Win Nick’s Golden Voucher [Extended]

at

Thank Finnerty it’s Friday.

As we mark another glorious summer weekend, it’s time for your weekly music competition.

This week the theme comes courtesy of fearless BS commenter SOQ who suggests your favourite political song.

Here’s mine.

Reply below to be in with a chance of bagging yourself a €50 Golden Discs voucher redeemable in any Golden Discs store.

The winner will be chosen by my campaign manager.

Please include a video link if possible, thanks.

Lines MUST close On Saturday at MIDDAY.

Nick says: Good luck!

Earlier: Smile Though Your Heart Is Breaking

Golden Discs

Sponsored Link

124 thoughts on “Win Nick’s Golden Voucher [Extended]

    1. eamonn

      The Redskins – nice suggestion Bertie
      Flag Day – try shaking your box in front of the queen……..
      Between the wars…
      Like a holy trinity of truculents, a triumverate of troublemakers.
      Hats off to you!

  1. Fergalito

    Gotta be Billy Bragg for me as well – “Waiting for the Great Leap Forward.”

    Billy Bragg seems to be an all-round sound man, was gutted when i wasn’t able to use my ticket to see him in Whelan’s a few years back. Don’t worry, it was put to good use and sent elsewhere. Great for the auld banter, super lyricist and every show is different … ! I’ve pasted two versions of the song below. One is the original album version and another is a performance he did in a bike shop for KEXP where he reworked the lyrics to reflect current political concerns.

    “The revolution is just a t-shirt away” – sing it bruv !

    Album version:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vK6OWwmbQ

    KEXP performance version:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn06juaCNSA

    1. Otis Blue

      +1

      And for the night that’s in it…

      “How can you lie there and think of England, when you don’t even know who’s in the team”

      From Greetings to the New Brunette, Billy’s paean to ex Labour, SDP and Lib Dem politico Shirley Williams. Johnny Marr on guitar too.

      https://youtu.be/HiGpZEBrt9E

  2. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

    A rousing ditty of the dangers of Nationalism, L’identité, Noir Désir et Les Têtes Raides

    https://youtu.be/FwKZy6sIYKw

    Les clans des rues les clandestins
    Les cris des chiens hurlent à la ronde
    J’suis pas inscrit sur la mappemonde
    Y a pas d’pays pour les vauriens
    Les poètes et les baladins
    Y a pas d’pays
    Si tu le veux
    Prends le mien

    Que Paris est beau quand chantent les oiseaux
    Que Paris est laid quand il se croit français

    Avec ses sans-papirs
    Qui vont bientôt r’partir
    Vers leur pays les chiens
    On a tout pris chez eux y a plus rien

    De rétention en cale de fond
    J’en ai même oublié mon ombre
    Je promène moi dans vos décombres
    On m’a donné un bout de rien
    J’en ai fait cent mille chemins
    J’en ai fait cent
    J’en ai fait un

    Un chemin de l’identité
    L’iditenté l’idétitan
    L’y tant d’idées à la ronde
    Et dans ce flot d’univériens
    J’aurai plus d’nom j’aurai plus rien
    Dis-moi c’est quand tu reviens

    Que Paris est beau quand chantent les oiseaux
    Que Paris est laid quand il se croit français

    Avec tous ces champs d’tir
    Et tous ces fous du tir
    Y visent pas que les lapins
    C’est plus du gros sel
    C’est des tomawaks
    Ou des missiles sol-air
    Ou des skuds
    Et moi avec mon pistolet à bouchon
    Je pars au front

    Paris sera beau quand chantera les oiseaux
    Paris sera beau si les oiseaux
    Mais non Paris sera beau car les oiseaux

  3. Slightly Bemused

    I rarely comment politically, but there are two songs I like, both from and about South Africa, from before and after the release of Nelson Mandela. There are many others, but I like these two in particular.

    When I started in College, on open day, there was a Free Nelson Mandela society. I did not get in, probably because I asked when I would get my free Nelson Mandela, and would he fit on the mantelpiece or better on a shelf?

    But this wonderful song by Labi Siffre. While he was not South African, and the song is not specific but inspired by the South African struggle against apartheid, it still speaks to all of those who fight against any injustice. These days the words are still as relevant as ever, and sadly in far to many cases even here in Ireland. (Something Inside) So Strong:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otuwNwsqHmQ

    The second is by Brenda Fassie, sadly passed away far to early. She comments in this song on her joy at Nelson Mandela being free, and indeed being president. Simply My Black President:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOrS4T0966Q

        1. Otis Blue

          Bought it as a gasún and later traded it with a load of Joy Division/New Order stuff in Freebird on Grafton St. Regret that now.

    1. Slightly Bemused

      I hope you do not mind my butting in here, but I must agree with Junkface. He was a genius.

      Can I mention Buffalo Soldier, which linked a specific struggle to a long term ongoing one in a beautiful melody and incredible lyrics. All put so simply, but so provocatively:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FCdx7Dn0o

  4. Liam

    as I’ve been learning it on the guitar: Leonard Cohen’s “Story of Isaac”

    in which the morose balladeer uses the story of Abraham bringing his son to be sacrificed at God’s command to nail the USA for sending it’s sons off to die in Vietnam.

    “When it all comes down to dust
    I will help you if I must
    I will kill you if I can
    And mercy on our uniform
    Man of peace or man of war
    The peacock spreads his fan”

    https://youtu.be/L9NKRZUD9lw

    1. CapernosityandFunction

      Great choice. You could equally propose Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) from one of the greatest albums of all time. Urban decay and inner city poverty has rarely had such unrelenting treatment

  5. Rosette of Sirius

    Handlebars by Flobots

    https://youtu.be/HLUX0y4EptA

    No, not a song about bike safety. But about what can happen when power goes unchecked and unchallenged.

    I love the how this track builds from a child’s innocence to the menace, evil and malevolence that exists in our world today.

    Powerful stuff.

    (I do love me some Billy Bragg too)

  6. CapernosityandFunction

    Public Enemy – Fight The Power

    https://youtu.be/mmo3HFa2vjg

    The Prophets of Rage. The greatest rap act of all time. The greatest MC of all time. This is politics with a capital P. Public Enemy caused such outrage at the time and their message still stands to this day.

    If that doesn’t wet your whistle I have two more.

    Fatima Mansions – Blues for Ceausescu

    https://youtu.be/FnvsgWD_pAQ

    All good political songs, I believe, must have some rage behind them and that rage must be expressed in the music. Cathal Coughlan is one of Ireland’s finest purveyors of rage. Nicolae is not his only target in this song, but he is very glad to see him gone

    Consolidated – Tool and Die

    https://youtu.be/1xyS4MERN8Y

    This my sleeper selection. The main chorus says it all: “Take away those guns we need gun control”. This song smacks you in the face with its message. It’s a message that can’t be subtle and sadly a message that is still not being heard by so many in the US.

  7. SOQ

    Andy Ward Nica Brook Find My Way Bah Samba Remix- not written as political but after what we have all been through, can certainly be interpreted as that- ‘Freedom deep inside of me’ goes the chorus.

    Unfortunately the full 12.5 min version is not online but I did mange to find most of it in a mix. It has a stunning performance from Nica Brook- a beautiful silky sexy soul vocal. I love the way it builds and then settles down near the end- IMO one of the most under rated dance tracks ever.

    I hope you enjoy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qIHxFcWXHA&t=2468s

  8. axelf

    CCR: fortunate son

    though widely overused in vietnam movies and parodied in the family guy link below, fortunate still packs a huge punch about politics. apparently inspired by the impending nuptials of eisenhowers grandson and nixons daughter. eisenhower spending his military service in the med while the unconnected were being shipped wholesale to vietnam to die. the fury that fogerty puts into the song, along with the distinctive guitar, makes it one of the most memorable and effective political songs

    fortunate son: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33qUqdZapw

    family guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98k2DlQ9PMY

  9. H

    This one is as pertinent a commentary on Irish politics now as it was back in 1980, it plays in my head a lot when I’m browsing this site…

    Boomtown Rats Banana Republic
    https://youtu.be/OfMwWLnpgGw

    In terms of the wider world, this one is an all time favourite of mine but sadly, it is still pertinent too

    Youssou Ndour ft Neneh Cherry 7 Seconds
    https://youtu.be/wqCpjFMvz-k

    But in terms of a great song with a political message you can’t beat Eddy Grant’s absolute banger Gimme Hope Jo’Anna

    https://youtu.be/3P-imA4618Y

    1. CapernosityandFunction

      Banana Republic is a wonderful takedown of our benighted Republic. Geldof exposed what we all found out about after Ben Dunne’s freak out in Florida and Bishop Casey’s hypocrisy.

    1. Otis Blue

      Good call. His recent memoir I Wanna Be Yours was a great read. Playing Ireland again next May.

  10. Harry

    The late great Woody Guthrie says it all about todays Ireland and its neo-liberal politics.
    “Jesus Christ”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZg_t9UyJY

    Jesus Christ was a man who travelled through the land
    Hard working man and brave
    He said to the rich, “Give your goods to the poor.”
    So they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

    Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
    His followers true and brave
    One dirty little coward called Judas Iscariot
    Has laid Jesus Christ in his grave

    He went to the sick, he went to the poor,
    And he went to the hungry and the lame;
    Said that the poor would one day win this world,
    And so they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

    He went to the preacher, he went to the sheriff,
    Told them all the same;
    Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the Poor,
    But they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

    When Jesus came to town, the working folks around,
    Believed what he did say;
    The bankers and the preachers they nailed him on a cross,
    And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

    Poor working people, they follered him around,
    Sung and shouted gay;
    Cops and the soldiers, they nailed him in the air,
    And they nailed Jesus Christ in his grave.

    Well the people held their breath when they heard about his death,
    And everybody wondered why;
    It was the landlord and the soldiers that he hired.
    That nailed Jesus Christ in the sky.

    When the love of the poor shall one day turn to hate.
    When the patience of the workers gives away
    “Would be better for you rich if you never had been born”
    So they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

    This song was written in New York City
    Of rich men, preachers and slaves
    Yes, if Jesus was to preach like he preached in Galilee,
    They would lay Jesus Christ in his grave.

  11. stephen moran

    Barry Maguire was very much the George Lazenby of protest singers.. The B.F. Sloan song that made him famous had been turned down by the Byrds & The Troggs. It’s a sweeping Dylanesque rant that covers the Vietnam War, the draft, the threat of nuclear war, the Civil Rights Movement, turmoil in the Middle East, and the American space program perfectly suited to Maguire rasping rough vocals. Lyrically it shouts ironic rage
    “Think of all the hate there is in Red China!
    Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
    Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,
    But when your return, it’s the same old place,
    The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
    You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace,
    Hate your next door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,”

    Barry Maguire “The Eve of Destruction”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdWGp3HQVjU

  12. Harry

    A nice bit of punk rock and they may as well be singing about our Northern Brethren today

    Stiff Little Fingers Alternative Ulster
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-x2FYSOSdM

    We ain’t got nothin’ but they don’t really care
    They don’t even know you know
    They just want money, we can take it or leave it
    What we need
    Is an Alternative Ulster
    Grab it and change it, it’s yours
    Get an Alternative Ulster
    Ignore the bores and their laws
    Get an Alternative Ulster
    Be an anti-security force
    Alter your native Ulster
    Alter your native land

  13. Otis Blue

    “Same old jukebox, same old tune
    It’s hard to break this old routine
    Everything’s black and white and grey
    Living from day to day to day…”

    The Blades sing of 80’s Dublin in Downmarket

    https://youtu.be/sZVKGwrTIv4

  14. Fearganainm

    I suppose this one could be dedicated to Eoghan Harris, as a reminder of the times when he was all into banning, muting and censoring people. That was Eoghan’s fight for freedom – his freedom to muzzle news and opinion. So whenever he bleats about free speech just remember that he doesn’t really mean it and that he was instrumental in ‘cancelling’ certain viewpoints for years.

    Christy Moore – Section 31

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW4iSXsbn50

  15. Slightly Bemused

    I may have mentioned that I worked overseas for a bit. While marooned in some of those places, radio was your only link to the outside world. While I tried to listen to local stations as much as possible, the better to learn the language and the music, I woke every day to the same thing. The ‘pips’.

    BBC World Service, and I believe other BBC channels, mark certain hours with the pips leading up to the exact top of the hour. RTE do it too, but the Beeb gives you a long one on the last. What makes the World Service special, at least at this time, was it was followed by an intoning voice saying “This is London!” Apparently it used be ‘This is London Calling, but I do not recall that one. This statement, which I think was meant to reassure, was followed by a piece of music that I pretty much guarantee any English speaking overseas worker could recite by heart, although in my case not likely by tune: Lilliburlero.

    Anyway, my brother, he who introduced me to The Streets, was a lover of The Clash. Always liked his slightly ranting punk tunes for the underdog :-)

    So here would be me in bed, alarm clock radio carefully set to get the pips, and the ‘This is London’, and after Lilli, my head would play ‘London Calling’ by The Clash:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c

  16. Otis Blue

    Incendiary proto-punk anyone?

    Against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war, Detroit’s MC5 melded incendiary proto-punk, psychedelically inclined free jazz, radical left-wing politics and revolution-sparking raw power. Patti Smith’s late husband Fred provides the guitar licks.

    “It’s time to kick out the jams, motherf******…”

    https://youtu.be/yvJGQ_piwI0

    1. CapernosityandFunction

      Living Colour were a breath of fresh air in the late 1980s bringing a political consciousness among all the groupie baiting hair metal of the time. I played the album this came from – Vivid – to death at the time

    1. scottser

      It is just before Scotland v England in the Euro’s Group game.

      Kane goes into the English changing room to find all his team mates looking a bit glum.

      “What’s up?” he asks.

      “Well, we’re having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it’s important but it’s only Scotland. They’re shite and we can’t be bothered”.

      Kane looks at them and says “Well, I reckon I can beat these by myself, you lads go down the pub.”

      So Kane goes out to play Scotland by himself and the rest of the English team go off for a few pints. After a few jars they wonder how the game is going, so they get the landlord to put the teletext on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads “England 1 – Scotland 0 (Kane 10minutes)”. He is beating Scotland all by himself!

      Anyway, a few more pints later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers “It must be full time now, let’s see how he got on”. They put the teletext on.

      “Result from the Stadium “England 1 (Kane 10 minutes) – Scotland 1″(Angus McShagnasty 89 minutes)”.

      They can’t believe it, he has single handedly got a draw against Scotland!!

      They rush back to the Stadium to congratulate him. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sat with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them.

      “I’ve let you down, I’ve let you down.”

      “Don’t be daft, you got a draw against Scotland , all by yourself. And they only scored at the very very end”

      “No, No, I have, I’ve let you down…

      I got sent off after 12 minutes”

  17. Ricky Byrne

    American Woman by The Guess Who.

    I was really mind blowing to find out the song was written by Canadians in the last 60s to comment on American foreign policy.

    “ American woman, stay away from me
    American woman, mama let me be
    Don’t come a hangin’ around my door
    I don’t want to see your face no more
    I got more important things to do
    Than spend my time growin’ old with you.”

  18. Fearganainm

    Some challenging footage here of what a struggle for equality actually looks like. It’s a tragedy that all around the world there are those who would deny others their rights, resulting in decades of violence and continuing injustice. Some shots in this clip are over half a century old:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcE1gkcw5Q8

    Mavis Staples- Eyes on the prize

  19. CapernosityandFunction

    The Pogues – A Pair of Brown Eyes

    https://youtu.be/zNtQ5AnRlz8

    Weaving the horror of a pub bombing into the humdrum of the Irish emigrant experience is the genius of this song. One of the most wonderful lyrics I have ever heard: “but when we got back labelled parts one to three, there was no pair of brown eyes waiting for me”. The Irish tradition of being asked to sing a song is one I dreaded until I learned this song off by heart.

    1. Can a Da?

      Interesting, I’ve been singing this for years and never thought it was about a pub bombing before specifically
      I just figured it was an oul lad that went off to fight in Suvla Bay or something like that for the British Army

      1. CapernosityandFunction

        Hands up. I could be completely wrong about what the lyrics are referring to. I took it from the pub setting that it was a reflection on the Birmingham and Guildford pub bombings, the aftermath of which would have had a significant negative impact on the Irish population in England in the 70s and 80s.

        1. Can a Da?

          Ah yea, it could be. Your take on is far more interesting. Isn’t that the great thing about art?

        2. bertie blenkinsop

          Shane McGowan says it’s about someone returning from one of the world wars and his girl has left him for someone else.

  20. CapernosityandFunction

    The The – Sweet Bird of Truth

    https://youtu.be/quQArlckTS4

    I have proposed many songs from The The over the past few months of this competition and here is another. The tale of an American pilot facing into a crash landing contemplating all that he has done. This song presaged the first Gulf War by six years.

          1. U N M U T U A L

            Now that I think about it, this week’s prize should go to anyone that can prove that they sat through all 7 minutes 14 seconds of that musical political assassination… including the tubridy post-mortem.
            Also, it’s worth mentioning that the Eye and Ear Hospital, Adelaide Rd is open all day til 7pm… ;-)

  21. Bonfire Starter

    John Lennon – Working Class Hero
    https://youtu.be/iMewtlmkV6c

    -First time I heard the F… word on a record.
    -First time I heard politics in music.
    -And it’s better than Imagine

    (This was pre-Billy Bragg, Steel Pulse, NWA., Sex Pistols, RATM etc.)

      1. Slightly Bemused

        Actually I was wondering why anyone would post anything by John Lennon. Let me say I am not a fan :-)

  22. The Battleaxe of Hastings

    Careful what you pick, Nick.
    Keep it bland.

    You don’t want to upset anyone.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie