- “Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton (1971)
- “Smokey Mountain Memories,” Dolly Parton (1978, like in 1994)
- “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton (1980)
- “Family,” Dolly Parton (1991) (written in response to the AIDS crisis)
- “Travelin’ Thru,” Dolly Parton (2006) (from the Transamerica soundtrack, a movie about a pre-operative transgender woman)
- “19th Amendment,” Dolly Parton (2018)
- “Faith,” Dolly Parton, Galantis, Mr. Probz (2019)
Week Twelve - The Damned, “Help!” (1976)
- The Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen” (1977)
- The Sex Pistols, “Anarchy in the UK” (1977)
- The Clash, “London Calling” (1979)
- The Clash, “Lost in the Supermarket” (1979)
- The Stooges, “Search and Destroy” (1973)
- The Stooges, “Raw Power” (1973)
- Bikini Kill, “Rebel Girl” (1993)
- Pussy Riot, “Our Lady, Chase Putin Out” (2012)
- Pussy Riot, “Putin will teach you how to love / Путин научит тебя любить Родину” (2014)
- Pussy Riot, “I Can’t Breathe” (2015)
- Pussy Riot, “Make America Great Again” (2016)
- Pussy Riot, “Police State” (2017)
- Pussy Riot, “Bad Apples” (2018)