Recently I wrote lyrics to being lockdown during COVID-19.

I believe different lyrics will take the place of COVID-19 lyrics.

In my opinion, there will be new protest lyrics and songs written about the recent turbulent events that surround us.

Should protest lyrics and songs be written?

Yes.

As American citizens, you and I have that right.

Protest music is nothing new. Protest music was very popular in the late 60s and early 70s. Although protest music is associated with the counter culture or underground, I don’t believe protest music should be. I believe members of the counter culture used protest music as a means to express views and social commentary for the events going on at the time like the war in Vietnam. Protest songs are still being written. They have just been couched in between some other genres of music.

When I was growing up, I heard many protest songs and at the time I didn’t understand them. I was too young. It wasn’t until later in my life that I went back and listen to protest songs and understood the message that was coupled with great music. Some of the best songs ever written may be classified as protest songs.

Protest songs are powerful because they are written to try to persuade listeners to join a cause or at least lend a sympathetic ear.

Protest songs may be written quicker only because anger, rage, and contempt may fuel the writing process. Protest songs don’t need to be filled with hateful or malicious words — that’s just plain wrong. In my opinion, some bands and artists that recorded protest songs include U2, The Youngbloods, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Edwin Starr, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Green Day, Pete Seeger, and Barry McGuire. I am sure there are many more artists and bands that have joined suit, but I don’t have room to list them all.

Have you ever been angry with someone? In your angry mood, you probably have a whole lot of words that are waiting to roll off your tongue in response to whatever or whomever made you angry.

So protest songs, could be someone venting his feelings and emotions instead of keeping them inside to fester and rot. And sometimes, when the words are down on a sheet of paper, and the last notes ring true, one can take a break.

Here is an exercise for you: when you’re upset with someone or a situation, try writing down your angry words as if you were addressing the situation or person. Get them all out on a sheet and when finished put your pen down and turn over the sheet of paper. Then walk away and come back in about 2-4 hours. See if those same words mean the same thing as 2 hours ago. The trick is to leave your anger on the page. Hopefully the process put you in a different mood.

It’s that easy.

It’s that hard.