"when the rich wage war, it's the poor who die." Linkin Park - Hands Held High
Most of us grew up listening to rock music and some of us were around when it was considered evil and satanic.
What most critics don't realise is how rock music has almost always been on the cutting edge of political protest - protesting against Vietnam,
Apartheid, Sexual Abuse and lately - the so-called Global War on Terror (GWOT).
This is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion. It is merely my impression and views on how Rock music has affected my critical life stages:
from a pre-teen in South West Africa (now Namibia);
to a teenage soldier in Apartheid South Africa;
an apologist in Post-Apartheid SA;
and, finally, to a Conspiracy Theory nut in the post-911 Era.
I am writing this in 2 main parts (Apartheid, and Post-911)
First - the Apartheid Era
Pink Floyd - The Wall
No male living in apartheid South Africa will ever forget this album. It was banned of course.
"We don't need no education" became the anthem of black school children who were forced to learn Afrikaans.
Pink Floyd
As a questioning teenager I was torn between the propaganda, reality, and my own ideals.
I never supported the Afrikaans government, but I could never fully rebel, as I did not support Terror as a means of finding freedom. To me, the ANC
were not Freedom-fighters, they were Terrorists. Only a terrorist would plant a bomb at a school or shopping mall.
U2 - The Joshua Tree and the live album Rattle and Hum
U2 in the 80's were incredible ... I still remember Bono introduced the song Silver and Gold and talking about Artists against Apartheid. I could
never understand how they would refuse to let their music be played here when it was their music that was getting the message across!
They were making us white kids think. They were giving us a message that adults and the propaganda did not want us to listen to.
Here are artists you may never have heard of:
Bright Blue - Weeping
A beautiful song that spoke about the tragedies of war/apartheid. It actually had a music reference to our future national anthem Nkosi Sikelel
iAfrica (God Bless Africa).
"I knew a man who lived in fear
it was huge it was angry
it was drawing near
Behind his house a secret place
was the shadow of the demon
he could never face.
He built a wall of steel and flame
and men with guns to keep it tame
Then standing back he made it plain
that the nightmare would never ever rise again
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.
It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow
He tells the world that it's sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
it slowly sound
it wasn't roaring it was weeping
it wasn't roaring it was weeping."
Weeping
Johnny Clegg
Johnny was known as The White Zulu. He was fluent in Zulu and his songs had enourmous cross-cultural appeal. Here is
an extract from his song Missing:
"Burning tyres on the freeway
Noone in sight
Thre’s a raging calm
Across the land tonight
Voice on the radio says
Another one’s down tonight.
It don’t matter anymore
Which side he’s on.
Came to your place to see
If you’re all right
And the shadows
Danced across the stairway
Flight after flight
And I was banging at your door
But you weren’t there anymore
And the g-man stepped
Into the light and said
This is war!"
Part 2:
Post-911 (Unwravelling the Lies or Just Stop The Killing)
I discovered Guns 'n Roses relatively late in life - the song Civil War with the last line asked sarcastically:
"What's so civil about war anyway?" has always resonated with me.
It has been written that an anti-war stance, specifically by American groups is unpatriotic and tantamount to signing their own musical death warrant
Link
But it seems that for some, this is more encouragement. As time has passed, more and more bands are waking up, and
waking other up to the fact that something is terribly wrong in the Middle East.
Green Day - American Idiot (entire album)
Metallica - Don't Tread On Me
System of a Down - Boom
Five Finger Death Punch - their new album can rightly be called an angry anti-war album but supports the troops:
Here is how they describe their new album War is the Answer:
"It's a phrase we've had up our sleeves for some time, and I've been talking about it a lot in interviews. In fact, somebody just asked me:
'If war is the answer, then what is the question?', and I guess the answer to that is "the meaning of life" ! Because life IS war. Basically,
you're fighting against one thing or another right from the start – you're fighting for survival with pretty much everything against you, you're
fighting for social or political positions... And of course there are occasions when the only really appropriate response is to punch someone in the
mouth! It's a pretty involved subject once you really start to think about it, and this record covers it all – the deeper meaning and of course the
more shallow one too!"
Link
Linkin Park - Hands Held High
Minutes to Midnight. Heard of the Doomsday clock?
en.wikipedia.org...)" target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">Doomsday Clock
Hands Held High is an incredible anti-Bush, anti-War anti-Elite killer of a song ... read these lyrics:
Cause I'm sick of being treated like I have before.
Like I'm stupid standing for what I'm standing for.
Like this war's really just a different brand of war.
Like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor
Link
How has rock music affected you?
[edit on 5/11/2009 by deltaalphanovember]
[edit on 5/11/2009 by deltaalphanovember]
no, I actually got both Parts in one post ... feel free to post. 
