'State of the world' songs

[crazy john]

What are everyone's favourite protest or state of the world songs. Of course there's classics like Blowin' In The Wind and Imagine but what about some less obvious ones?

Country Joe & The Fish - Fixin' To Die Rag
Neil Young - (Keep On) Rockin' In The Free World
Bob Dylan - Masters Of War

But my favourite, one of the most amazing songs you're likely to hear:
NOFX - The Decline

 

[Eskimo Sharkie]

U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Years Day
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA

Pretty powerful stuff

Less powerful but good songs:

Midnight Oil - US Forces
Pink Floyd - Fletcher Memorial Home

 

[crazy john]

Some great songs there, heres a couple of others:

Cat Stevens - Where Do The Children Play?
The Beatles - Within You Without You (more about the state of the individual but still very powerful)

 

[hrundi99]

Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

 

[Muffdaddy]

Sacred Ground by Living Colour

 

[Alex28]

There are heaps of Midnight Oil songs that you can choose from - however it is amazing how relevant "Short Memory" is even today.

"Masters of War" rules too. Pearl Jam have been doing a cover of it over the last 12 months.

 

[Bomber]

Amen Alex on the Oils. Chuck in 'Tone Poem' in there too.

American Idiot - Greenday
Eve of Destruction - as covered by the Screaming Jets

 

[strewth_mate]

however it is amazing how relevant "Short Memory" is even today.

Remind me, what's that one about? ;-)

Now, what was I doing?

 

[Slappy]

Ship of Fools - World Party
Beautiful World - DEVO
Waiting for the great leap forward - Billy Bragg
The Message - GrandMaster Flash and the Furious five
Aenima - TOOL
Hands all over - Soundgarden

 

[OVP]

I cant believe this truly Great song hasnt been mentioned yet ...

Mad World ... originally by Tears for Fears but lately by Gary Jules.(Channel Nein even tried to use it as their news song recently ... however having little kids sing it is a bit of an insult to those with intelligence)

However Slappy, you get mega bonus points for mentioning Ship of Fools by World Party ... perhaps the coolest song ever written. Excellent choice

Also love Tool's Aenima
And everything soundgarden ever did (but do u remember when they were known as Green River ?)

But personally, White Lines by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is STILL much more relevant today than anything else they did ;-)

Great taste in music Slappy

 

[dragonfly]

Soundgarden were never known as Green River, they were a completely different band.

As for the best state of the world song, that would be 4-Star Heritage Arsehole by Front End Loader.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Gunners - Civil War

 

[carcharias]

It's the end of the world as we know it- REM

 

[Eskimo Sharkie]

"We Shall Overcome" adapted by Pete Seeger - this was originally a slave spiritual that was picked up during the labor strikes in the 1940s then later adapted by Seeger and used popularly during the 1960s as representative of the civil rights movement.

"People Have the Power" by Patti Smith - just a great protest song and probably the best thing she has written.

"Don't Step on the Grass, Sam" by Steppenwolf is pretty good too.

 

[carcharias]

OHIO- Cosby Stills and Nash.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Ohio is a great song

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Orgasmatron - Motorhead. Definitely far and away the best thing Lemmy ever wrote.

 

[crazy john]

OHIO- Cosby Stills and Nash.

Great song, though it was actually written by Neil Young and done by CSNY when Young was with them. ;-)

 

[sydraider]

Land of Confusion- originally by genesis but a powerful kick ass cover from Disturbed!

 

[raider_ktj]

Not sure if it counts but a great song i discovered on the 2005 Warped Tour cd. Its called "To The World" by Strike Anywhere.