What is an example of a good protest song? Why?
Song: “The Universal Soldier” by Buffy Sainte-Marie
There are two ideas I think of when I think of a “protest song.” One is a song you can sing at a protest and another is a song that is an act of protest itself. “Universal Soldier” by Buffy Sainte-Maire is a good example of both. She’s a First Nations Canadian singer (popular) in the ’60s, a little like Joan Baez. It’s an anti-war song that points out no matter which side you’re fighting on, war itself is always going to end in injustice. One of the quotes – “And he knows he shouldn’t kill and he knows he always will” – just speaks to that message. It’s one of those songs that is good to sing at a protest. It has a real folk music feel and it’s empowering. You wouldn’t have to be a trained singer to sing it, and you can sing it to guitar, a drum or nothing at all.
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