Politics in Music ... taught at Emory University

Videos of Political Music
Here are musical videos that are assigned for class. A discussion of of the political content of many of these musical pieces can be found in the podcast of the class as well as in my book, Politics In Music. Occasionally some of these YouTube videos are taken down. If that happens, just do a new YouTube search for the song.

Introductory Concepts (see chapter 1 in Politics In Music):

• Sting and Cheb Mami performing "Desert Rose"
• Sheikh Abdul Basset Reciting the Koran . .
• "Russians" by Sting
• Cheb Mami performing "Meli Meli"
• Sting - "Tomorrow We'll See"

Beethoven (see chapter 2 in Politics In Music):

• Beethoven's 9th Symphony "Ode to Freedom," Leonard Bernstein in Berlin.
• Original version of "Ode to Joy," Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Lots of good extra information in the "About This Video" link.
• "Choral Fantasy" by Beethoven (the choral part). A good example of associative political music. Performed in Russia on 22 June 2007 to commemorate the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Germany. See the "About This Video" link.
• "Fidelio" Overture by Beethoven, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt .
• A scene from Beethoven's "Fidelio" opera, performed by the Los Angeles Opera in 2007.
• Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony No. 3, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
• Beethoven's Egmont Overture, conducted by conducted by Herbert Von Karajan.
• Beethoven's Coriolan Overture.
• Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, II Movement.
• Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, I Movement.
• Beethoven's Wellington's Victory (opus 91)

Richard Wagner (see chapter 3 in Politics In Music):

• Selections from the Ring operas (click on "Ring Video" in the links at top)

Bob Marley (see chapter 3 in Politics In Music):

• Could You Be Loved?
• Buffalo Soldier (see "More" in "About this video" for lyrics)
• Redemption Song
• Africa Unite
• Forever Loving Jah
• Get Up, Stand Up
• Babylon System
• Ride Natty Ride
• Wake Up and Live

Nationalist and Patriotic Music (see chapter 4 in Politics In Music):

• Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodie No. 2, performed by Lang Lang
• Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain
• An excellent discussion of Modest Mussorgsky (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of Boris Godunov, by Mussorgsky (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "A Night on Bald Mountain" (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "Pictures at an Exhibition" (A reading)
• Boris Godunov, by Mussorgsky (the Finale)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: Esa-Pekka Salonen (1 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: Esa-Pekka Salonen (2 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: Esa-Pekka Salonen (3 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: Esa-Pekka Salonen (4 of 4)
• An excellent discussion of Rimsky-Korsakov (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan," an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov (A reading)
• Flight of the bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, from "The Tale of Tsar Saltan"
• Antonín Dvorák - Slavonic dance No. 2 in E minor op. 72
• Antonín Dvorák - Slavonic dance No. 8
• An excellent discussion of Sibelius (A reading)
• Finlandia, by Sibelius
• An excellent discussion of Ralph Vaughan Williams (A reading)
• Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Ralph Vaughan Williams (See also this reading)
• Asturias - Isaac Albeniz (See also this reading)
• Manuel de Falla, Spanish Dance No. 1
• Giuseppe Verdi - Va pensiero, from 'Nabucco'
• Giuseppe Verdi - Mario Lanza in Otello
• Giuseppe Verdi - Lucia Popp and Placido Domingo: Brindisi, La Traviata
• Giuseppe Verdi - Jerusalem
• Putnam's Camp by Charles Ives (See also this reading)
• Maple Leaf Rag, played by Scott Joplin (See also this reading)
• Aaron Copland - Rodeo: Hoedown
• Aaron Copland - Rodeo: Scene 1
• Madonna - "Don't Tell Me"
• Bruce Springsteen - "Born In The U.S.A."
• Whitney Houston singing the "Star Spangled Banner"

Country Music (see chapter 4 in Politics In Music):

• Elton Britt - "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"
• Lee Greenwood - "God Bless the U.S.A."
• Ronald Reagan at 1988 GOP convention, and Lee Greenwood singing, "God Bless the U.S.A."
• Willy Nelson - "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys"
• Johnny Cash - "Folsom Prison Blues"
• Johnny Cash - "Bitter Tears"
• Toby Keith - "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue"
• Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
• David Allan Coe

Joe Hill and Labor Music (see chapter 5 in Politics In Music):

• Paul Robeson - "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill"
• Joan Baez - "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill"
• Billy Bragg - "There is Power in a Union" (Billy Bragg's Version)
• Utah Phillips - "There is Power in a Union" (Joe Hill's version)
• Woodie Guthrie 1
• Woodie Guthrie 2
• Rolling Stones - "Factory Girl"
• Rolling Stones (with Guns N' Roses) - "Salt of the Earth"

Protest Music (see chapter 6 in Politics In Music):

• Quilapayun - "Vamos Mujer"
• Quilapayún - "Canción Final De La Cantata Santa Maria"
• Sting - "They Dance Alone"
• The Rolling Stones - "Undercover of the Night" (See also this reading.)
• The Rolling Stones - "Gimme Shelter" (See also this reading.)
• The Rolling Stones - "Street Fighting Man" (See also this reading."
• Bruce Springsteen - "War"
• Arlo Guthrie - "Alice's Restaurant"
• Arlo Guthrie - "When a Soldier Makes It Home"
• The Beatles - "Let It Be"
• The Beatles - "Revolution"
• Jimi Henricks - "Star Spangled Banner," performed at Woodstock
• Bob Dylan - "Like a Rolling Stone," performed at the Newport Festival in 1965
• Bob Dylan - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
• Bob Dylan - "A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "Here Comes the Sun" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "Wah Wah" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "Beware of Darkness" (Bangladesh Concert)
• George Harrison - "Bangladesh" (Bangladesh Concert)
• U2 - "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Red Rock version)
• Michael Jackson - "Earth Song"
• Billy Joel - "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"

Issue Music

• Aerosmith - Dude Looks Like a Lady (Gender blending)
• Aerosmith - Janie's Got a Gun (Gun control)
• Aerosmith - Eat the Rich (Class Warfare)

Hip-Hop (see chapter 7in Politics In Music):

• Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, with Melle Mel - "The Message"
• Tupac Shakur - "Words of Wisdom"
• Tupac Shakur - "Violent"
• Tupac Shakur - "Brenda's Got a Baby"
• Pink, Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya - "Lady Marmalade"
• Aerosmith & Run-DMC - Walk This Way (Historically important blend of rock and hip hop)
• Eminem - "Stan"
• Rage Against the Machine - "Killing in the Name"
• Dead Prez - "Police State"
• M.I.A. - "Born Free" (Warning: This is a violent video.)

New Genre Political Music

Note: Janelle Monáe's music can be best interpreted by comparing it with Fritz Lang's movie, Metropolis, as well as Philip K. Dick's book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

• Janelle Monáe - Many Moons
• Janelle Monáe - Tightrope
• Beyoncé - Run the World (Girls) : Female empowerment
• Muse - Resistance : Personal empowerment, love enabling collective strength
• Muse - Uprising : Defiance against authority (Also read this article about Muse: Muse: Close encounter By Jacqui Swift, in The Sun, Published: 23 Jun 2006.) See also James Durbin American Idol Version.
• Muse - Knights Of Cydonia : Apocalypse survival
• Muse - MK Ultra : Human trafficking
• Nickelback - When We Stand Together : Protesting Nihilism
• One World - Freedom for Palestine : Nationalism (See Glenn Beck's response; see Archbishop Tutu's response)