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    Best British "Protest" Songs

    Prompted by "Ghost Town" being discussed on the TOTP thread. I will define "protest song" here as any song that expresses disaffection with the state of society or the world generally. Often songs are better when they do not aim directly at a particular person, but that's my personal opinion. For example, I'm not a fan of Tramp The Dirt Down but many others are, obviously.

    My initial 5, in no particular order:

    Instant Karma (Lennon)

    Ghost Town (Specials)

    Shipbuilding (Costello; Robert Wyatt vocal)

    The Headmaster Ritual (Smiths)

    The Earth Dies Screaming (UB40)

    #2
    Best British "Protest" Songs

    Linton Kwesi Johnson - 'Inglan Is A Bitch'

    My dad used to play this, and being a small English child I was puzzled. "Why doesn't he like England?" So my dad explained about how black people were (are) treated by police and society in general. That's why I nominate it, because hearing it prompted curiosity and questioning, which is surely the desired effect of such a record.

    Peter Gabriel (or Robert Wyatt) - 'Biko'

    I find this song very moving, and I'm not normally a Gabriel fan. I'd be interested in what black South Africans thought of it at the time, whether they appreciated it as support or thought it wasn't really his business.

    The Specials - 'Do Nothing'

    Philosophical protest.

    Smiley Culture - 'Westland Helicopter'

    It's not honestly a great record, but this is the only song I've ever heard about the Westland scandal. 'Police Officer' is a properly witty protest song though.

    Can some younger people post more up-to-date protest songs please?

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      #3
      Best British "Protest" Songs

      'The Campaign For Real Rock'- Edwyn Collins. Blistering. The refrain "yes yes yes it's the summer festival, the truly detestable summer festival", have you seen the state of this years Glastonbury line up? Collins, a visionary.

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        #4
        Best British "Protest" Songs

        Asian Dub Foundation - 'Free Satpal Ram'

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          #5
          Best British "Protest" Songs

          Subhumans - 'British Disease'

          Ranks of police, backed by the state, wipe out the ghettos, build up the hate

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            #6
            Best British "Protest" Songs

            God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols.

            We Are All Prostitutes and many other Mark Stewart/Pop Group songs.

            Pills and Soap by our Elvis as The Imposter.

            Bring Me the Head of Michael Portillo by The Family Cat.

            Ballad of British Justice by Tyrrell Corporation

            Switch by Siouxsie and the Banshees

            Between the Wars/Think Again, Billy Bragg

            The Birmingham Six, the Pogues

            Cunts are still running the World, Pulp

            SUS, Babylon's Burning, the Ruts.

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              #7
              Best British "Protest" Songs

              Ill Manors by Plan B

              Council Estate by Tricky

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                #8
                Best British "Protest" Songs

                Ku Klux Klan, Steel Pulse.

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                  #9
                  Best British "Protest" Songs

                  Billy Bragg - Between The Wars
                  White Riot - The Clash

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                    #10
                    Best British "Protest" Songs

                    The Clash have an impressive repertoire but I think Straight to Hell has the best lyrics, overall.

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                      #11
                      Best British "Protest" Songs

                      (Edit: Agree^)

                      Up Against the Wall - Tom Robinson Band
                      Glad to Be Gay - Tom Robinson Band
                      Bring It Down (This Insane Thing) - The Redskins
                      Stand Down Margaret - The Beat
                      We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thing - Heaven 17
                      Going Underground - The Jam
                      The Call-Up - The Clash
                      Working Class Hero - John Lennon

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                        #12
                        Best British "Protest" Songs

                        Geoffrey de Ste. Croix wrote: 'The Campaign For Real Rock'- Edwyn Collins. Blistering. The refrain "yes yes yes it's the summer festival, the truly detestable summer festival", have you seen the state of this years Glastonbury line up? Collins, a visionary.
                        Indeed - the man who once told us that there were 'too many protest singers, not enough protest songs'.

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                          #13
                          Best British "Protest" Songs

                          Yeah, Gorgeous George is one of the best albums of the 90's.

                          As for other protest songs- I'm rather partial to Gang Of Four's 'To Hell With Poverty!' especially this very loud live version.

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                            #14
                            Best British "Protest" Songs

                            Thee Olde Trip to Jerusalem — The Mekons

                            And it's inspiration:

                            Jerusalem — William Blake/Sir Hubert Parry

                            Also a couple by The Fugs, who aren't British but these two songs are very much so:

                            Here Come the Levellers

                            Dover Beach
                            — lyrics by Matthew Arnold

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                              #15
                              Best British "Protest" Songs

                              I was probably the only person in the world who thought Macartneys "Give Ireland back to the Irish" was quite a decent track.

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                                #16
                                Best British "Protest" Songs

                                Does 'Common People' by Pulp count as a protest song? It's certainly protesting against 'cultural tourism' by the comfortably (i.e. safely) wealthy.

                                If so, then that.

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                                  #17
                                  Best British "Protest" Songs

                                  [quote=MsD post=1183001

                                  Ballad of British Justice by Tyrrell Corporation

                                  .[/quote]
                                  You just cheered my brother right up!

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                                    #18
                                    Best British "Protest" Songs

                                    I'm good at that.

                                    Just realised I attributed a Jarvis Cocker song to Pulp.

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                                      #19
                                      Best British "Protest" Songs

                                      Seconded on "Ghost Town", "Ill Manors" and "Jerusalem"

                                      The only one I can possibly add is "That's Entertainment" but I am not sure whether that is a protest song, social comment (as with 'Ghost Town') or the rightful British national anthem.

                                      To be honest, "Alternative Ulster" and "Suspect Device" seem to me to be the only real 'British' protest songs.

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                                        #20
                                        Best British "Protest" Songs

                                        Old England - The Waterboys

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                                          #21
                                          Best British "Protest" Songs

                                          Thread derailment time: where do people stand on New Model Army? On the one hand they seem to have their hearts 'in the right place' on a lot of issues (Falklands war, etc.) but on the other hand, they seem to have faith in vigilante or mob justice.

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                                            #22
                                            Best British "Protest" Songs

                                            They just seem, not irrelevant exactly, but not relevant to me nor a lot of others even in that alternative rock scene.

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                                              #23
                                              Best British "Protest" Songs

                                              Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat

                                              That's Entertainment by The Jam

                                              Walls Come Tumbling Down - Style Council

                                              Come Back - Mighty Wah

                                              Radio Africa by Latin Quarter:

                                              The West still complains about the foreign aid
                                              They'd do better to change the terms of trade.

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                                                #24
                                                Best British "Protest" Songs

                                                Just about everything on The The's Infected.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Best British "Protest" Songs

                                                  Satchmo Distel wrote: ...Radio Africa by Latin Quarter:

                                                  The West still complains about the foreign aid
                                                  They'd do better to change the terms of trade.
                                                  My god! Someone mentioned 'Radio Africa'! I've got two 7"s of that from two separate releases! I wouldn't call it a classic of protest song, but it's still good.

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