Political Music Videos

Here are musical videos that lots of fun to watch. A discussion of of the political content of many of these musical pieces can be found in my book, Politics In Music. Occasionally some of these YouTube videos are taken down. If that happens, just do a new YouTube search for the song.

Introductory Concepts (see chapter 1 in Politics In Music):

• Sting and Cheb Mami performing "Desert Rose"
• Sheikh Abdul Basset Reciting the Koran . . .
• "Russians" by Sting
• Sting - "Tomorrow We'll See"

Beethoven (see chapter 2 in Politics In Music):

• Beethoven's 9th Symphony "Ode to Freedom," Leonard Bernstein in Berlin.
• Original version of "Ode to Joy," Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Lots of good extra information in the "About This Video" link.
• "Choral Fantasy" by Beethoven (the choral part). A good example of associative political music. Performed in Russia on 22 June 2007 to commemorate the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Germany. See the "About This Video" link.
• "Fidelio" Overture by Beethoven, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
• A scene from Beethoven's "Fidelio" opera, performed by the Los Angeles Opera in 2007.
• Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony No. 3, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
• Beethoven's Egmont Overture, conducted by conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
• Beethoven's Coriolan Overture.
• Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, II Movement.
• Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, I Movement.
• Beethoven's Wellington's Victory (opus 91)

Richard Wagner (see chapter 3 in Politics In Music):

• Selections from the Ring operas (click on "Ring Video" in the links at top)
• Ring Resource Guide from the LA Opera

Bob Marley (see chapter 3 in Politics In Music):

• Could You Be Loved?
• Buffalo Soldier (see "More" in "About this video" for lyrics)
• Redemption Song
• Get Up, Stand Up
• Ride Natty Ride
• Wake Up and Live

Nationalist and Patriotic Music (see chapter 4 in Politics In Music):

• Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodie No. 2, performed by Lang Lang
• Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain
• An excellent discussion of Modest Mussorgsky (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of Boris Godunov, by Mussorgsky (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "A Night on Bald Mountain" (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "Pictures at an Exhibition" (A reading)
• Boris Godunov, by Mussorgsky (the Finale)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (1 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (2 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (3 of 4)
• Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (4 of 4)
• An excellent discussion of Rimsky-Korsakov (A reading)
• An excellent discussion of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan," an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov (A reading)
• Flight of the bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, from "The Tale of Tsar Saltan"
• Antonín Dvorák - Slavonic dance No. 2 in E minor op. 72
• Antonín Dvorák - Slavonic dance No. 8
• An excellent discussion of Sibelius (A reading)
• Finlandia, by Sibelius
• An excellent discussion of Ralph Vaughan Williams (A reading)
• Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Ralph Vaughan Williams (See also this reading)
• Asturias - Isaac Albeniz (See also this reading)
• Manuel de Falla, Spanish Dance No. 1
• Giuseppe Verdi - Va pensiero, from 'Nabucco'
• Giuseppe Verdi - Mario Lanza in Otello
• Giuseppe Verdi - Lucia Popp and Placido Domingo: Brindisi, La Traviata
• Giuseppe Verdi - Jerusalem
• Putnam's Camp by Charles Ives (See also this reading)
• Leonard Bernstein discussing Charles Ives
• Charles Ives Symphony No. 2 (part 1)
• Charles Ives Symphony No. 2 (part 2)
• Charles Ives Symphony No. 2 (part 3)
• Maple Leaf Rag, played by Scott Joplin (See also this reading)
• Aaron Copland - Rodeo: Hoedown
• Aaron Copland - Rodeo
• Madonna - "Don't Tell Me"
• Bruce Springsteen - "Born In The U.S.A."
• Whitney Houston singing the "Star Spangled Banner" (See also this ABC report.)

Country Music (see chapter 4 in Politics In Music):

• Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"
• Jason Aldean - "Try That in a Small Town"
• Pete Seeger - "John Brown's Body" (See also this reading.)
• Elton Britt - "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"
• Lee Greenwood - "God Bless the U.S.A."
• Ronald Reagan promo video (see end for Lee Greenwood song, "God Bless the U.S.A.")
• Willy Nelson - "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys"
• Johnny Cash - "Folsom Prison Blues"
• Johnny Cash - "Bitter Tears"
• Toby Keith - "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue"
• Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"
• David Allan Coe

Joe Hill and Labor Music (see chapter 5 in Politics In Music):

• Paul Robeson - "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill"
• Joan Baez - "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill"
• Billy Bragg - "There is Power in a Union" (Billy Bragg's Version)
• Utah Phillips - "There is Power in a Union" (Joe Hill's version)
• Woodie Guthrie 1
• Woodie Guthrie 2
• Rolling Stones (with Guns N' Roses) - "Salt of the Earth" (High def version w/o lyrics HERE)

Protest Music (see chapter 6 in Politics In Music):

• Quilapayun - "Vamos Mujer"
• Quilapayún - "Canción Final De La Cantata Santa Maria"
• Sting - "They Dance Alone"
• The Rolling Stones - "Undercover of the Night" (See also this reading.)
• The Rolling Stones - "Gimme Shelter" (See also this reading.)
• The Rolling Stones - "Street Fighting Man" (See also this reading.)
• Buffalo Springfield - "For What It's Worth" (See also this reading. Also Sunset Strip Riots.)
• Bruce Springsteen - "War"
• Arlo Guthrie - "Alice's Restaurant"
• Arlo Guthrie - "When a Soldier Makes It Home"
• The Beatles - "Let It Be"
• The Beatles - "Revolution"
• Jimi Hendrix - "Star Spangled Banner," performed at Woodstock
• Bob Dylan - "Like a Rolling Stone"
• Bob Dylan - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
• U2 - "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Red Rock version)
• Michael Jackson - "Earth Song"
• Billy Joel - "The Downeaster 'Alexa'"

Issue Music

• Aerosmith - Dude Looks Like a Lady (Gender blending)
• Aerosmith - Janie's Got a Gun (Gun control)
• Aerosmith - Eat the Rich (Class Warfare)
• Madonna - Like a Prayer (Interracial spiritual love and ecstasy. See also this reading.)
• J. Cole - Crooked Smile, ft. TLC (Rethinking the War on Drugs)

Hip-Hop (see chapter 7in Politics In Music):

• Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, with Melle Mel - "The Message"
• Tupac Shakur - "Words of Wisdom"
• Tupac Shakur - "Violent", also THIS
• Tupac Shakur - "Brenda's Got a Baby"
• Pink, Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya - "Lady Marmalade"
• Aerosmith & Run-DMC - Walk This Way (Historically important blend of rock and hip hop)
• Eminem - "Stan", also the SHORT VERSION
• Rage Against the Machine - "Killing in the Name (with lyrics)
• Dead Prez - "Police State"
• M.I.A. - "Born Free" (Warning: This is a violent video.)
• Kanye West - "Jesus Walks" (Lyrics here)
• Rap Agaist Dictatorship - What My Country's Got (Thailand protest song. See also this reading.)

New Genre Political Music

Note: Janelle Monáe's music can be best interpreted by comparing it with Fritz Lang's movie, Metropolis, as well as Philip K. Dick's book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

• Janelle Monáe - Many Moons
• Janelle Monáe - Tightrope
• Beyoncé - Run the World (Girls): Female empowerment
• Muse - Resistance: Personal empowerment, love enabling collective strength
• Muse - Uprising: Defiance against authority (Also read this article about Muse: Muse: Close encounter By Jacqui Swift, in The Sun, Published: 23 Jun 2006.) See also James Durbin American Idol Version.
• Muse - Knights Of Cydonia: Apocalypse survival
• Muse - MK Ultra: Human trafficking
• Muse - Mercy: Begging freedom from the powers that be (TPTB). See also THIS VERSION
• Muse - Reapers: Killing in war by remote control and drones
• Muse - JFK and Defector: Defiance by a single person against the system
• Muse - The Handler: Defiance and breaking free from control
• Muse - Psycho: Conditioning to obey
• Nickelback - When We Stand Together : Protesting Nihilism
• One World - Freedom for Palestine: Nationalism (See Glenn Beck's response; see Archbishop Tutu's response)
• Collection of musicians talking political on CNN during the 2016 U.S. election cycle
• Rihanna - Sledgehammer: Personal grievances of leaders leading to superpower confrontations
• Kanye West - Fade: Social and gender empowerment
• Katy Perry - Chained to the Rhythm (Lyrics here.)
• Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra - Söngvakeppnin 2019 (EUROVISION ICELAND): A seriously future dystopian band and music (Read also this article)