WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED: What songs lift you up?
Vincent Harding, a friend, mentor, and veteran of the southern freedom movement, talks a lot about the importance of songs. Songs like "we shall not be moved", "we who believe in freedom", and of course " we shall overcome" and even "kum ba ya" were, in his opinion, vital. In my opinion, here are some of the reasons why:
1. They reminded people why they were enduring such harsh conditions
2. They unified people
3. They passed the time
4. They lifted people's spirits
5. They humanized the protestors in the eyes of the police, press, bystanders, and everyone else who witnessed them.
6. They are complex enough that they can be sung over and over with new parts, new rhythms, and interesting harmonizing.
I think our generation is sorely lacking in chants and songs that do the same thing. I think a lot of ours are too simple, too angry, or just plain tiring and repetitive. In the antiwar march with Rage last week, my favorite chant/songs were:
"We're not going to take it" (started by Zach De La Rocha) It was fun adn playful, but also on message.
and
"They're our brothers they're our sisters
We support war resistors"
(started by the Iraq Vets Against the War)
I liked this one because it's what the IVAW folks wanted us to say, and it was long enough that we could play around with it a bit.
For a while at the end of the march we tried "we shall not be moved" and "we who believe in freedom can not rest until it comes "(the chorus from 'Ella's song' by Sweet Honey And the Rock). They were slow to start, I think because they felt so old and perhaps we felt out of our element, but they worked and we got the crowd going.
What chants/songs do other people know that are uplifting and fun to do for a LONG time?!
1. They reminded people why they were enduring such harsh conditions
2. They unified people
3. They passed the time
4. They lifted people's spirits
5. They humanized the protestors in the eyes of the police, press, bystanders, and everyone else who witnessed them.
6. They are complex enough that they can be sung over and over with new parts, new rhythms, and interesting harmonizing.
I think our generation is sorely lacking in chants and songs that do the same thing. I think a lot of ours are too simple, too angry, or just plain tiring and repetitive. In the antiwar march with Rage last week, my favorite chant/songs were:
"We're not going to take it" (started by Zach De La Rocha) It was fun adn playful, but also on message.
and
"They're our brothers they're our sisters
We support war resistors"
(started by the Iraq Vets Against the War)
I liked this one because it's what the IVAW folks wanted us to say, and it was long enough that we could play around with it a bit.
For a while at the end of the march we tried "we shall not be moved" and "we who believe in freedom can not rest until it comes "(the chorus from 'Ella's song' by Sweet Honey And the Rock). They were slow to start, I think because they felt so old and perhaps we felt out of our element, but they worked and we got the crowd going.
What chants/songs do other people know that are uplifting and fun to do for a LONG time?!
Views: 4
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kt on -
Ben Harper sends hope with a snazzy B&W video...
Don't Let Them Take the Fight Outta You!
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Fight Outta You
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Permalink Reply by Huwdlum on -
Im yours by Jason Mraz
whered you go by Fort Minor
Remember the Name Fort Minor
what ive done Linkin Park
Shadow of the Day Linkin Park
iris Goo Goo Dolls
45 Shinedown
Hands Held High Linkin Park
Fat Lip Sum 41
Shed some light Shinedown
Buffalo Soldier Bob Marley
Sing For the Moment EmInEm (The King Mathers)
Numb EnCoRe JJJAY Z!
Stan By EmInEm (The King Mathers)
Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin
Devour Shinedown
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Permalink Reply by Huwdlum on
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Turn my mike up louder I got to say something
Light weights step to the side when we come in
Feel it in your chest the syllables get pumping
People on the street they panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming
I jump on my mind, I summon the rhyme, I'm dumping
Feeling the blind I promised to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we marched to the drumming
Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping
Fuck that I wanna see some fists pumping
Miss something, take back what's yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for
Cause I'm sick of being treated like I had before
Like the stupid standing for what I'm standing for
Like this war's really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn't cater the rich and the fan and poor
Like they understand you in the back of the jet
When you can't put gas in your tank
These fuckers are laughing the way to the bank and cashing the check
Asking you to have the passion and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In their living room laughing like "what did he say?"
[Chorus]
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
[End Chorus]
In my living room watching but I am not laughing
Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen
World is cold the bold men take action
Have to react to get blown into fractions
Ten years old is something to see
Another kid my age drug under the jeep
Taken and bound and found later under the tree
I wonder if he thought the next one could be me
Do you see the soldiers they're out today
They brush the guts with bullet proof vests away
It's ironic at times like this you pray
But a bomb blew up the mosque yesterday
There's bombs in the buses, bikes, roads
Inside your market, your shops, your clothes
My dad he's got a lot of fear I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine
On the back, he handwrote a quote inside
When the rich wage war it's the poor who die
Meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In their living room laughing like "what did he say?"
[Chorus]
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
His hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
[End Chorus]
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Permalink Reply by Traveling Zach on -
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Permalink Reply by Russ Cordova on -
"Peace is, Peace is Patriotic"
"Rise, Together We Rise, Together We, Rise"
"All we are saying, is give PEACE a chance"
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Permalink Reply by Nick Kelly on -
i love against me!
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Permalink Reply by Traveling Zach on
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lol, mines better, its live, see two things up...
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Permalink Reply by jfiles on -
Sons and daughters
the Decemberists
When we arrive
Sons & daughters
We'll make our homes on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon now
These currents pull us 'cross the border
Steady your boats
Arms to shoulder
'till tides will pull
our hull aground
Making this cold harbour now home
Take up your arm
Sons and daughters
We will arise from the bunkers
By land, by sea, by dirigible
We'll leave our tracks untraceable now
When we arrive
Sons and daughters
We'll make our homes on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon now
(We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon now)
When we arrive
Sons and daughters
We'll make our homes on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
(Sons and daughters)
We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon
(We'll make our homes on the water)
We'll make our homes on the water
(When we build our walls of aluminum)
(We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon)
Hear all the bombs, they fade away (x20)
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Permalink Reply by Bloodshed on -
i think a good uplifting song...and a song against the war...is hands held high by linkin park,say what you will of them but you need to admit,its a great and meaningful song.theres a lot of songs that i cant think of,but know that they lift me up.i think in the end has alot of meaning,also by linkin park.theres to many for me to think of,but all of your songs ive been listening to,and im starting to get really into this whole anti-war/anti-violence thing.even though i feel im to young (12) to make a difference,i know i can.
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Permalink Reply by Heroin Bob on -
I think 'Mumia's Song' 'One People, One Struggle' and 'You can Kill the Protester, But you can't Kill the Protest' by Anti - Flag have a lot of good verses and choruses that are easy to chant over and over and they will never lose their meaning.
I also think 'Hero of War' by Rise Against has a very powerful meaning to it, It makes you think.
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