One of the most famous protest songs in the 21st century is “Standing in the Way of Control, released by the Gossip trio in 2006 (Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control). This track has been described as infectious and diva-sized smashing in a manner that has attracted a wide perspective of the audience. The song focuses on a protest against the manner America has a discriminate same-sex relationship. This song as released after President Bush’s regime made attempts to introduce the Federal Marriage Amendment that makes same-sex marriages illegal. The song, “Standing on the Way of Control” has signified a unique matrimony. In regard to a past protest song, Joe McDonald released a powerful and highly rated song to oppose the war in Vietnam, the song titled “I Feel Like I’m Fixing to Die Rag” was phenomenal in protesting against the violence and destruction experienced in Vietnam, as a result, military conflict (Country Joe McDonald).
Ideologically, the aforementioned songs are similar in the sense that they are driven by a desire to create a change within the society. That is, they both focus on advocating for change in regard to an undesirable social phenomenon. In addition, the singers or composers of the aforementioned songs are direct in regard to the manner in which they disseminate or express their disappointment. Joe McDonald uses his influence and proficiency in composition to indicate how the war in Vietnam jeopardizes the health of fighters as well as the need for peace. Rock as a musical genre has a massive following in the global entertainment sector; the trio, The Gossip, uses their influence and massive following to express their concerns in relation to the manner in which government, through laws and policies are violating the right to have a sexual relationship among same-sex couples.
2. Past and Current Protest Songs that are Dissimilar
In a song, “Wake me Up when September Ends” by Green Day, President Bush’s foreign policy and stakeholders that support the policy believed to have led to the 9/11 terrorist attacks is highly criticized. This song is an indication on of how protests still thrive in punk rock and has even won a Grammy Award. While a significant number of current artists and other musical experts focus on issues that affect their personal lives i.e. love, dress codes et cetera, Green Day focuses on a critical issue, that is, security and how poor policies of the United States have jeopardized a significant number of the lives of the United States citizens. The song elicits sad emotions, as it describes the story of a young man and a woman who have been torn apart as a result of the ongoing war in Iraq. In another song by Bob Dylan, “the Hurricane”, serious protest is raised against the wrongful incrimination of Rubin Carter, also known as ‘Hurricane’ (Bob Dylan – Hurricane). This song impassioned protests against the arrest of a black professional boxer despite the fact that he was innocent of the alleged crimes. In as much as the two songs are similar in the sense that they are driven by the desire to protest against injustices within the society, there are instances of differences that exist. To begin with, the song, “Wake me Up when September Ends” is based on accurate information, particularly the events believed to have led to the 9/11 September terrorist attacks (“Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends”). On the other hand, Bob Dylan song is characterized by incidences of inaccuracies, an incident that even led to his arrest in 1970’s. Moreover, the genres of the two songs also vary in that Green Day’s song is in the genre of punk-rock while Bob Dylan’s song specifically rocks.
Works Cited
"Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends [Official Music Video]." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9JoFKlaZ0>.
"Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control (Official Music Video)." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn043ArR98M>.
"Bob Dylan - Hurricane (original)." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RwZu9W5Szs>.
"Country Joe McDonald - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W7-ngmO_p8>.
