Sharing a lot of special interest fandom songs here. I like to think that as a naval officer from the Liverpool docklands who wrote his first book specifically for blind kids, Mr Jacques would be happy about us using his songs as inspiration for helping poor, queer, non-white, and disabled people.
Some of my music is angry, so give it a miss if that isn't good for your brainspace. This one is nicer:
When you're lovers in a dangerous time Sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight
Gossip: "Standing In The Way Of Control" "Standing in the way of control We live our lives Because we're standing in the way of control We will live our lives " Beth Ditto is a fat queer feminist punk musician, and you may have heard of her. This song was written specifically as a protest regarding gay people not being able to marry in the USA, but hey it's pretty applicable beyond that. Alexisonfire: Midnight Regulations "I find myself concerned For the common man, these days Evil are the minds That push the divide" "Brother! There is no charity For the common man When he is in need of relief" "Oh, all you common men You need to fight for a new way Old hearts, we need to mend It’s time to start again Palace walls dismantled Brick by brick, you will have your day" "They say just to hold on to your hope But you know If you swallow your pride you will choke" Alexisonfire (Alex'iss-on-fire) is (was) a Canadian post-hardcore band from St. Catherine's, Ontario. "Midnight Regulations" is from their 2009 album "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" and I find it very apt to a lot of stuff going on in the current political climate of the USA, and also in my home province of Alberta.
Run The Jewels: "2100" "Love will survive Run out under iridescent lights for our lives I will be surprised if we ever got the feeling so alive as tonight Wild for the night Look into my eyes I am standing at your side for the fight Minds over might" This song was unveiled by the hip-hop duo the day after the 2016 USA presidential election.
Raise your hands Raise your hands high Don't take a seat Don't stand aside This time don't assume anything Just go go go Now all the politicians They just squawk their mouths They say we'll build a wall to keep them out And all the poets were dying Of a silence disease So it happened quickly and with much ease
an idealistic, hopeful song about activism for when that's what needed, 'cause sometimes it is, even if "love can change the world in a moment" sounds a bit silly and unrealistic
I listen to this song a lot when I'm in a resistance mood. Translations of the lyric under spoiler, also warning for some violent imagery in video and lyrics I guess, and I definitely don't agree with all the song says [the artist has some problematic history, but from what I've seen he's tried to improve and learn from his mistakes], but it's pretty powerful. Apparently the singer was inspired by Ireland's history of resistance. Note: I used "withstand' but the translation might be easier to understand if you replace it with "resist" [Edit: Oh I'm an idiot I could have used "endured" instead of "withstood" oh well] Spoiler: Lyrics Nacimos para aguantar lo que el cuerpo sostiene | We were born to withstand what the body supports Aguantamos lo que vino y aguantamos lo que viene | We withstand what came and what will come Aguantamos aunque tengamos los segundos contados | We withstand even when we have our seconds counted Nuestro cuerpo aguanta hasta quince minutos ahorcado | Our body withstands being hung for up to fifteen minutes Aguantamos latigazos, que nos corten los dos brazos | We withstand whippings, that they cut both our arms Fracturas en cualquier hueso, tres semanas con un yeso | Fractures in each bone, three weeks with a cast Aguantamos todo el tiempo las ganas de ir al baño | We withstand all the time the need to go to the bathroom Pa' ver el cometa Halley, hay que aguantar 70 años | To see the Halley comet, we have to withstand 70 years Aguantamos la escuela, la facultad, el instituto | We withstand school, the faculty, the institution A la hora de cenar, nos aguantamos los eru'tos | At dinner time we withstand the desire to burp El pueblo de Burundi sigue aguantando la hambruna | The people of Burundo still withstand famine Aguantamos tres días para llegar a la luna | We withstand three days to reach the moon Aguantamos el frío del ártico, el calor del trópico | We withstand the cold of the artic, the heat of the tropics Aguantamos con anticuerpos los virus microscópicos | We withstand with our antibodies micriscopic viruses Aguantamos las tormentas, huracanes, el mal clima | We withstand storms, hurricanes, bad weather Aguantamos Nagasaki, aguantamos Hiroshima | We withstood Nagasaki, we withstand Hiroshima Aunque no queramos, aguantamos nuevas leyes | Even if we don't want to, we withstand new laws Aguantamos hoy por hoy que todavía existan reyes | We withstand that even today there are kings Castigamos al humilde y aguantamos al cruel | We punish the humble, and withstand the cruel Aguantamos ser esclavos por nuestro color de piel | We withstand being slaves due to our skin color Aguantamos el capitalismo, el comunismo, el socialismo | We withstand capitalism, communism, socialism El feudalismo, aguantamos hasta el pendejismo | We withstand feudalism, we withstand idiocy/assholeism [derived from a coloquial expression, pendejo aka idiot/asshole] Aguantamos al culpable cuando se hace el inocente | We withstand the guilty when they act like they're innocent Aguantamos cada año a nuestro puto presidente | We withstand each year our fucking president [Hook] Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser | For what was and what could be Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar | For what there is, and for what might be missing Por lo que venga y por este instante | For what comes and for this moment ¡A brindar por el aguante! | Lets drink to the withstanding! Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser | For what was and what could be Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar | For what there is, and for what might be missing Por lo que venga y por este instante | For what comes and for this moment ¡Levanta el vaso y a brindar por el aguante! Raise your glass and drink to withstanding! ¡A brindar por el aguante! Lets drink to the withstanding! [Verso 2] Aguantamos cualquier tipo de dolor aunque nos duela | We withstand every type of pain even if it hurts us Aguantamos Pinochet, aguantamos a Videla | We withstood Pinochet, we withstood Videla [Note: names of many dictators] Franco, Mao, Ríos Montt, Mugabe, Hitler, Idi Amin | We withstood Franco, Mao, Ríos Montt, Mugabe, Hitler, Idi Ami [Note: names of many dictators] Stalin, Bush, Truman, Ariel Sharón y Husein | Stalin, Bush, Truman, Ariel Sharón and Husein Aguantamos mas de veinte campos de concentración | We've withstood more than twenty concentration camps Cuando nadas bajo el agua aguantas la respiración | When you swim underwater you withstand your breathing Pa' construir una pared aguantamos los ladrillos | To build a wall we withstand the bricks El que no fuma se aguanta el olor a cigarrillo | Those who do not smoke withstand the smell of cigarettes Aguantamos que Monsanto infecte nuestra comida | We withstand that Monsanto infects our food Aguantamos el agente naranja y los pesticidas | We withstand agent orange and pesticides Cuando navegamos, aguantamos el mareo | When we sail, we withstand dizziness Aguantamos el salario mínimo y el desempleo | We withstand minimum wages and unemployment Aguantamos las Malvinas y la invasión británica | We withstood the Malvinas and the British invasion En la ciudad de Pompeya aguantamos lava volcánica | In the city of Pompeii we withstood volcanic lava Y dentro de la lógica de nuestra humanidad | And within the logic of our humanity Nos creemos la mentira y nadie aguanta la verdad | We believe the lie and nobody withstands the truth [Hook] Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser | For what was and what could be Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar | For what there is, and for what might be missing Por lo que venga y por este instante | For what comes and for this moment ¡Levanta el vaso y a brindar por el aguante! | Raise your glass and drink to withstanding! ¡A brindar por el aguante! | Lets drink to the withstanding! [Verso 3] Aguantamos al ateo, al mormón, al cristiano | We withstand the atheist, the mormon, the Christian Al budista, al judío, aguantamos al pagano | the buddhist, the jew, we withstand the pagan Aguantamos el que vende balas y el que las dispara | We withstand the guy who sells bullets and the one who shoots them Aguantamos la muerte de Lennon, la de Víctor Jara | We withstood Lennon's death, and Victor Jara's too [Note: Victor Jara was an important Chilean resistance singer/songwriter who was killed in the dictatorship] Aguantamos muchas guerras, Vietnam, la Guerra Fría | We withstood many wars, Vietnam, the Cold War La Guerra de los 100 años, la Guerra de los 6 días | The war of 100 years, the war of 6 days Que aguanten la revancha, venimos al desquite | We withstand the rematch, we come to revenge Hoy nuestro hígado aguanta lo que la barra invite | Today our liver withstand what the bar gives you For what was For what is For what will be Slainte! [Hook] Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser | For what was and what could be Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar | For what there is, and for what might be missing Por lo que venga y por este instante | For what comes and for this moment ¡A brindar por el aguante! | Lets drink to the withstanding! Por lo que fue y por lo que pudo ser | For what was and what could be Por lo que hay, por lo que puede faltar | For what there is, and for what might be missing Por lo que venga y por este instante | For what comes and for this moment ¡Levanta el vaso y a brindar por el aguante! | Raise your glass and drink to withstanding! ¡A brindar por el aguante! | Lets drink to the withstanding!
