Drill Sergeant, not a word from you. I'm not going to war.
From "Drill Sergeant" by N.E.R.D.

Before the war began over a year go, millions of people across the nation and world marched and shouted and (in some cases) got arrested to let the Prez and his cronies know we didn't want to go into Iraq. And, true to form, the Prez let us know he didn't know what representative democracy was about. He decided a long time before anyone drew up a sign of protest that the US was going to war. Millions of voices cried out in vain, only to be suddenly silenced.

Shock and awe.

This was their name for war. This was what they gave us. Our government thought we wanted a big show. Some kind of blockbuster TV event for March and April of 2002. Conveniently, it was to take place after February sweeps and before the big May push. This gave TV stations a story to cover while all the TV shows were in rerun. Of course, most of the stations couldn't run advertising during the war. Who sponsors the war as some kind of long term advertising goal? So much for helping the economy.

Music, however, has had a part of patriotism since way way back in the day. It wasn't, however, until the Vietnam war when popular music started to give dissent a voice. Every band with flowers in their hair had a 'no war' song. Woodstock was filled with bands expressing this opinion. One of the most amazing performances from that concert is Richie Havens strumming his heart out, singing "Handsome Johnny." The song is still very relevant today.

When the Iraq war started, we got the jingo before we got the finger. Toby Keith (a country singer) has made his entire career by being the spokesman for shotgun and flag waving right wing patriots. Everyone needs a voice, I guess.

It didn't take too long before the protest songs began, but, as always, they started a bit underground. NOFX, an influential punk band from San Francisco, released The War On Errorism early in early summer of 2003. About half of the songs were political, while the other half were about being aging punkers (but no lesbian songs this time...). It's still in heavy rotation in my CD player.

Fat Mike, the singer/bass player/songwriter of NOFX, also runs the record label Fat Wreck Chords. He's decided in the last few years to stop just sitting around and bitching about the state of the world. So he's doing something. A few weeks ago, his label released Rock Against Bush, Volume 1. A collection of 26 punk rock songs, mostly about the war or the administration--although NOFX's contribution is actually about music.

For having 26 somewhat disparate acts, the CD is very listenable. Included is a DVD with mini documentaries about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with some music videos and other goodies. The package costs $8-9, depending on where you buy it. Buy it--even if just for the DVD or to vote with your pocketbook. Part of the proceeds go to registering punk kids to vote during the Warped Vans Tour and to gain a bigger voice in the electoral process.

N.E.R.D., a rock group made up of the hip-hop production team The Neptunes, released Fly or Die a few months back. The artwork plays on the flag and patriotism, while many of songs inside are colored by the war. The intent, I think, is to show they are being patriotic by speaking out against this action in Iraq. Of course, there are more songs about sex and having fun than there are about war, but you do have to balance this stuff out.

And the biggest band of the land, Outkast, has a couple of anti-war songs on their best selling double album, Speakerboxx/The Love Below. If you don't have this, where the hell have you been for the last eight months?

There are more, of course. Many I haven't heard, I'm sure. The point is, there are voices. There are platforms. There are bandwagons for you to jump on. I feel better putting my money and support behind artists than I do giving money and resources to politicians. Politicians got us into this mess. Politicians gave Bush and his boys a blank check and didn't think about it until things started to go bad. Politicians are kinda spineless, especially when they're thinking about NOT doing the wrong thing, rather than just doing the right thing. Amazingly, there is a huge difference between these two things.

I've heard a few people say they don't feel like Kerry represents their voice. Or that local politicians don't say or talk about anything that matters. Hell, I've said this myself (maybe it was me I heard). But my answer is this: find your own representative voice. For me, music has always said things clearer and better than any politician ever could. Straight talk set to music, what could be better? You can sing along!

And you still believe this aristocracy gives a fuck about you? They put the mock in demockracy and you swallowed every hook.
From "Re-gaining Unconsciousness" by NOFX.

Matt Worley's band Old Beans, has a political song called "Republican Girls." It's pretty funny, if you can understand what they're saying.