I am a posting machine today!

[raincitygirl]

I first found out about this song a few months ago, when legionseagle linked to it on the BBC website. Alas, I got an error message because I was an overseas viewer. Tonight I had a brainwave: what if it's also on YouTube. With no further ado, I present The Cousin Song, from a BBC children's program called Horrible Histories. I know, I know, it's kids programming but it's also simply frelling HILARIOUS. Go click, it'll take like 90 seconds, you'll laugh your ass off, and you'll know more about the Frightful First World War than you did before.

I bought Glory, the Academy Award winning song from the movie Selma, and I love it. Which is odd, because rap music usually leaves me cold.

I have never figured out if I don't like rap because I don't like rap, or if I don't like it because I wasn't exposed to it at the right age. My school was very multicultural but had virtually no black people. I was exposed to bhangra music by South Asian friends at the right age and I appreciate that to this day.

Anyway, Common's spoken word duet with John Legend on vocals really works for me, and I suspect it's because of the explicitly political content of the rap. Anybody have any recs for artists or specific songs that are also explicitly political?

Comments

[legionseagle]

Next time, I'll do YouTube links myself; I'd forgotten the problem with the BBC outside the UK

[raincitygirl]

No worries, I got the vid in the end.

[clanwilliam]

All the Horrible Histories songs are hilarious. Doing the Anarchy as Abba (Stephen and Matilda and Matilda and Henry) was genius, as was Morrissey!Dickens.

[raincitygirl]

I see that I shall have to go back to YouTube and check out the other songs. Thanks!

[antisoppist]

"Can you imagine it? I'm the last Plantagenet."

My most favourite rhyme ever (Richard III Song)

[clanwilliam]

Also the whole range of Tom Jones songs for Owen Glyndwyr.

[antisoppist]

Responsible for the revelation to teenagers that Tom Jones is not just "that old guy on The Voice".

Horrible Histories does often result in whole evenings spent with me educating them all in the references on YouTube. What children who never encountered Kate Bush in 1979 make of the Mary Tudor song I do not know.

[chaila]

Anybody have any recs for artists or specific songs that are also explicitly political?

Not sure if this will specifically be what you're looking for, but Angel Haze is a female hip-hop and rap artist who's amazing. Her stuff is very personal-political, and doesn't necessarily reference national politics or events, but it's VERY political. I'm more than a little obsessed with her Dirty Gold album. Might be worth checking out!

[raincitygirl]

Thank you! Is there a specific song or songs off Dirty Gold that you'd recommend as a taster? Money is tight this month so I hesitate to spend the $13.99 CDN plus tax to download the whole album when I haven't heard any of the songs. But if you could rec one or two songs I could download those, and if I like them I can always tell iTunes to complete my album.

[chaila]

Hmmmm I would say "Battle Cry" and "Dirty Gold" are the most emblematic of the personal-political thing she does. "Deep Sea Diver" is my favorite, but has less of that element. (Should also mention a lot her stuff has content reference suicide, abuse and possible sexual assault).

Most of her songs are uploaded to Youtube, so you might be able to find some you can stream to try that way?

And I uploaded the entire album here for someone else, and you are very welcome to snag it too, if that is not a thing you object to!

[raincitygirl]

I object to it in the sense that I feel guilty about it. But that's not going to stop me downloading it, I'm afraid. I can live with a little guilt. I'll pay actual money for her other album. Thank you.