In a way or another, art and politics meet in a point. Some musicians prefer to express it loudly and others indirectly through their work. Let’s find out.
In a way or another, art and politics meet in a point. Some musicians prefer to express it loudly and others indirectly through their work. Let’s find out.
Roger Waters
Previously mentioned in one of my lists which was entitled “Musician & Bands Against Israel”, Roger Waters is one of the well-known rockstars who stand against the state of Israel as well as being one of the supports to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. Check it out here.
Dave Mustaine
Megadeth is one of the most recognized bands who regularly talk about politics in the metal world. Since the 80s, Mustaine embeds indirect and direct messages through his lyrics. One of the most appreciated moments was on stage, when he declared that he is against the policies of the US president Barack Obama by telling that he was the one behind the mass shootings in Aurora and at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Rolling Stone News – August 17, 2012
“I’ve been talking about politics my whole career. The second album – my God, it shows the U.N. completely blown up and destroyed. So I don’t know why, all of a sudden, now’s the time for people to take exception with what I’m saying.” Rolling Stone – News; November 5, 2012
Many videos, interviews and statements shows that Kid Rock is totally against Barack Obama’s policies. Check below:
Frank Zappa
The legendary artist is known by his rock, jazz and fusion composition that were very fruitful for the modern music development in general. Although, he was raised in a Catholic household, he was an atheist; away from his spiritual and religious views, he was totally against the American government as he stated;
“The biggest threat to America today is not communism, it’s moving America toward a fascist theocracy. And everything that’s happened during the Reagan administration is steering us right down that pipe.”
Zappa clearly wants the government out of all business except what only the government can provide, he was also willing to attack both political parties when he thought that freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights were threatened; “Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.”
Billie Joe Armstrong
Green Day’s frontman was confused and kinda against George W. Bush administration regarding the war on Iraq. As he stated;
“In the beginning, right after 9/11 and watching the sort of tanks going into Iraq and these embedded journalists going in live, it felt like a cross between war and reality television. So I just felt this great sort of confusion, like, someone needs to say something…for me, I felt this moment of rage and patriotism.”
When Obama was elected in 2008, he said; “I am optimistic, as long as these right-wing conservative assholes don’t try to ruin things for people.”
Bob Marley
Marley was bothered with freedom, poverty, oppression, colonialism, and racism, where you can see how most of his work talk about that. As a result, much of Marley’s music and political outlook centered around freedom from oppression and the return of “God’s people” to “Zion.”
Johnny Cash
The Man in Black was quite political mainly through his music, where he always wore black which best described his political positions. He sings:
“I wear the black for the poor and beaten down
living in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime
but is there because he’s a victim of the time.”
Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen is one of America’s most outspoken political artists and has almost always had a liberal agenda with both his music and his personal political activism. He stated once, “My work has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the American Dream.”
Bruce Dickinson
Dickinson is about as quiet about politics as he is about religion. Even though he is known by his music as anti-war, especially Bush regime. As he expressed that in one of his songs;
“Thousand points of light
Are the muzzle flashes in the night
And the freedoms you profess to hold
Won’t bring the dead back from the cold.
Political speeches, they’re lying in the mud
Nothing else matters but money and blood
Tyranny of freedom is do what you like.”
John Lennon
The radical dreamer was certain that love is behind making the world peace. And of the effect of the hippie movement of the 1960’s, Lennon said: “The people who are in control and in power, and the class system and the whole bullshit bourgeois scene is exactly the same except that there are a lot of middle-class kids with long hair walking around in trendy clothes… The same bastards are in control, the same people are running everything.”
Special thanks to The Hollowverse as being one of my main references for writing this list.
Edited by: NJ Bakr
