Songs against "the man"
 

So, I noticed a while ago that some of my favorite songs from a handful of bands happened to have lyrics which don't cast the music industry in the greatest light (to put it mildly). I've always wanted to make a CD of these songs, but I never rounded up enough songs to fill a CD. I may have had more in my list the last time I did this, but the list below will give you some idea what I'm talking about.

I see 2 classes of songs. The first are the ones that poke directly at the industry itself. The second are more against the nature of the business (German Overalls, for instance, seems to be about burnout from a long tour). I'm more concerned with the first, but I've always included the second in an attempt to get a whole CDs worth of music.

Can anyone think of any songs that fit this theme. Don't need to be prog songs, but it'd be better if they were "good" songs, whatever that means.


Peter Hammill - Two or Three Spectres http://www.sofasound.com/phcds/nadlyrics.htm#11
Peter Hammill - Pushing Thirty http://www.sofasound.com/phcds/tfnlyrics.htm#1
Pink Floyd - Have a Cigar http://www.pinkfloyd.net/albums/index.php?lyrics=5#3
Echolyn - Settled Land http://www.echolynfan.com/sl.html
Anthony Phillips - Um & Aargh http://www.anthonyphillips.co.uk/lyrics/79-1.htm
Blues Traveler - Hook http://www.bluestraveler.net/music/s...php?song_id=79
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Workin' For MCA http://www.lynyrdskynyrdhistory.com/...help/sonl.html

Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine http://www.pinkfloyd.net/albums/index.php?lyrics=5#2
Peter Hammill - German Overalls http://www.sofasound.com/phcds/chamlyrics.htm#1
Peter Hammill - In the End http://www.sofasound.com/phcds/chamlyrics.htm#4
(other songs like Bad Company's "Shooting Star" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Don't Ask Me No Questions" probably fit in this second list as well)


thanks for any feedback

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

hey lamour, how 'bout Al DiMeola's Kiss My Axe, the whole LP is a stab at the biz.

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Mr. 10% --- Triumvirat

Gentle Giant's In'terview

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

not a lot of time (I coul think of a ton) but here are some:

the entire Suffocating the Bloom by Echolyn record (about commercialism & consumerism)

and a classic...Death on Two Legs by Queen (about their manager) LOVE the lyrics in that one! (and Flick of the Wrist by Queen also deals with the same topic).....

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

I think of Parallel or 90 degrees CD Unbranded ( consumerism)
Yours
Mailo

Other hint :

the late british singer Kevin Coyne has surely composed text against the system

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

The entire The Last DJ by Tom Petty, but especially the title track - more attacking the radio than the biz.

Ditto "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush - "One likes to believe in the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity."

"Superpowers" by Five Iron Frenzy - addresses the dark side of fame that comes with musical success - "Sometimes I feel like Holden Caulfield; sometimes Jack Keroac. I wanted to be famous now I want to take it back." and this line, "Sometimes we have a deadline for writing our songs. Five minutes left to write this one: La, la la, la la, la la la." See also Rush's "Limelight."

I'm sure I'll think of more.

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

K's Choice (good alt rock band if you're not familiar) - "My Record Company" from the CD "Paradise In Me"
Tonio K - "I Handle Snakes" from "Romeo Unchained". (Another album from him, "Life In The Foodchain", is easily in my top 10 all time - not prog, but great basic rock with a sick sense of humor...)

Loved the "Death On Two Legs" reference - one of my best friends is a fantastically gifted guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist/writer, and a HUGE fan of Queen - "A Night At The Opera" is his favortite album of all time, with 2 other Queen albums in his top 5. Back in the 80's, their manager got them gigs warming up at stadiums for Pat Travers, Foghat, and a few others big names of the time, then ripped them off for a ton of money and equipment - and they learned and played that song as a "reverse" tribute...

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

If they don't have to be prog, how about a pure rocker?

"Rockin' Is My Business" by The Four Horsemen (from Scotland I believe)

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Oh! And how could I forget "Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys" from Traffic???

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Alanis Morissette had a great anti-record company song called 'Right Through You' on 'Jagged Little Pill'.

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Graymatter - I once had a liner for AM that said "Feed your brain, because gray matters. Listen to Aural Moon." Whatever happened to those anyway?

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Porcupine Tree - The sound of Muzak

I guess this one would fit too ...

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

On Dream Theater's "FallIng Into Infinity" album, when they were under a lot of pressure from their record company there is a song called "Just Let Me Breathe". It takes a lot of stabs at the music industry if I remember correctly.

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

Sixpence None the Richer had a terrible relationship with their first record company, and so when they switched for their third album they wrote four songs about it! "We Have Forgotten/Anything/The Waiting Room" and "Moving On." I highly recommend the album (self-titled). Here is a section from "Anything."

"This is my forty-fifth depressing tune.
They're looking for money as they clean my artistic womb.
And when I give birth to the child I must take to flight,
'Cause the black in our pocket won't let us fight a proper fight.
So hey baby, can you shed some light on the problem maybe?
'Cause we're all tired and we'd like to know
If we should pack our tents, shut down the show.
Yes, we should like to see a burning bush-type sign.
But anything would be fine.
We're all told to dance but we never picked the tune.
Hanging like puppets they feed us from bent steel spoons.
But we're sealing our lips for the someday when the needle and the vinyl play
All the songs of the pain, songs that explain all our circles and strains.
So hey baby, can you shed some light on the problem maybe?
'Cause we're all crying and we'd like to know
If we should pack our tents, shut down the show.
Yes, we should like to see a burning bush-type sign.
But anything would be fine."

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

The responses keep drifting away from the original question. But, one of the best of all time is Todd Rundgren - he was required to produce one more single for (Bearsville I thnk), and his result - "I don't want to work, I just want to bang on the drum all day" - became one of his biggest hits of all time - how's that for irony?

Re: Songs against "the man"
 

I write the songs - Barry Manilow

:rofl: :jawdrop: :rofl:

I know that's not a song against the system but..............still love ya Barry. ;)