Where have all the protest songs gone?

I really want to spend my hard earned money listing to a multi-millionarie whining about how bad something is. Just because a person has a record contract doesn't mean they have anything to say and most artists(?) prove that every time they step into the studio.

All that said, what about Tom Petty's latest offering.

I heard Dylan is working on a song called "Damn these Birkenstocks are uncomfortable." I hope it comes out on vinyl!

Petty's latest is probably brilliant since no one paid much attention to it.Thanks to those who responded so far...check out the views to response ratio fellas,it's about one out of ten which is about what my experience vouches for...one out of ten people have anything important on their minds.

Someone needs to cover the Judas Priest song:

'We're Not Going to Take It Anymore!'

Not only is it a fun song, it really gets to the point of a protest. This is a song that does not beat around the BUSH! All I have to say is that Democrats REALLY need to use it in their next campaigns.

KF

War, famine, homelessness...shame. Let someone sing about it. Heaven forbid you get off your ass to do something about it. Listen to a song, and feel better knowing that just by doing so, you care. Then go drop $2 grand for a power cord while you ponder on the "important" issues. That will put you on Woody Guthries' radar, now won't it?.

But when you look at it, what can there to protest about? Apparently, all those folks from yesterday are now today's politicians, business leaders and academia. So they have been in a position to solve all the problems they have preached about. So no need for more of those pesky songs.

Maybe, just maybe, we have grown up a bit; which relegates protest songs themselves in the garbage heap as a monument to a self-centered, self-absorbed narcissistic era.

I know it is pretty pitiful to be citing to single songs, but check out Arlo Guthrie's *Patriot's Dream* cut on Jennifer Warnes's *The Well*. Or try Carrie Newcomer's *I Heard an Owl* off *The Gathering of Spirits*, written just after 9/11/2001. *You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive* on Patty Loveless's Mountain Soul CD is not a protest, but reminds me of one. Nice thread idea.
jeff stake