Protest songs

Rllink · Jan 20, 2017

When they were giving away ukuleles at the festival in Minnesota in November my wife told me that if she won a ukulele that she would learn to play it. She did win a ukulele. I knew that it wouldn't take much for her to learn to play. By the time the evening was over she had a half dozen chords learned and was strumming away. I've had trouble getting her out on the street corner to play though. She just isn't into busking. But today, at exactly 10:30 EST, she took to the streets and we played and sang protest songs for forty five minutes during the San Sebastian festival here. It was fun, and we were well received by passer-bys.

Cornfield · Jan 20, 2017

I've had a similar experience. When I play in public, people protest.

Joyful Uke · Jan 20, 2017

Motivation is a powerful thing.

From what I've read, funding for the arts may be slashed. Perhaps busking will help keep music in the public mind (and ears) and keep the arts alive and well.

3j0hn · Jan 20, 2017

Coincidentally, (not really) I have been looking for a good collection of protest songs in uke friendly keys. Lots of good songs out there, but I haven't been able to find them conveniently collected.

JackLuis · Jan 20, 2017

3j0hn said:
Coincidentally, (not really) I have been looking for a good collection of protest songs in uke friendly keys. Lots of good songs out there, but I haven't been able to find them conveniently collected.

Seasons of the Ukulele just had a Season of Protest a few weeks ago. And yesterday in #257 Hieno from Germany Did "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag." CCR's "Fortunate Son" is pretty easy and of course Woody Guthrie.

Check out #248. http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?124006-Season-248-Protest-Songs had 52 entries.
Play List https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKOGPU3X_TVMK8pwWAt1aQ9I8ENvZSokw

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...as-Play-Songs-of-Peace-Protest-And-Redemption.

Google is your friend too.

UkieOkie · Jan 20, 2017

John Sargent said:
I've had a similar experience. When I play in public, people protest.

Hahahahaha

zztush · Jan 20, 2017

I am listening Lightnin' Hopkins now. Yes. protest song today and next 4 years, plz!

DownUpDave · Jan 20, 2017

John Sargent said:
I've had a similar experience. When I play in public, people protest.

Good one John......I don't mind so much when they protest. It's when they chase me off with sticks that my feels get hurt.

PhilUSAFRet · Jan 20, 2017

Hoping politics doesn't creep into this thread.

3j0hn · Jan 21, 2017

PhilUSAFRet said:
Hoping politics doesn't creep into this thread.

If they do, feel free to protest.

Rllink · Jan 21, 2017

3j0hn said:
If they do, feel free to protest.

Good one. :agree:

Booli · Jan 21, 2017

PhilUSAFRet said:
Hoping politics doesn't creep into this thread.

Me too. So tired of all of that on TV. Let's keep this place focused on ukes and music...

Rllink · Jan 21, 2017

Booli said:
Me too. So tired of all of that on TV. Let's keep this place focused on ukes and music...

Well, I don't mean for this to turn political and offend anyone's sensitivities, but I spent much of the late sixties and early seventies otherwise occupied, so I missed out on the whole protest movement and the music that came out of it. I've been waiting a long time for the opportunity to sing protest songs. But seriously, politics aside, singing protest songs with nothing to protest is just sort of meaningless, isn't it?

JackLuis · Jan 22, 2017

LOL at this thread, I love a good protest song that is clever. "Alice's Restaurant," "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag," and "Favorite Son" are among my fav's. They take me back to my past and remind me that protest has been a tradition in music stretching into my heritage many generations. I love Woody Guthrie's stuff, though he was pretty much before my time. Pete Seger, Burl Ives, and a host of others kept the tradition going. Musical Advocacy is a millennia old tradition, probably stretching back to the first harps.

I have a dream of 100,000 Ukulele players descending on Washington DC, demanding Congress do their jobs for the people and Senators running away from just the sound of a Ukulele playing "All We Need Is Love," in the the night around the Congressional Office building. LOL

JackLuis · Jan 22, 2017

Double post, sorry.

We need a new generation of protest songs and song writers to stir the pot.

Joyful Uke · Jan 22, 2017

A song like The Beatles' Blackbird is a lovely version of a protest song.

And Alice's Restaurant gets played every year on Thanksgiving on a local radio station. Even though I could go out to YT and listen any time, it's fun to make a point of catching it on the radio.

Some great music (IMO Blackbird is one) has come out of protests. In fact, I think I'll go play Blackbird now. (Thanks, Chief, for your tab for that.)

Joyful Uke · Jan 22, 2017

Oops, somehow this got double posted. Sorry about that.

OhioBelle · Jan 22, 2017

I just learned how to Travis pick! And have been playing "Blowin' in the Wind" all day.

No harmonica, though.

lakesideglenn · Jan 22, 2017

PhilUSAFRet said:
Hoping politics doesn't creep into this thread.

Why on earth would you say that Phil???

Canada Jim · Jan 22, 2017

The song book Rise Up Singing and its follow up book Rise Again, have plenty of great protest songs as well as love songs, kids' songs, old standards, traditional folk songs, singer/songwriter songs. . . Each book has lyrics and chords to 1200 songs. The melodies are not given, but many tunes are available on YouTube and many are familiar.

Protest songs

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