Friday June 20th 6-8 pm GMT on Gnetradio, our and and later on Mixcloud.

2 Fish and an Elephant – Songs of Protest

In this latest episode, Patrick and Keith work their way through some of their favourite Songs of Protest.

From Ry Cooder lamenting the victory of wealth over social need to Morrissey chiding America for its commercialism. We hear Ernie Isley channel his inner Jimi and we also quite rightly remind ourselves of the brilliance of Linton Kwesi-Johnson.

Protest…it’s coming back into fashion…listen to our latest episode whilst marching….

Ry Cooder – “It’s Just Work for Me” – “Chavez Ravine” – 2005

Keith Writes:

“Chávez Ravine” is the first concept album and historical album by Ry Cooder which tells the story of Chávez Ravine, a Mexican-American community demolished in the 1950s in order to build public housing. 

Of Course, the housing was never built. Ultimately the Brooklyn Dodgers built a stadium on the site as part of their move to Los Angeles.

The album chronicles the hijacking of a project meant for social improvement and Chavez Ravine was the first in a trilogy of albums by Ry Cooder that was supposed to chart “a post-World War II-era American narrative of ‘cool cats’, radios, UFO sightings, J. Edgar Hoover, red scares, and baseball”.

The two further albums were “My Name is Buddy” and “I, Flathead”.

All three highly recommended.

Marillion – “Easter” – “Seasons End” – 1989

Patrick Writes:

“Easter” was inspired by the political and sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, commonly known as “The Troubles.” The lyrics reference the 1916 Easter Rising, a key event in Irish history where Irish republicans rebelled against British rule. 

This was his first album with the band after replacing original vocalist Fish with Steve Hogarth, formerly of The Europeans.

Vieux Farka Toure – “Bullet the Blue Sky” – “In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2” – 2018

Keith Writes:

“Bullet the Blue Sky” written by U2, is a song was inspired by a trip that Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw firsthand how local peasants were affected by United States military intervention in the region. Angered by what he witnessed, Bono asked guitarist the Edge to “put El Salvador through an amplifier.” “Bullet the Blue Sky” is one of the band’s most overtly political songs, with live performances often being heavily critical of political conflicts and violence.

Here it is covered in a suitably brooding and menacing manner by Vieux Farka Toure.

Linton Kwesi-Johnson – “Di Great Insoreckshan” –“Making History”  – 1984

Patrick Writes:

A powerful dub poetry track by Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ), released in 1984 on his album Making History. The song is a response to the 1981 Brixton uprising in South London — a pivotal event in Black British history.

Tom Russell – “Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall” – “Wounded Heart of America” – 2007

Keith Writes

Tom Russell lives in El Paso-Juarez, which sits right on the border between Texas and Mexico. His says that his first thought when he heard about the wall going up was, “They’re gonna build a barrier, and most of the cheap labour along the border is by illegals. Who’s gonna build the wall?”

Russell says he isn’t the political type, but that he feels he must speak when he sees hypocrisy in the system.

This was years ahead of the Trump threats to the border area and events have proven to be far more sinister than could have been expected at the time of the song’s writing.

Simple Minds – “Street Fighting Years” –  1989

Patrick Writes:

The song—and the album as a whole—was heavily inspired by the social and political climate of the late 1980s, especially, Apartheid in South Africa, the Thatcher government in the UK and environmental issues and global unrest. The lyrics are reflective and poetic, touching on ideas of resistance, disillusionment, and hope for change. 

Nina Simone – “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” – “Silk and Soul” – 1967

Keith Writes:

“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” is a jazz piece written by American musician Billy Taylor, originally recorded as an instrumental and later released as a song with lyrics by Dick Dallas

The song served as an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1960s.

This very popular version was recorded by Nina Simone in 1967 on her “Silk & Soul” album.

Lou Reed –“Last Great American Whale”  “New York” – 1989

Patrick Writes:

The song is one of the album’s standout tracks, showcasing Reed’s blend of deadpan storytelling, dark irony, and social commentary. The song endures as an example of Reed’s power as a storyteller and cultural critic. It’s a quiet, tragic fable for a nation losing sight of itself—more relevant today than ever.

The Isley Brothers – “Ohio / Machine Gun” – “The Isley’s Live” – 1973

Keith Writes:

Medley written by Neil Young and then Jimi Hendrix

The Kent State shootings (also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre) occurred at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, in the United States and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.
Some of the students who were shot had been protesting the Cambodian Campaign, which President Richard Nixon announced during a television address on April 30. Other students who were shot had been walking nearby or observing the protest from a distance.
There was a significant national response to the shootings. Hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students, and the event further affected public opinion {at an already socially contentious time} over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War.

At the time of the shooting the American public was highly critical of the protestors and blamed them for the violence. This is what the line “What if you knew her? / And found her dead on the ground” was about

“Machine Gun” is a song written by American musician Jimi Hendrix, and originally recorded for the 1970 “Band of Gypsy’s” album, with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles. It is a lengthy, loosely defined (jam-based) protest of the Vietnam War. 

At a performance in Berkeley, California, Hendrix introduced the song:

“I’d like to dedicate this song to soldiers fighting in Berkeley—you know what soldiers I’m talking about—and oh yeah, the soldiers fighting in Vietnam too … and dedicate it to other people that might be fighting wars too, but within themselves, not facing up to the realities”

Gary Clail –“Human Nature”  “Emotional Hooliganism” –1991

Patrick Writes:

A politically charged, genre-blending track released in 1991, It was one of Clail’s most prominent songs, gaining attention for its bold sound and provocative message. It was originally intended to use a sample of a speech by Billy Graham on , but his representative’srefused permission, so the song used portions of the speech re-recorded by Clail. The refrain is ironic and accusatory—holding a mirror up to the way “human nature” is often used as an excuse for unethical behavior.

K’Naan – “What’s Hardcore” – “The Dusty Foot Philosopher” – 2005

Keith Writes:

The Dusty Foot Philosopher is the debut studio album by the Somali–Canadian rapper K’naan.

The album was widely acclaimed by critics upon release. K’naan received particular praise for addressing serious topics, such as the war-torn conditions in his childhood home of Mogadishu, while still managing to display light-heartedness and humour.

The message to wannabee “Gangstas” is, be careful for what you wish for. Downtown Mogadishu might just be too much for the “weekend homie”….

Howard jones –“Equality”  “Humans Lib” 1984

Patrick Writes:

From his first album, as the title suggests, “Equality” is a plea for social justice and fairness, promoting the idea of treating all people with dignity and respect.

Ginger Baker Trio – “East Timor” – “Going Back Home”– 1994

Keith Writes:

Drummer: Ginger Baker, Bassist: Charlie Haden, and Guitarist: Bill Frisell

For a long time, Portugal controlled the East Timor and called it the Colony of Portuguese Timor. In 1975, the Portuguese army left, and East Timor was invaded (taken over) by the Indonesian army in 1975. The invasion was very violent. The army stayed there until 1999, when they gave up control of the territory with the help of the United Nations.

At the time, the United States government said it did not know Indonesia was going to invade East Timor. But secret documents, released from 2002 to 2005, show that Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State of the United States, did know, and supported the invasion.

Neil Young –“Pocahontas” – “MTV Unplugged” – 1993

Patrick Writes:

From his Unplugged album released in 1993,  a stripped-down, haunting rendition of a song originally recorded for his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. This acoustic performance highlights the song’s emotional resonance, surreal imagery, and biting critique of history and colonialism. It’s not a romantic tribute, but rather a dark commentary on the distortion of Native American history and identity through Western eyes. Young doesn’t’t claim to speak for Native people—instead, he presents a surreal confession of a white man grappling with the legacies of genocide and cultural erasure.

Bob Dylan – “Let Me Die In My Footsteps” – “Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3” – 1991

Keith Writes

“Let Me Die in My Footsteps” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in February 1962.

The song was selected for the original sequence of Dylan’s 1963 album The Free-Wheelin’ Bob Dylan, but was replaced by “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall“. This version was recorded at Columbia studios in 1962, during the first FreeWheelin’ session, and was subsequently released in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. 

In 1963, Dylan gave this account of how he came to write “Let Me Die in My Footsteps” to critic Nat Hentoff, who wrote the liner notes for The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan:

“I was going through some town and they were making this bomb shelter right outside of town, one of these sort of Coliseum-type things and there were construction workers and everything. I was there for about an hour, just looking at them build, and I just wrote the song in my head back then, but I carried it with me for two years until I finally wrote it down. As I watched them building, it struck me sort of funny that they would concentrate so much on digging a hole underground when there were so many other things they should do in life. If nothing else, they could look at the sky, and walk around and live a little bit, instead of doing this immoral thing”. 

Morrisey –“America Is Not The World”  “You Are The Quarry”– 2004

Patrick Writes:

A provocative, ironic, and emotionally layered song in which Morrissey critiques American exceptionalism and hypocrisy—while also expressing a conflicted kind of admiration.

Heaven 17 – “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” – “Penthouse and Pavement” – 1982

Keith Writes:

“(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” is a song by the English synth-pop band Heaven 17. It was their debut single, released on 13 March 1981, and the lead single from their debut studio album, Penthouse and Pavement (1981). It was a minor hit in the UK in 1981, despite being banned by the BBC. It was also a minor dance hit in the US. It developed from an instrumental, “Groove Thang”, that Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh created earlier that year for Music for Stowaways, an album they released as British Electric Foundation.

The lyrics of the song also reference the recent election of Ronald Reagan as President of the United States. The song suffered reluctance from UK radio stations to play it and it was banned by the BBC due to concerns by Radio 1‘s legal department that it libelled Reagan by describing him as a “fascist god in motion”. The BBC also informed Heaven 17 that the Reagan reference would need to be changed if they wished to appear on Top of the Pops.