69

the link I posted is metal gear solid song that i wanted to play at a protest. It's not necessarily a protest song its about turning away the torment's of your heart and turning towards eternal joy, but the Gaelic lyrics does make me thing of the songs that were written by all the conquered people throughout history and how those would make great anti war songs.

I do want songs about working class solidarity that are modern. I've picked up Iran ai lego songs, they're actually pretty good and the lyrics are pretty good, I haven't found any quite on the level, the Iranians go hard on trump.

seems like all the anti war songs are not from this decade and anti ice is lacking.

here are some songs I've picked out for protest for protest:

MACKLEMORE - HIND'S HALL 2 (feat. Anees, MC Abdul, Amer Zahr)

The Genocide That Is Not Over | Iranian LEGO War-Themed Video By Akhbarenfejari

Les Misérables | Do You Hear the People Sing?

IT AINT GONNA GO AWAY - ODE TO THE EPSTEIN FILES

Billionaire Buffet (feat. Kasane Teto)

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] DFX4509B@lemmy.wtf 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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.

[-] solidheron@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

okay i see that first chorus could be interpreted as ice being white supremacist. its definitely fun add the genra to the mix

[-] minz@lemmy.wtf 12 points 2 weeks ago
[-] MathiasTCK@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago
[-] 5in1k@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago

Which Side Are You In? By Pete Seger. Not modern but it’s moving.

Song

[-] solidheron@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

It's fine just interesting like past generations were really about protest songs. Artist now don't seem to do protest or social commentary

[-] tomenzgg@midwest.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Nazi Punks Fuck Off - Dead Kennedys

Freedom is a Verb - Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird

Color in Your Cheeks - The Mountain Goats

[-] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 weeks ago

Internationale

[-] unmagical@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)
  • 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
  • Springsteen - Streets of Minneapolis
  • Gus the Bardic troubador - GTFO
  • Devil Said Jump - Make me buy a gun
  • Palaceburn - And you wonder why they kneel

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.

[-] solidheron@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

waterparks song is high energy but cursing i like the moon walker youre next. i do wish is was more explicit in class solidarity hourriya is fun i get the teto version of facists dont have friends

[-] backalleycoyote@lemmy.today 7 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I think Masters of War is Dylan's best protest song. The lyrics go hard

[-] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Ah yeah, that would have been a better choice actually, good shout.

[-] Snailpick42@lemmus.org 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Anti-Flag - Die for the government, NOFX - Idiots are taking over, NOFX - 72 Hookers, Jesse Welles - Join Ice

[-] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Look up no$hu. "Fuck ICE ICE baby", "Against Occupation" and a bunch of his other songs. Check out Jesse Welles "Join ICE".

Edit to add: "The Guillotine" by The Coup. Goes so hard.

[-] themoken@startrek.website 3 points 2 weeks ago

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.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] AfterlifeAdventures@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

'Peace frogs' by: The Doors

Peace Sells by Megadeth. War Pigs by Black Sabbath.

[-] daannii@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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

[-] HubertManne@piefed.social 4 points 2 weeks ago

I like to think anything by jesse wells is appropriate but then there are some songs I just feel that much more in the modern age but are not necessarily good protest songs. rat in a cage, head like a hole, down with the sickness. Also many jethro tull songs.

[-] Zahille7@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It's Okay (To Punch Nazis in The Face) - Cheap Perfume is a great one I heard the other night.

I'm Scum - IDLES

Fight The Power - Public Enemy

Pretty much anything by Rage Against The Machine

[-] techwooded@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago
load more comments (2 replies)
[-] MathiasTCK@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago
[-] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Why can't we be friends? by WAR

[-] jwiggler@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Two very different protest songs I heard this year

Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - The Iron Wall

Hen Ogledd - Scales will fall

[-] solidheron@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

these songs are very free form, might need to grow on me

[-] Moonguide@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

"I HATE RICH CUNTS" and "YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT POOR PEOPLE" by Mudrat

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] JTode@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

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...

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

Bob Dylan - Masters of War

[-] Anivia@feddit.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

Satronica, Unexist - Fuck The System

Party Animals - Die Nazi Scum

[-] agent_nycto@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

You should look up some old labor movement songs

[-] deifyed@lemmy.wtf 2 points 2 weeks ago

Rise Against - Hero of war

Not a "play at protests"-song, but powerful nevertheless

[-] InterestingUsername@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago

A lot of Rise Against song could fit this

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] nycvin@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago

The whole "American Idiot" album applies here, I think.

[-] JayJay@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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.

[-] JTode@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

This is the guy who wrote "867-5309" and "Perfect World" by Huey Lewis. He's also a friend of sorts, I got my dog from him and his wife. It's not famous but it's a decent tune, and anti-ICE as shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evwhdPn8ONk

[-] ober@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 weeks ago

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.

[-] daannii@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

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

War pigs-black Sabbath

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

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] Teh@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

About half of Jesse Welles songs fit here.

-God Abraham and Xanax -Red -Join ICE -Walmart -Don’t blow the whistle -War isn’t murder -Great Caucasian god -The poor -No Kings

[-] barooboodoo@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago

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

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2026
69 points (93.7% liked)

Asklemmy

54135 readers
93 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 7 years ago
MODERATORS