STONE ME! IS LARS A PROTEST SONG OR JUST A ROLLING MOAN?

Come writers and critics who prophecise with your pen … read the article or don’t come again

I’m not protesting, or anything like that … but I am a bit surprised that so many people commented on our article LIKE A ROLLING STONE, THE SOUND AND FURY HOWL ON AFTER 57 YEARS

However, the discussion over the past few days has been edifying and brilliant.

But, not to moan, there was something a lot of people noticed, including me.

Almost all of the finger-pointing was about one word that DIDN’T actually APPEAR in the article.

That word is PROTEST.

Nope…

Where that single word appeared was in the Facebook introductory comment box (Not actually written by me!). And that introductory comment actually said: “ And the protest keeps on rolling – almost 60 years since Like a Rolling Stone hit us between the ears…”

Well, it’s a comment that makes sense to me!

So, is Like a Rolling Stone, simply just the greatest pop/rock song of all time – or is it also a protest song?

LARS definitely isn’t overtly a protest about war, man’s inhumanity to man, racism and murder or even green issues.

It is – as far as I’m concerned – a song that points out the failings of society, avarice, greed, class, arrogance, lack of caring, shallowness.

Ahh you’ve gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?

A protest about society surely, but also a protest about business. The business he is in … entertainment, big bucks, top hats, fat cats…

Jimbo wrote “What have they done to the earth …

ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit herStuck her with knives in the side of the dawn andTied her with fences and dragged her down.”

One of the first ecological protest songs ever!

This is the basic meaning of protest … ‘express an objection to what someone has said or done’. Tolly Wright for TimeOut magazine chose these as the best protest songs. But consider the range of protests! Why should Dylan, as potentially the greatest protester ever, be condemned by his fans to only protest about things they recognise themselves? Surely, this is tantamount to the folk movement turning on him for playing an electric guitar. Tolly’s choices, from last year, are:

1. “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday

2. “We Shall Overcome”

3. “War” by Edwin Starr4. 

“Mississippi Goddam” by Nina Simone

5. “The Times They Are a-Changin” by Bob Dylan

6. “Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley

7. “Give Peace a Chance” by Plastic Ono Band

8. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2

9. “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen

10.“What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye

Bob’s traditionally accepted protests are The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, Masters of War, Blowin’ in the Wind, A Hard Rain, God on Our Side, Times they are A-changin’, Only a Pawn, My Back Pages, Who Killed Davey Moore? It’s Alright Ma.

There of course are plenty more!

#bobdylan #LARS #protestsong #misslonely #leighgbanks