Top 25 English-US Human Rights Songs

English/United States 

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the “right to peaceful assembly”. As a result, the United States has a long history of using music in civil rights protests and as a form of protest. This is especially true when trying to insight change (or revolution) over issues like racism, gender inequality, and war. 

Link to Spotify playlist- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWPYBumMCdQzzGYMFdGUz?si=xIoidr1sQOie8rwApJIfUA

  1. “No More” Disturbed 
    1. Theme: Protests war for profit
    2. No More was released in 2018, during what seemed like a never-ending military involvement in the Middle East. At the time it seemed like military contractors and their investors were promoting “The War on Terror” as a way to profit off of death.
    3. Lyrics:

“Once again we hear them calling for war

It doesn’t matter what they’re fighting for

They light the match and watch the whole world burst into flame

The story’s always the same

So tell me, people, are you ready to kill?

Behold the propaganda, get your fill

A distant enemy is threatening our freedom again

  1. Disturbed – No More [Official Lyrics Video]
  2. “Wretches and Kings” Linkin Park 
    1. Theme: Revolution 
    2. 2010’s Wretches and Kings begins with a sample from Mario Savio’s Body Upon the Gears speech. It is about a government that has become abusive to its people and it calls for the people to take back the power.
    3. Lyrics:

How much would you like to spend?”

“We, the animals, take control

Hear us now, clear and true

Wretches and kings, we come for you”

  1. Wretches and Kings
  2. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”  Gil Scott-Heron 
    1. Theme: Revolution 
    2. Written in slam poetry style, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised lists things commonly seen on 1970s TV. The message is very clear, if you want change you have to make change, it is not in front of your television. 
    3. Lyrics:

“The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised

Will not be televised, will not be televised

The revolution will be no re-run, brothers

The revolution will be live”

  1. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  2. “For What It’s Worth” Buffalo Springfield 
    1. Theme: Protest Song
    2. A 1960s folk song that was inspired by the clashes that took place between law enforcement and young demonstrators. It encourages people to listen and pay attention to what is happening around them. 
    3. Lyrics:

“There’s battle lines being drawn

Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong

Young people speaking their minds

Getting so much resistance from behind”

  1. Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth | Lyrics
  2. “What’s Going On” Marvin Gaye 
    1. Theme: Protests against racism, sexism, war, and more
    2. This standard civil and human rights protest was inspired by an act of police brutality. It calls for less hate and violence in society and more peace and love.
    3. Lyrics:

“Picket lines and picket signs

Don’t punish me with brutality

Talk to me

So you can see

Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on)

What’s going on (What’s going on)

What’s going on (What’s going on)

What’s going on (What’s going on)”

  1. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Lyric Video)
  2. “Strange Fruit” Billie Holliday 
    1. Theme: Protests against racial violence 
    2. Strange Fruit is a graphic depiction of the lynching of African Americans in the early 20th century. At the time Racial violence was something the country at large wanted to ignore.
    3. Lyrics:

“Southern trees bear strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root”

  1. Billie Holiday-Strange fruit- HD
  2. “A Change Is Gonna Come” Sam Cooke 
    1. Theme: Hope during hard times
    2. Written during Jim Crow segregation A Change is Gonna Come is about hope when the visible world is telling you “You aren’t welcome here”
    3. Lyrics:

“There’ve been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long

But now I think I’m able to carry on

It’s been a long, a long time comin’,

But I know, oh-oo-oh, a change gonna come, oh yes, it will.”

  1. Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come (Official Lyric Video)
  2. “The Times They Are A-Changin”  Bob Dylan 
    1. Call to action
    2. The Times They Are A-Changin was written during a time of huge political, civil, technological, and social change. The Atomic age had begun and we were in a race to the moon. There were people that social and civil advancement was unnecessary. Dylan was telling them to get out of the way.
    3. Lyrics:

“Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don’t stand in the doorway

Don’t block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

The battle outside ragin’

Will soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin’”

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ-u-NUKtjU
  2. “Where is the Love” Black Eyed Peas
    1. Theme: Anti-Discrimination
    2. Written in the wake of 9/11 Where is the Love was intended to show the hypocrisy of discrimination and call for tolerance in the wake of fear. 
    3. Lyrics:

“But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you hate, then you’re bound to get irate, yeah”

  1. The Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love? (Official Music Video)
  2. “Killing in the Name of” Rage Against the Machine
    1. Protests Racial Discrimination and police brutality
    2. Killing in the Name of was written in response to the beating of Rodney King in 1991 and the subsequent Los Angeles riots in 1992. 
    3. Lyrics:

“Those who died are justified

For wearin’ the badge, they’re the chosen whites

You justify those that died

By wearin’ the badge, they’re the chosen whites

Those who died are justified

For wearin’ the badge, they’re the chosen whites

You justify those that died

By wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites”

  1.  Rage Against The Machine – Killing In the Name (Official HD Video)
  2. “War (What is it good for)” Edwin Starr
    1. Anti-War
    2. War was a Vetnaim-era anti-war song originally sung by the Temptations before being rerecorded by Starr. Its message is very clear, war begets death and more war.
    3. Lyrics:

“I said, war, huh (good God, y’all)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, just say it again

War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)

What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, listen to me”

  1. Edwin Starr – War (What is it good for) + Lycris HQ!!
  2. “This is America” Childish Gambino
    1. Theme: Protesting Gun violence and racism
    2. This is America is calling attention to the systemic racism that still pervades many of our institutions and demands action on the larger issue of gun violence that has reached epidemic proportions in recent years. 
    3. Lyrics:

“This is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)

Don’t catch you slippin’ now (ayy)

Look at how I’m livin’ now

Police be trippin’ now (woo)

Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy)

Guns in my area (word, my area)

I got the strap (ayy, ayy)

I gotta carry ’em

Yeah, yeah, I’ma go into this (ugh)

Yeah, yeah, this is guerilla, woo

Yeah, yeah, I’ma go get the bag

Yeah, yeah, or I’ma get the pad

Yeah, yeah, I’m so cold like yeah (yeah)

I’m so dope like yeah (woo)

We gon’ blow like yeah (straight up, uh)”

  1. Childish Gambino – This Is America (Official Video)
  2. “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” Woody Guthrie
    1. Theme: Immigrant rights and migrant workers
    2. In 1948 a plane carrying 28 migrant workers back to Mexico crashed in Los Gatos Canyon. New coverage of the tragedy only listed them as “Deportees”. 
    3. Lyrics:

“Some of us are illegal and others not wanted

Our work contract’s out and we have to move on

Six hundred miles to the Mexican border

They chase us like rustlers, like outlaws, like thieves”

  1. Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)
  2. “Born This Way” Lady Gaga
    1. Theme: LGBTQ+ Rights
    2. Born This Way has an overall message about loving who you are and not changing for other people. Unlike other songs, it specifically calls for people having the right to love who they love. 
    3. Lyrics:

“No matter gay, straight, or bi

Lesbian, transgender life

I’m on the right track, baby

I was born to survive

No matter black, white, or beige

Chola or Orient made

I’m on the right track, baby

I was born to be brave!

I’m beautiful in my way

‘Cause God makes no mistakes (‘Cause God makes no mistakes)

I’m on the right track, baby (Right track, baby)

I was born this way (Born this way)

Don’t hide yourself in regret

Just love yourself and you’re set (Love yourself and you’re set)

I’m on the right track, baby (Right track, baby)

I was born this way, yeah”

  1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way (Official Music Video)
  2. “Respect” Aretha Franklin
    1. Theme: Female empowerment and women’s rights
    2. Aretha Franklin’s version of Respect is about a women demanding her husband respect her as his equal. 
    3. Lyrics:

“Hey, what you want

(oo) Baby, I got

(oo) What you need

(oo) Do you know I got it?

(oo) All I’m askin’

(oo) Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)

Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home

(Just a little bit) mister (just a little bit)”

  1. Aretha Franklin – Respect (Official Lyric Video)
Top 25 English-US Human Rights Songs
William Paul Simmons

William Paul Simmons

Professor, Gender and Women's Studies; Director, Human Rights Practice Program (University of Arizona)

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