This Memorial Day we reflect on those that fought for our freedom, and in particular those that gave their lives to preserve our American way of life. In some cases, the song writers’ activist viewpoint was clear, while in other songs the meaning was subtle. The popular Prince song “1999” was actually about the Regan administration’s view on potential nuclear warfare, while the Canadian song group The Guess Who gave us “American Woman.” In the same era, Marvin Gaye sung about war in ‘What’s Going On.” Here are a few other contemporary songs that weave anti-war sentiment in the lyrics…
“Violet Hill” by Coldplay
“Sunday, Bloody Sunday” by U2
“Zombie” by The Cranberries
“London Calling” by The Clash
“Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen
“Sunny Came Home” by Shawn Colvin
No matter the music genre, powerful lyrics have always broken through to make sense of the days’ events; often times we refer to music as ‘the soundtrack of our lives’ and this list supports that thought.
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