Seeking protest songs from 1960s to the present

[Bookworm]

My brother has a school assignment to find a protest song from the sixties, present day, or any time in between. Since it's a school assignment, it has to have a quotable amount of lines (he doesn't need to use the whole song, just a few lines) that don't have swear words, drug references, etc. Any suggestions?

 

[ukeeku]

Masters of war - Bob Dylan (My favorite version is Eddie Vedder singing it)
Tons of lines

 

[kkimura]

Where Have All the Flowers Gone by Pete Seeger

 

[gnordenstam]

We Shall Overcome - Pete Seeger
Ohio - CSNY
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye

 

[ukemunga]

The Eve of Destruction, Barry McGuire
Four Dead in Ohio, CSNY

Both still make me tear up a bit.

 

[Bookworm]

Thanks for your help! He's picked out a song.

 

[ichadwick]

For What It's Worth: Buffalo Springfield

 

[ichadwick]

War: Edwin Starr

 

[ichadwick]

Fish Cheer/I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag - Country Joe & The Fish

 

[kkimura]

Thanks for your help! He's picked out a song.

Cool, what song did he pick?

(Conspiring minds want to know.)

 

[Bookworm]

He went with On the Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire.

 

[JJFN]

Good choice, as someone who lived through that period it captured the anger and angst of the period.

 

[kkimura]

Cool, hope he got a good grade.

 

[ichadwick]

Actually, Eve of Destruction isn't really a protest song. It makes a social comment on several topical (contemporary) issues, but doesn't really make a point or offer an alternative. What it is protesting? The general malaise of society? Middle East tension? Racism? Maybe - but it's more a grumble about the way we were than any particular protest.

 

[Maguwa]

Another worthy of a mention, definitely a war protest song:

http://youtu.be/OGPD0ZBiMs0

War Pigs by Black Sabbath

 

[man0a]

 

[rainbow21]

Well, his brother already finished the assignment seven years ago and maybe graduated college and has a nice job in law enforcement.

 

[Wiggy]

My brother has a school assignment to find a protest song from the sixties, present day, or any time in between. Since it's a school assignment, it has to have a quotable amount of lines (he doesn't need to use the whole song, just a few lines) that don't have swear words, drug references, etc. Any suggestions?

I known I'm late, but "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Song starts at about 1:40.

And here's another Nina Simone:

 

[colemole]

For What It's Worth: Buffalo Springfield

Applicable today. Timeles song Thanks

 

[Cadia]

Wow, we're really digging up old threads! I have to add my two cents, though. One of my favorites has always been Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'."