Getting personal with protest songs
My favorite protest songs from the 60s and early 70s
Welcome, everyone, to a ‘let’s get personal’ post in this series about my favorite protest songs from the sixties and early seventies.
If you’re new, here’s a list (with links) of what we’ve covered so far:
“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan (1963)
“Masters of War” by Judy Collins (1963)
“Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire (1965)
“For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound)” by Buffalo Springfield (1966)
“Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones (1969)
“Sweet Cherry Wine” by Tommy James & the Shondells (1969)
“Give Peace a Chance” by the Plastic Ono Band (1969)
“Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell (1970)
“Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)” by the Temptations (1970)
“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
“War” by Edwin Starr (1970)
“Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band (1971)
“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye (1971)
Humor about protest songs from four brilliant comedians.
Today I’m sharing the last of my favorite protest songs with what I thought would be a list of honorable mentions, but which has instead turned out to be songs I love just as much as those above, but which seem a great deal more personal in nature.
What do I mean by that? I mean that to me they are protests about things that have more relevance and resonance at a personal or individual level.
They are also not only about the problems, but about the solutions as well.
HEY, THAT’S NOT COOL, MAN!
Protest songs can be about things that are affecting us on a more personal and existential level, not just about social and political issues writ large such as war, civil rights, or destruction of the environment.
A prominent theme among protest songs in the 1960s and early 70s was warning about, and raging against, those who disrespect and harm us with their hypocritical, narcissistic, and sociopathic behavior.
We’re talking about people who think nothing of stabbing us in the back, plundering what we consider to be ours, wreaking havoc with our physical health and mental and emotional wellbeing, and even absconding with our very lives.
Not only can these emotional vampires and predatory werewolves steal everything that matters to us, they can also take away the things that give life meaning and make it seem worth living — a belief in the goodness of people in general, the love of a significant other, the company of those we cherish, the esteem of people in our community, and, importantly, heroes who give us hope for a better day.
It’s just not cool and groovy, man.
The Undisputed Truth, the O’Jays, Jeannie C. Riley, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and Dion let us know — these are the assaults on our dignity and wellbeing we must guard against.
“Smiling Faces Sometimes” by the Undisputed Truth
This 1971 song was written by the Motown uber-successful songwriting duo of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, so no surprise that it’s genius.
And no surprise that they know whereof they speak, being in the music business and having to deal with smiling faces that lie, handshakes that hide a snake, and pats on the back that hold you back. (Can you dig it?)
They even tell you how not to be fooled.
Norman as producer had the Temptations record it for their Sky’s the Limit album, but at almost 13 minutes it took up half of Side A. He was planning to record a shorter version with them to release as a single when, doggone it, lead singer Eddie Kendricks up and quit the group to go solo.
So Norman did a fast pivot and recorded it with the Undisputed Truth, a group he’d just assembled from former Fabulous Pep Joe Harris and Motown backup singers Billie Calvin and Brenda Evans.
Doggone if their first song didn’t go to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B/Soul chart. Alas, it would be their only hit, but they would leave an indelible mark with this soul classic. Can you dig it?
“Back Stabbers” by the O’Jays
A year later, the O’Jays came out with a song inspired by the Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” (which they directly quote) as well as by songwriter John Whitehead’s experience with guys trying to steal his woman. (His Philadelphia International songwriting partner Gene McFadden and label head and producer Leon Huff are also credited.)
You will recognize the song immediately with its unique and disconcerting piano intro from Leon Huff. He explained that “As Back Stabbers sounds like something eerie, so that roll was like something horrible, because that's what back stabbers are. It reflected that type of drama.”1
The moral of the song: If you really care for someone, you gotta beware of back stabbers smiling in your face as they try to take your place.
No joke, I’ve had it happen to me. It’s not just a guy thing.
The O’Jays ask the key question, “What they do?,” so you know exactly how to discern and protect against these shady characters.
This was the O’Jays’ first Top 10 hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B Singles chart. After 14 years of trying, they deserved this win and the hits like “Love Train” and “I Love Music” to follow.
“Harper Valley PTA” by Jeannie C. Riley
You might think, “Hey, this isn’t a rock and roll song. It’s country.”
Actually, “Harper Valley PTA” was a huge cross-over pop hit in 1968, jumping to the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Country Singles charts and selling an astonishing six million copies.
One reason it became such a big hit is that it tells a compelling story, about the mother of a teenage girl, Mrs. Johnson, who receives a note from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) telling her that she’s not a fit mom the way she’s been behaving. Her crime — wearing miniskirts and spending time with men. [Gasp!]
Mrs. Johnson exacts her revenge when she confronts the members of the PTA at their meeting that very afternoon. Their crime as she sees it — being massive hypocrites. I’ll leave it to you to listen to the song to find out the charges she levels at them in return.
The hit-making country music singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is the lyrical genius behind this song, bringing his experience as a short story writer in making it a gripping plot with delicious pop culture references and satisfyingly salacious details.
I also include the song here because it had such a profound effect on me as a kid. My friends and I had miniskirts ourselves, so were we bad chiquitas when we wore them? Our moms didn’t think so.
Only two years later, everyone would be wearing miniskirts, and the next ‘no-no’ for school administrators would be hot pants. (One of my friends kept getting thrown out of school for wearing them.)
And the hypocritical beat goes on.
“Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby Stills Nash & Young
This song never fails to send a shiver down my spine.
Only two minutes long, it was rushed out as the B side of “Ohio” — whose post has turned out to be my most popular in this series by far (read that here).
It’s no wonder. Sound engineer and producer Bill Halverson describes the recording process. “I set up four chairs and four vocal microphones. They went out and sat facing each other in a square with no frills or gimmicks. It was like they were sitting in a living room. They performed ‘Find the Cost of Freedom,’ which ends up a capella. When they finished, I just pushed the talkbalk and said, ‘Now double it.’ They said, ‘You’re crazy. We can’t do that,’ and while I said that I was already rolling the tape back; before they could say anything else, I said, ‘Here it comes. Now, just double it.’ Then I switched it to eight other tracks and they did… We ran the tape, they played and sang along, and we had the record cut in twenty minutes. They’re amazingly talented. That’s all I can say.”2
As David Crosby noted, “We have, all of us, written things that responded to the world as it slapped us in the face… These came right out of the news. People accused us of taking stances and the truth is we don’t. We try to respond honestly to what hits us. It’s what Neil Young did with ‘Ohio.’”
This song is about death. Your own. The cost you may be called upon to pay if someone tries to take your freedom from you.
“Abraham, Martin and John” by Dion
This is another 1968 song that, like “Harper Valley PTA,” grabbed people’s attention and made them think about things in a more personal way.
The subject couldn’t be more profound — the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy. How many of our leaders and heroes are going to be taken from us before their time? And why does their loss feel so personal and heartbreaking?
The song was written by Dick Holler in direct response to the murders of the last two in April and June of that year, with Dion’s version of the song coming out just two months later.
Perhaps this song sounds so poignant not only because we lost four men who were trying to do good for humankind, but also because Dion had himself recently recovered from a heroin addiction after a whirlwind career with 39 Top 40 hits, the biggest being “Runaround Sue,” followed by an unsuccessful reunion with his late 50s doo-wop group, the Belmonts.
A religious transformation, a new recording contract, and “Abraham, Martin, and John” would resuscitate his career and set him on a new path that would lead to award-winning albums in both Christian music and the blues. And he’s still active at age 85!
Another song that makes me tear up. You might also want to check out the covers that came out in 1969 from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and Marvin Gaye.
SO, LIKE, WHAT’S THE SOLUTION, MAN?
It’s easy, dude — respect, freedom, brotherhood, and takin’ it to the streets — as we learn below from the Staple Singers, the Rascals, Sly & the Family Stone, the Youngbloods, and the Doobie Brothers.
“Respect Yourself” by the Staple Singers
Get ready for an amazing live performance by the Staples Singers from Wattstax, a benefit concert by Stax artists in 1972 to help in the recovery of the riot-ravaged Watts neighborhood.
“Pops” Staples is great, but when Mavis Staples really brings it (at 1:54), it becomes a ‘shout-out-to-the-Lord-to-save-you-revival-meeting-time’ experience, revealing the gospel roots of this Chicago family group.
According to producer Al Bell, “Mack Rice was talking with songwriter Luther Ingram about all the things going on with our people. At one point, Luther said, ‘Black folks need to learn to respect themselves.’”3 Mack used that phrase and a poem called “I Am Somebody” by Reverend William Holmes Borders as inspiration for the song, giving Luther co-credit.
Both Al and Mack “loved Pop Staples and his family—the music they were singing and the uplifting message they were putting out… the song was a natural for them.”
Al and Mavis agreed that the song should have the intimate and conversational approach of the Staples while bringing in rock and country elements and incorporating Mavis’s gospel ad-libs.
I have to admit, for me the 1971 Stax recording doesn’t live up to the passion of the live performance, even with the backing of the famous Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and even knowing that it went to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Hot R&B chart.
Grammy Award winner Mavis is still bringing it at age 85. A national treasure, in my book.
“People Got to Be Free” by the Rascals
Who wouldn’t love the Rascals, especially after their hits “Groovin’” and “A Beautiful Morning”?
Apparently, the people who took offense at the boys’ long hair and beards after the band’s tour vehicle broke down on the road, and, rather than helping them out of their jam, accosted them with threats. That’s who.
Is it any wonder, then, that the peace-loving lads wrote this song in which they advocated for respecting one another’s opinions, treating others as you want to be treated, and letting the long overdue “train of freedom” come “right on through”?
“People Got to Be Free” spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1968 and, warning, this song is an absolute earworm.
“Everyday People” by Sly & the Family Stone
Sly Stone tells us in his recent autobiography that the message of “Everyday People” was the same as it was for all of the group’s songs:
“You couldn’t take turns with freedom. You couldn’t have one moment where freedom went with the majority and one where it went with the money and one where it went with one skin color or another. Everyone had to be free all the time or no one was free at all.”4
In writing the song his intention was to write “a standard, something that would be up there with ‘Jingle Bells’ or ‘Moon River’” and to stay true to “the larger idea of music as a spiritual force. Rhythm, melody, and lyrics carried inspiration to the people. Sound pulled the soul upward.”
His approach of writing “a simple melody with a simple arrangement” and “lyrics that people would remember even when the song ended” did the trick, as “Everyday People” was the group’s first song to hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul charts, and it stayed there for a month. The video is also a fun and inspiring watch.
“Get Together” by The Youngbloods
The Youngbloods version of this song never fails to move me.
Written by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Dino Valenti of the psychedelic rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service, it almost didn’t become a hit. When it came out in 1967 as a single off the Youngbloods’ debut album, it became a minor hit but didn’t get a lot of airplay.
That would change two years later when it was re-released after being used in a radio and TV public service announcement calling for brotherhood in the wake of all the turmoil in American society, put out by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
It rose to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the group’s only major chart hit (although the group had a number of critically successful albums).
For me, the music and lyrics have a strong spiritual vibe, something that runs through all of these ‘solution-focused’ protest songs.
“Takin’ It to the Streets” by the Doobie Brothers
If you want evidence that rock music has had a lasting effect on the culture, how about the fact that this Doobie Brothers hit from 1976 is the source of the popular catchphrase “takin’ it to the streets”?5
We have Michael McDonald to thank for that, former keyboardist and backup singer for Steely Dan who brought some new songs with him when he joined the band in 1975. One of these was a song inspired by an essay written by his sister Maureen about what it’s like for someone growing up in “poverty’s despair” and “a living hell.”6
No more need to run or hide or listen to nonsense about what kind of help you need from people who have no knowledge or experience with “your kind.” As the Doobies sing, no point in listenin’ to that claptrap. You gotta take it to the streets.
NEXT: A SURVEY OF YOUR FAVORITE PROTEST SONGS
BUT FIRST…
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-ojays/back-stabbers
Long Time Gone: The Autobiography of David Crosby, by David Crosby and Carl Gottlieb, 1988, p.187.
Anatomy of a Song by Marc Myers,2016, p. 204-205.
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again), Sly Stone with Ben Greenman, 2023, p.68.
Yes, I know 1976 is not the ‘early’ 70s, but I just had to include it.
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-doobie-brothers/takin-it-to-the-streets.
These songs are still very relevant, as the best protest songs are.
That was a great write up. There was a lot there I hadn’t listened to a quite a while. In the light of what has transpired since a lot of these songs, it seems we were pretty naive.