Songs for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 20, 2020
For this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’ve put together a list of some of the most inspiring songs about civil rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and human rights. Some of these songs are timeless classics and some of them may completely be new to you. Either way, we hope you feel inspired, not only to write, but to fight for equality and tolerance in whatever way you can. And as you can see from these examples, songs are an extremely powerful way to do that.
We’ve selected a few lines from certain songs to highlight the different ways that activism can be expressed in song. We hope you enjoy!
“Glory (From the Motion Picture Selma)” by Common & John Legend
That's why Rosa sat on the bus
That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, "Stay down," and we stand up
“Great Again” by Zach Jones and the Tricky Bits
He treats a woman like the object that she is
He wants what's best for you and your Caucasian kids
All you immigrants and Muslims will just have to understand
We are making America great again
“Boys in the Street” by Greg Holden
You're the last thing I wanted, the last thing I need
How am I gonna answer when my friends tell me
My son was kissing boys in the street
My son was kissing boys in the street
“Everyone is Gay” by A Great Big World
'Cause we're all somewhere in the middle
We're all just looking for love to change the world
What if the world stops spinning tomorrow?
We can't keep running away from who we are
“The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
“Americans” by Janelle Monae
Love me baby, love me for who I am
Fallen angels singing, "clap your hands"
Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land
I'm not crazy, baby, naw I'm American
“Strange Fruit” - Billie Holiday
Southern trees bearing strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the roots
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
"Keep Ya Head Up" - 2Pac
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up
I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up
xoxo
Allie & Bess
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