Edwin star- war. Literally a song protesting war
this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2026
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The whole "American Idiot" album applies here, I think.
RATM - Killing in the Name, and this one is particularly prescient right now with ICE roaming the streets given it was originally written to protest police brutality in response to the Rodney King riots.
RATM - Wake Up is also a good one as well.
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Internationale
this is my favorite one by stereolab, it is called 'ping pong' and it's really sarcastic when it comes to war and capitalism
https://soundcloud.com/stereolab/ping-pong?si=0262657a62a74b1facbbe0293b6d05eb
There's only millions that lose their jobs And homes and sometimes accents There's only millions that die In their bloody wars, it's alright
Anti-Flag - Die for the government, NOFX - Idiots are taking over, NOFX - 72 Hookers, Jesse Welles - Join Ice
Bella Ciao :)
You should look up some old labor movement songs
Satronica, Unexist - Fuck The System
Party Animals - Die Nazi Scum
- Waterparks - Ice
- Badflower - Machine Gun
- Seb Lowe - Don't say no to Hitler
- Moon Walker - You're next
- Grandson - Little White Lies
- Grandson - Brainrot
- Against me! - Baby, I'm an anarchist!
- Harris J - Hourriya
- Flanger Moose - Fascists don't have friends
The discographies of Grandson, Moon Walker, and Dropkick Murphys have a lot of good, recent, messages. Pussy Riot has a couple of generic and America themed songs as well. Otep has several, though they are more fueled by reaction than actual artistic talent.
I wouldn't rule out older titles from the Vietnam or Coal Wars/Battle of Blaire Mountain Era.
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Bad Religion, Propaghandi, Dropkick Murphys, Good Riddance, Thought Riot, Regan Youth, Crass, T.S.O.L., MDC, The Nerve Agents, Earth Crisis, Dead Kennedys, NOFX, Body Count, Pussy Riot, Death By Stereo, and Cattle Decapitation are all social-politically outspoken punk/hXc/metal bands that have plenty of songs that would fit your list.
Dropkick, Billy Bragg, Tom Morello, Eyes of Salt, and the Boss all have anti-ICE specific songs out recently.
Burn the house down by AJR https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UnyLfqpyi94
Used to keep it cool.
Used to be a fool.
All about the bounce in my step.
Watch it on the news.
Whatcha gonna do?
I could hit refresh and forget.
Used to keep it cool.
Should I keep it light?
Stay out of the fight?
No one's gonna listen to me.
If I write a song.
Preaching what is wrong.
Will they let me sing on TV?
Should I keep it light?
Is that right?
Way up way up we go.
Been up and down that road.
Way up way up, oh no.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Watch me stand in the line.
You're only serving lies.
You've got something to hide.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Yeah, used to let it go.
Walk into the show.
Gawking at the tricks up your sleeve.
Too good to be true.
But I'm in a room.
Full of entertainers and thieves.
Used to let it go.
Woah, oh no.
(Woah, oh no).
Way up way up we go.
Been up and down that road.
Way up way up, oh no.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Watch me stand in the line.
You're only serving lies.
You've got something to hide.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Should I hang my head low?
Should I bite my tongue?
Or should I march with every stranger.
From Twitter to get shit done?
Used to hang my head low.
Now I hear it loud.
Every stranger from Twitter is gonna burn this down.
Way up way up we go.
Been up and down that road.
Way up way up, oh no.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Watch me stand in the line (whoa oh).
You're only serving lies (yeah).
You've got something to hide.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
Woah oh, yeah.
We gon' burn the whole house down.
We burn it down, we burn it down.
We gon' burn the whole house down
that is a good song
Even though the use of "Twitter" is outdated. It also kind of Still works.
Because the original users of Twitter have mostly left.
It's definitely very catchy and has relevant lyrics.
Look up no$hu. "Fuck ICE ICE baby", "Against Occupation" and a bunch of his other songs. Check out Jesse Welles "Join ICE".
Upvote for Jesse Welles. I appreciate his music can be topical, but also humorous and chill. Maybe not the sort of protest songs you play to fire people up, but definitely ones that will get their message stuck in your head.
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I can't reccomend moon walker enough.
"Youre next" is their new song. I think its very topical
Some of my favorites in no particular order: Monopoly money, Ban this song, Apocalypticism.
Rise Against - Hero of war
Not a "play at protests"-song, but powerful nevertheless
A lot of Rise Against song could fit this
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Nazi Punks Fuck Off - Dead Kennedys Freedom is a Verb - Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird Color in Your Cheeks - The Mountain Goats
Honestly I like hear my hope from hazbin hotel as a protest song. The citizens of hell standing up together and finally saying βno, weβve had enoughβ seems especially fitting.
Which Side Are You In? By Pete Seger. Not modern but itβs moving.
It's fine just interesting like past generations were really about protest songs. Artist now don't seem to do protest or social commentary
Doesn't necessarily work in an actual protest but https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jSZWslqjfPE&pp=ygUgd2hpY2ggc2lkZSBhcmUgeW91IG9uIHJlYmVsIGRpYXo%3D is pretty good and uses Which Side in the chorus.
If it's punk yer wantin, you'll want Dead Kennedys and MDC - both old bands (MDC is still kicking as I understand it, tho) but lots and lots of highly relevant stuff.
Notable: on their first LP, Millions Of Dead Cops, which came out in 1984 if I recall correctly, there is a trans-positive tune called America's So Straight. You wanna talk ahead of the curve...
Peace Sells by Megadeth. War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
It's Okay (To Punch Nazis in The Face) - Cheap Perfume is a great one I heard the other night.
I'm Scum - IDLES Pretty much anything by Rage Against The Machine
A few suggestions:
- Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
- RATM - Bulls on Parade
- Dead Kennedys - Kill the Poor
And for a more optimistic, but still defiant take, R.E.M.'s Living Well is the Best Revenge.
I think Masters of War is Dylan's best protest song. The lyrics go hard
Ah yeah, that would have been a better choice actually, good shout.
I don't know if this quite fits all the remit, but, it's what came to mind:
Pacific's Break Your Social System:
About half of Jesse Welles songs fit here.
-God Abraham and Xanax -Red -Join ICE -Walmart -Donβt blow the whistle -War isnβt murder -Great Caucasian god -The poor -No Kings
Grandson's most recent album (INERTIA) is really good. Violence by Kid Kapichi is a banger too. WHO'S THE ENEMY from Grandson is very very good and has Bob Vylan on it.
About half the songs on the new Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies album (the other half are about sex)
The closer Ain't That A Bitch is pretty unambiguous.
So I bought a rechargeable karaoke machine. One with large wattage and a wireless microphone.
It has a strap so you can wear it like a messenger bag.
Thing is great for protests.
I use an old iPod with it.
And I let people use the mic to lead chants.
I bought it used on the eBay. Important thing is make sure it's at or near 30W. Otherwise it's not going to be very loud. I'll post a pic of mine but it's not made anymore and the newer models are 15W. Also it fits in a backpack. Barely but it does.
I got some of these songs from similar posts as yours. I try to keep variety on the playlist so everyone can enjoy the music.
Here you go
Burn the house down -ajr (I already made a separate comment for it)
Stop business as usual -kimmortal (hip hop) https://youtu.be/wHggKbN7on0
Guillotine- the coup (hip hop) https://youtu.be/ad2ldO-JG-E
Uprising -muse (indie) https://youtu.be/Y4R6k8_iIkE
Another day in America- kali uchis (pop. part is in Spanish, about immigrants) https://youtu.be/SNNKFZRGoyM
Revolution -the beatles https://youtu.be/BGLGzRXY5Bw
Eat the rich -aerosmith (rock) https://youtu.be/ZK__9UIN5gk
FDT -Yg (hiphop) https://youtu.be/BlIREcAu0PI
America -logic (hip hop) https://youtu.be/j3Pe0oUqFkw
Die -badflower (metal/punk?)-newish song about donny https://youtu.be/fqBzuioSFac
Fucked up- Macklemore https://youtu.be/sn9EKC9nqU4
Ugly nasty commie bitch -carsie Blanton (indie?) https://youtu.be/-tfH1nty62U
Burn the damn thing down -The black keys (indie?) https://youtu.be/ZF5VPD6-_Q0
Hostile government takeover (pop) https://youtu.be/PuWVgVkMiHE
We're not going to take it -twisted sisters (80s metal) https://youtu.be/PqQdbevaB-Q
Capitalism gonna kill us all - rathbone (indie) https://youtu.be/8GBmoXv8G8I
At peace -propoghandi (rock?) https://youtu.be/CDhTf3eaeoM
Small dick energy -mat ward (electronica) https://youtu.be/ahv63jUKVx0
Arrest the president -ice cube (hip hop) https://youtu.be/y9oUnC8JtXY
Thoughts and prayers -grandson (?) https://youtu.be/rWO_TW9AlBg
Fortunate son- credence clear water (70s rock?) https://youtu.be/ec0XKhAHR5I
Here are some punk ones
Hate to say I told you so -the hives https://youtu.be/Uz1Jwyxd4tE
Sabotage -beastie boys https://youtu.be/z5rRZdiu1UE
Gurilla radio -rage against the machine https://youtu.be/Rm1nCYOZB-s
Make America great again- pussy riot https://youtu.be/Y6JRhiVnrPg
Take the power back -Rage against the machine https://youtu.be/rMXlAJOQsss
American idiot -greenday https://youtu.be/Ee_uujKuJMI
Killing in the name of -rage against the machine https://youtu.be/T4XuU2loLi4
One nation-pinkshift https://youtu.be/6Vx5fex-OJI
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Maybe check out Fragile (by Sting) and it's background story
Two very different protest songs I heard this year
Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - The Iron Wall
Hen Ogledd - Scales will fall
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If you like hip hop at all, What's Peace? off the new Statik Selektah album had some great lines. Some gems for me:
What's peace? Is it locking up people like me For selling weed, but then you go and let a pedophile free? Is it Capitalism or privatizing the prisons Or giving corporations freedom to poison food that we eat?
...
That's why I get the skeevies knowing Stevie's pulling strings Take a look inside the cabinet, see it's clearly Miller time You got a lion in your pocket, you lying You got a long line of far-right conservative actors going on Grindr
...
How insecure you gotta be to pretend Christ was White? And hate those that look like what Christ really looked like? They call you Marxist, Socialist and Commie They hate you if you Haitian or Somali They blaming 9/11 on Mamdani
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