Music, it blows my mind, a nearly magical concept if you think about it, it is able to change people’s mood, opinions and even life just through a strum on the guitar and the beat of drums. Here we’ll take a look at five songs where the world was touched/changed through music. In no particular order:
Imagine - John Lennon
One of the most famous and influential songs of all time. Lennon guides us through his idealistic vision of the world in a state of peace and harmony. He famously stated the song was “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic…but because it’s sugar-coated, it is accepted.”. In this way the ingenuity of Lennon’s lyrics become clear showing the huge cracks and stupidity in current society and capitalism and yet somehow still inspiring generations to follow. The song was released in 1971 during the Vietnam War; Lennon describes the song as an ‘anthem to peace’ , and it has become a permanent protest song as well as an emblem of hope. This is my go to song when bad things happen in life. It is a song of hope and though idealistic and slightly hypocritical (considering Lennon was a millionaire calling for “no possessions”), I find it to be a symbol of the good to come.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ72bYyEtBg
The Revolution will Not be Televised - Gill Scott-Heron
With Scott-Heron’s classic spoken-word rap, mixed in with freestyle flute this song is iconic in many ways. Though the name of the song is certainly not subtle, the message is frequently misunderstood. Gil didn’t literally mean the revolution would not be televised, instead he was ridiculing the power of advertisements and consumerism to lull any audience of even the most politically engaged into couch potatoes. Though first released as a reaction for black civil rights activism in 1971; it has become an anthem for a revolutionary era, used as a slogan in anything from protestors braving tear gas in Cairo’s Tahrir Square (2011) to Anti-nuke protesters marching in Hyde Park (1984). The true message is to make actual change: you have to get out and take action not just watch it on TV. Gil famously stated, “the thing that's going to change people is something that no one will ever be able to capture on film” .
Bella Ciao - Mondine Women
Recently popularised in the Netflix hit ‘Le Casa de Papel’, this song actually has deep roots in Italian history and culture. “Bella Ciao” was sung by poverty-stricken Mondine (“weeders”) women, labourers in Northern Italy who’s whole life was working tirelessly in rice fields. The song is a way to cope with their hardships and yearns for better times. The name “Bella Ciao” meaning “Goodbye Beautiful” is a farewell to the writer’s youthful dreams and innocence. The song was so powerful it resurfaced in the 1940s as Italy was struggling against the grips of fascism. It became an antifascist, anti-nazi anthem, uniting parts of Italy. The songs has always had strong associations with revolution and freedom, however, for many Italians it’s a painful reminder of the atrocity’s of the Italian Civil War and WW2. I would recommend a listen here, it’s kind of amazing how everyone in the world no matter the time or background can unite under this underlying urge for freedom, as the songs puts it , “Morto per la libertà”.
Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
This may be the most controversial on the list, but I found it interesting. Released in 1983, the band claimed it was a song about motivation but with a series of lewd newspaper ads mixed in with the sexually charged lyrics the true meaning of the the song was clear. The hedonistic, celebration of sex (specifically gay sex) the song was portraying didn’t sit right with many broadcasters who were disgusted by the unapologetic attitude the band took. In 1984 the song was banned from BBC Radio for being “overtly sexual” (though many argue it was only due to BBC’s prejudice against gay artists). However, this backfired hugely as the scandal created popularity and support for the band. T-shirts with the words “Frankie says Relax” were worn by teenagers everywhere in support of the band and a silent rebel against what should be normal. Though this song doesn’t have an obvious message or goal that makes it important, just by being so unashamed and defiant, Frankie Goes to Hollywood helped normalise taboo topics such as sex which was especially significant in the 1980s.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yem_iEHiyJ0
Do They Know Its Christmas - Band Aid
A Christmas classic, this track was in-fact written as a reaction to the horrific and shocking news reports of the Ethiopian Famine of 1984. After seeing the footage on the news Bob Geldof of the Boomtown rats had the idea to form a super group with the sole purpose to fundraise for the crisis. Geldof managed to contact some of the most famous artists of the time with the likes of Bono and Sting taking part. After a single twenty-four hour recording session the song was released and instantly hit number one on the charts. The initial release earned over 24 million pounds for the famine and kickstarted other fundraising performances such as live-aid. It was so influential as it showed the power of artists and celebrities for fund-raising. Although for a great cause the actual song is probably my least favourite on the list due to the way it generalise the whole of Africa needing to be saved (e.g the whole chorus is “there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time” when there’s never snow in Africa and only Ethiopia has a famine not the whole of Africa).
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