Protest songs give a social movement a soundtrack. From a songwriting perspective, they help you connect with your society by engaging with what you want to change, whether it be the minds of the people who disagree with your ideals, or the complacency of those who agree with you, so you can energize them into action.
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In Robert Lagueux<\/a>\u2019s Music, Self, and Society<\/a><\/em> course, the author muses pragmatically on whether a protest song can actually change anything. Not all music that attempts to bring about social change necessarily does so, of course; but the mere fact that protest songs exist, and that they are often suppressed by the institutions that are being protested, demonstrates that they can. No one would bother trying to suppress something that didn\u2019t have a chance of working; it\u2019s too much energy.<\/em> If you\u2019re looking to express your anger and frustration, put your feelings to song. Here are a few tips from some of the greatest protest singers as well as some of Berklee Online\u2019s songwriting instructors. If you\u2019re recording your protest song yourself, make sure you are in your truest voice when singing. Because protest songs must be a mirror of society, the vocal must reflect a level of sincerity and honesty that other types of songs don\u2019t necessarily require. In his Vocal Production<\/a><\/em> course, Prince Charles Alexander<\/a> writes that people just want to be entertained, \u201cbut the records that stand the test of time\u2014the vocal performances that we remember\u2014do something else for the audience. They allow the listener to experience a truth that is often not easy for us to express or experience in daily life. This is an aspect of the record as a work of art.\u201d Think of the escalating intensity of Rage Against the Machine<\/a>\u2019s best songs, the measured anger of Killer Mike in \u201cReagan<\/a>,\u201d or the matter-of-fact confidence of Kendrick Lamar in \u201cAlright<\/a>.\u201d This is because they are expressing issues that are close to their heart, and they express themselves with the same emotions that they would use to talk about such issues, but the music amplifies their passion and the sincerity of their performance puts their words on a level that mere speech cannot reach. The chorus of your protest song should be something that you imagine throngs of people singing as they march. Jimmy Kachulis<\/a> makes an astute observation about the function of the chorus in his Songwriting: Writing Hit Songs<\/a><\/em> course: The chorus is the part of the song that keeps coming back with the same lyrics and music, usually after each verse. This helps audience members remember it so they can sing along. Why is it called a \u201cchorus?\u201d Because the audience is supposed to sing along. They are the \u201cchorus.\u201d So, that\u2019s your goal: to get your audience\u2014usually not musicians\u2014to sing along with your song\u2019s chorus.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For protest songs, this is even more true. You need to write what you feel, but also tap into what many other people are feeling if they\u2019re going to act as your chorus. If your song does achieve enough momentum to inspire the masses, then ideally they will sing your song at rallies and protests, which they will probably do without your recording. This means they\u2019ll likely just sing the chorus, so make it count. Make it memorable, and make it direct. Listen to the Wailers\u2019 \u201cGet Up Stand Up.\u201d The message is simple and direct: \u201cGet up, stand up, stand up for your rights, get up, stand up, don\u2019t give up the fight.\u201d It\u2019s easy to chant, and there is power in its simplicity. The revolution will be energized!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nBe True<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nBe Direct in the Chorus<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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