Culture can also offer a forum for political discourse. Art, music, poetry, literature and film each provide citizens an opportunity to engage in political discourse. Literature from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and films such as "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and even "Dr. Strangelove" express sentiments regarding social and political issues. More recently, have you ever watched "The Simpsons," "South Park," or "The Family Guy"? These television shows, although they are cartoons, are written as commentary on our society, our government, and our public policies. Sometimes the commentary is blatant and controversial, and other times it is subtle, but it is always protected under the First Amendment. Music is one of society’s most prevalent forms of social and political discourse. There are over 40 songs written in English that contain the word "Revolution" in the title. Music and its writers have been able to express, capture and inspire social and political movements through widespread acknowledgment and support of their music. Songs from Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and the Beatles in the 1960s to hip-hop artists and urban rockers of the 1990s and 2000s have expressed opinions and called for change in their lyrics.

For this assignment, your task is to research music as social and political commentary...

Post the musician, song title and lyrics of three songs that you think are good examples of political discourse, along with your reasoning.

Briefly discuss the impact and relevance of each song given the time period in which it was written.

What recurring themes do you notice?

Do social and political discourse seem to be limited to only certain genres of music?

(Please refrain from printing obscene or graphic materials and only print the lyrics applicable to the topic)