When it comes to music I am a guy who is big on lyrics. I enjoy music that is also fun but I crave music with a message. These are 3 songs that I believe have that message a lot of us crave. The message that these songs portray challenged people when they were written and still do today. The message each song explores, did great things to fight against racism when they were written and continues to do the same today.
1. Guilty of Being White by Minor Threat
This song brings up something that is so relevant in modern day America. The song itself is not from this time period but it was able to say something that musicians might not be able to say in this day in age. I believe that racism exists and it comes from both sides, that is not what the song argues. The song simply states the feelings that white people often feel, the feeling that they can never be right in their black brothers and sisters eyes, because they are painted as guilty because of the sins of their kind over 100 years ago. America needs to learn how to forget the past so it can address the racism that is accredited to today's generations and realize it goes both ways.
2. Wrong Way by Rude Pride
Not many people know the original origins of the skin head, many would be surprised that the real and original skinhead was based on working class pride and unity between Jamaican Immigrants that came to England seeking work and the English working class. Skin heads choice of music was actually reggae. Many types of music came out of the Skin head and Rude boy subculture and Oi! bands were one of those. They sung about unity between blacks and whites to fight against the far right that had latched itself onto the movement and were trying to hijack the movement for itself. The song talks about how we are never to go down the hate filled path which is choosing racism and far right politics.
3. Racist Friend by The Specials
This song makes an important statement, that whatever side your friend is on if they chose racism you have to separate yourself from them. Two tone ska combined reggae and punk and created a way for white and black musicians to be on stage for the first time together. Thanks to bands like the specials coming out of England it is no longer unheard of to have multiple races represented on the stage.
