Every song that needs to be on your ‘f*ck the establishment’ playlist
Sometimes you just need a good song to get you through an entire presidency
It’s been just over a week of living under the tyrannical fist of the president-elect Donald J. Trump, and it’s already been a roller coaster of lies, executive orders, and several odd press conferences focused on assuring that D ‘small-hands’ T had the largest inauguration crowd in the history of inauguration crowds.
This amount of political absurdities is unprecedented, so it is understandable if we the people have a tinge of disdain toward the man and his cabinet. So here’s a playlist for the love of music, and our collective dislike towards ‘the man’.
Chastity Belt – IDC
This all girl indie noise pop band birthed out of Walla Walla, Washington defines the ‘new liberal elite’ crowd that has apparently lost touch with the heart of America…whatever that cold heart may be. This song, not exactly lyrically heavy, acts as two of the Stages of Grief- denial and depression. As we saw the old POTUS step down from office just over a week ago, the realization that Trump would start implementing his own agenda hit hard. This song pairs well with a beer in one hand and a stog in the other (not that I am condoning drinking yourself into submission, but it helps).
A Tribe Called Quest – We The People
A Tribe Called Quest is a world-renowned rap trio (Phif Dawg recently passed away in early 2016) that first received recognition with their hit single “Check the Rhyme” back in 1991. Their albums were windows into the daily life of a black man growing up in New York. Twenty-Five years later, with the release of their sixth album titled ‘We’ve got it from Here…Thank You 4 Your service’, their lyrics still reverberate with truth. If you are looking for a fight song that touches on Trumps hatred towards immigrants, his tendencies to lie, and his wrongful promises to take away rights from the LBGQ community, this is the song for you.
The Cranberries – Sunday
If you ever ordered a ‘Burn it for Bernie’ car sticker or ever wore a ‘I’m a Nasty Woman’ t-shirt, this song may bring you to tears. The Cranberries, who came out of Limerick, Ireland in the early-90’s as a light punk/Irish folk band, would change coffee shop playlists decades to come. The song “Sunday” off of their freshman album titled ‘Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?’ dances with the idea that the lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has been mystified by someone (possible an old white haired man who doesn’t fuccs with the patriarchy?). If you ever feel down, this song will hopefully bring a small amount of joy to your sullen life.
Pixies – Something Against You
Ever wanted to just scream in a fit of rage and punch a hole in a wall because of the insanity of this election season? I get it, it’s cathartic and I have the perfect song to pair your punches with. “Something Against You” would be considered repetitive (since it says “I’ve got something against you” for the entirety of the song) but only comes in at a minute and fifty seconds. Pixies, being one of the most influential punk/surf rock bands to come out of the 80’s, has been known to touch on politics, sexual orientation, and religion. If you have something against the current POTUS- you probably do since you’ve made it this far down the list- I’d recommend a listen only if you’re up for heart jolting, hypnotic rage.
Bob Marley and The Wailers – 400 Years
“400 Years” by Bob Marley and The Wailers is just a straight up protest song. This powerful song written by one of the most influential artists of the 20th century touches on the absurdities of old philosophies, suppression of the youth, and freedom. Bob Marley, known for his strong stance on the liberation of African nations from European colonialism and cannabis used as both for sacraments in his religion of Rastafarianism and medical use, changed the face of reggae and ska for decades to come. Over his years as a political activist as well as a musician, he had been awarded the Peace Medal of The Third World from the United Nations and the Jamaican Order of Merit. If there is any artist out there that you should add to your “Fuck Donny, fuck the man” playlist, this man should be first.