songs that can be thought of as political, but aren't actually at all

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can anyone think of any?

something like a song about a break-up, that can double as a song about war. or pop songs that have been adopted or appropriated by political groups/causes when in the song's meaning/intentions is a world's away....

― el juan (el juan), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:24 (twenty years ago)

"There's not much justice in the world" - Lemarr.

Actually, just about how he didn't get the girl.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:26 (twenty years ago)

How about most of the songs on this thread:

50 conserative songs, as written by the NRO, get yr knives out

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:30 (twenty years ago)

In his 1001 Greatest Singles book, Dave Marsh writes about how he assumed "Every Breath You Take" was a political song.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:31 (twenty years ago)

Bob Dylan to thread

― and PappaWheelie, author of Have You Ever Been Poxy Fuled? (PappaWheelie 2), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:32 (twenty years ago)

The entirety of Green Day's American Idiot

― ss sleepingbag (sleepingbag), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:45 (twenty years ago)

That would be songs that Green Day throught they were polical, but aren't actually at all.

― Rufus 3000 (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 14:00 (twenty years ago)

"The Politics of Dancing," Re-Flex. They've said as much in interviews.

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I assumed as soon as I heard it that "Hey Headmaster" by the Pet Shop Boys was a coruscating account of the collapse in authority of the Major government after Black Wedneday using a crumbling public school regime as a clever metaphor.

Apparently though it's about a Headmaster.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Definitely, "Wake Me When September Ends". I like the American Idiot album but this cheap self-parody of "Time Of Your Life" (a song I hate anyway) I assumed was about 9/11 but it isn't, it's just about missing the summer. Gay.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 14:40 (twenty years ago)

"Six Months In A Leaky Boat" - Split Enz.

Didn't this get banned by BBC beacause of the Falkland thing, even though the song is about migrants to Australia?

― EZ Snappin (EZSnappin), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 14:56 (twenty years ago)

they also banned 'in the air tonight' during the gulf war

― dave q (listerine), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:04 (twenty years ago)

Ojalá by Silvio Rodriguez has been thought of as a political song. It makes sense since so many of his songs are political. Many people have interpreted it as a song written to a dictator (I've even seen some say it is written for Pinochet after the Allende coup in Chile but that makes no sense since it was written five years before). But it's just about a girl.

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:21 (twenty years ago)

MTV played "Save A Prayer" by Duran Duran when Gulf War Pt. 1 started. It was part of their "special programming"

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:25 (twenty years ago)

"Killing An Arab."

― mike a (mike a), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:54 (twenty years ago)

"One Way" - The Levellers.
"Every Fucking Song We Ever Wrote" - The Levellers.

― No Suntan, No Credibility (noodle vague), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:57 (twenty years ago)

In his 1001 Greatest Singles book, Dave Marsh writes about how he assumed "Every Breath You Take" was a political song.

In Dave Marsh's world, EVERY goddam song is political - or it's not worth listening to.

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 16:10 (twenty years ago)

It is so weird to see "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" on this list, because as an American with toddlers, I only knew it as a goofy Wiggles (feat. Tim Finn & Capt. Feathersword) tune (mpg sample) - c'mon kids! here's a song about... yar! my boat's leaking!

― BrianB (BrianB), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 16:32 (twenty years ago)

"Do You Like Me" by Fugazi (lots of Fugazi songs would probably qualify here) - but this one in particular uses a lot of heavy images and may simply just be about a guy wondering if someone likes him.

"White witness moves to petition the state of virginia for 27 prisons,
While in bethesda; an office flaming; youth group singing;
Firemen calling in:
Lockheed Lockheed Martin-Marietta
Do you like me, do you like me, do you like me, do you like me,
I guess
End of the lesson time for one question
End of the lesson time for one more question
I got a question.
Do you like me?"

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Thursday, 21 September 2006 09:57 (twenty years ago)

All Chuck Berry car songs. "No Particular Place to Go" = libertarian protest against seat-belt laws. "Maybellene" = libertarian protest against speed-limit laws. "You Can't Catch Me" = libertarian protest against law of gravity.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 21 September 2006 10:33 (twenty years ago)

"Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" = libertarian protest against miscegenation laws (substitute "-Skinned" for "-Eyed," as Mr. Marsh himself helpfully suggested in that book).

Also "Last Train to Clarksville," which I refuse to believe has anything to do with Vietnam.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 21 September 2006 14:49 (twenty years ago)

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day In The Life". Both pro-drugs.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 21 September 2006 18:22 (twenty years ago)

devo - freedom of choice
not about women's reproductive rights

― JB Young (JB Young), Friday, 22 September 2006 08:03 (twenty years ago)

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