University of Minnesota




Human Rights Music Bibliography by Artist- Pop


 

 

Artist

Laurie Anderson

Peter Gabriel

Goo Goo Dolls

Michael Jackson

Cindi Lauper

Gordon Lightfoot

Martha and the Vandellas

George Michael

Nena

Paper Lace

Edwin Starr

Style Council

The Tears

The Wallflowers

 

 

Laurie Anderson

            Beautiful Red Dress

 

Artist:                                    Laurie Anderson

Song:                                    Beautiful Red Dress

Album:                        Strange Angels

Producer:                        Laurie Anderson, Roma Baron, Mike Thorne

Year:                                    1989

Label:                        Warner Bros

Genre:                                    Pop

URL: http://www.vh1classic.com/view/artist/1032/54057/Anderson_Laurie/Beautiful_Red_Dress/index.jhtml

Lyrics:

http://www.asklyrics.com/display/Laurie_Anderson/Beautiful_Red_Dress_Lyrics/6799.htm

 

Well I was down at the Zig Zag

That's the Zig Zag Bar & Grill

And everybody was talking at once

and it was getting real shrill.

And I've been around the block

But I don't care I'm on a roll - I'm on a wild ride

Cause the moon is full and look out baby -

I'm at high tide.

 

I've got a beautiful red dress

And you'd look really good

standing beside it..

I've got some beautiful new red shoes

and they look so fine

I've got a hundred and five fever

and it's high tide.

 

Well just the other day I won the lottery

I mean lots of money

I got so excited I ran into my place and i said:

HEY!  Is anybody home?

Nobody answered but I guess that's not too weird

Since I live alone.

 

I've got a beautiful red dress

And you'd look really good

standing beside it..

Girls?

We can take it  And if we can't

we're gonna fake it

We're gonna save ourselves

We're gonna make it  And if we don't

we're gonna take it

We're gonna save ourselves

Save ourselves

 

Well they say women shouldn't be

the president

Cause we go crazy from time to time

Well push my button baby here I come

Yeah look out baby

I'm at high tide

I've got a beatiful red dress

and you'd look really good

standing beside it..

I've got a little jug of red sangria wine

and we could take little sips

from time to time

I've got some bright red drop dead lips

I've got a little red card

and mechanical hips

I've got a hundred and five fever!!!

 

OK!  OK!  Hold it!

I just want to say something.

You know, for every dollar a man makes

a woman makes 63 cents.

Now, fifty years ago that was 62 cents.

So, with that kind of luck, it'll be the year 3,888

before we make a buck.  But hey, girls?

 

We can take it  And if we can't

we're gonna fake it

We're gonna save ourselves

save ourselves

(Yeah tell it to the judge)

We're gonna make it  And if we don't

we're gonna take it

We're gonna save ourselves

save ourselves

We've got a fever of a hundred and five

and look baby

It's high tide.

 

Well I could just go on and on and on...

But tonight

I've got a headache

 

 

Peter Gabriel

            Shaking the Tree

 

Artist:                                    Peter Gabriel

Song:                                    Shaking the Tree

Album:                        Shaking the Tree

Producer:                        Bob Ezrin, Steve Lillywhite, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois

Year:                                    1990

Label:                        Geffen

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20wnX307YKA

Lyrics:                        http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/peter+gabriel/shaking+the+tree_20107503.html

 

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

 

Waiting your time, dreaming of a better life

Waiting your time, youre more than just a wife

You dont want to do what your mother has done

She has done

This is your life, this new life has begun

Its your day - a womans day

Its your day - a womans day

 

Turning the tide, you are on the incoming wave

Turning the tide, you know you are nobodys slave

[ 1989 version - find your brothers and sisters ]

[ 1990 version - find your sisters and brothers ]

Who can hear all the truth in what you say

They can support you when youre on your way

Its your day - a womans day

Its your day - a womans day

 

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

 

[ extra lyrics from 1989 12 remix ]

 

Theres nothing to gain when theres nothing to be lost

Theres nothing to gain if you stay behind and count the cost

Make the decision that you can be who you can be

You can be

Tasting the fruit come to the liberty tree

Its your day - a womans day

Its your day - a womans day

 

Changing your ways, changing those surrounding you

Changing your ways, more than any man can do

Open your heart, show him the anger and pain, so you heal

Maybe hes looking for his womanly side, let him feel

 

You had to be so strong

And you do nothing wrong

Nothing wrong at all

Were gonna to break it down

We have to shake it down

Shake it all around

 

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

Souma yergon, sou nou yergon, we are shakin the tree

 

Goo Goo Dolls

            Better Days

 

Artist:                                    Goo Goo Dolls

Song:                                    Better Days

Album:                        Single

Producer:                        Glen Ballard

Year:                                    2005

Label:                                    Wea International

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITM2AKRT9cI

Lyrics:                                    http://www.lyricstop.com/b/betterdays-googoodolls.html

 

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again

And it's someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive
And the one poor child that saved this world
And there's 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cuz everyone is forgiven now
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again
Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again

 

Michael Jackson

            Heal the World

 

Artist:                                    Michael Jackson

Song:                                    Heal the World

Album:                        Dangerous

Producer:                        Michael Jackson, David Foster

Year:                                    1991

Label:                                    Epic Records

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    www.youtube.com/watch?v=2boee8XEHA0

Lyrics:                                    http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/michaeljackson/healtheworld.html

 

There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me

 

 

Cindi Lauper

            Sally’s Pigeons

 

Artist:                                    Cindi Lauper

Song:                                    Sally’s Pigeons

Album:                        Hat Full of Stars

Producer:                        Cyndi Lauper, Junior Vasquez

Year:                                    1993

Label:                                    Epic Records

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://youtube.com/watch?v=j1z_5iyvbdc

Lyrics:                        http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/cyndilauper/sallyspigeons.html

 

When I was eight I had a friend
With a pirate smile
Make believe and play pretend
We were innocent and wild
Hopped a fence and slammed the gate
Running down my alleyway
In time to watch Sally's pigeons fly

We loved to watch them dive and soar
Circle in the sky
Free as a bird from three to four
And never knowing why
Neighbors pulled their wash back in
Put away my Barbie and Ken
Look out overhead
While Sally's pigeons fly

I had a fool's confidence
That the world had no boundaries
But instincts and common sense
Come in different quantities

My heart began to
Skip to the beat
Of the boy next door
She had her eye across the street
On someone shy and tall
We lived our dreams
And challenged fate
In tears she told me she was late
And Sally let his pigeons out to fly...

On the dresser sits a frame
With a photograph
Two little girls in ponytails
Some twenty one years back
She left one night with just a nod
Was lost from some back alley job
I close my eyes and Sally's pigeons fly
She never saw those birds again
And me, I can't remember when
A pirate smile hasn't made me cry
I close my eyes
And Sally's pigeons fly...

 

Gordon Lightfoot

            Black Day in July

 

Artist:                                     Gordon Lightfoot

Song:                                    Black Day in July

Album:                        Best

Producer:                        N/A

Year:                        1970

Label:                        Curb Records           

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                     http://www.amazon.com/Best-Gordon-Lightfoot/dp/B000000CZ8

Lyrics:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/gordon+lightfoot/black+day+in+july_20061532.html

 

Black day in july

Motor city madness has touched the countryside

And through the smoke and cinders

You can hear it far and wide

The doors are quickly bolted

And the children locked inside

Black day in july

Black day in july

And the soul of motor city is bared across the land

As the book of law and order is taken in the hands

Of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

In the streets of motor city is a deadly silent sound

And the body of a dead youth lies stretched upon the ground

Upon the filthy pavement

No reason can be found

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

Motor city madness has touched the countryside

And the people rise in anger

And the streets begin to fill

And theres gunfire from the rooftops

And the blood begins to spill

 

Black day in july

 

In the mansion of the governor

Theres nothing that is known for sure

The telephone is ringing

And the pendulum is swinging

And they wonder how it happened

And they really know the reason

And it wasnt just the temperature

And it wasnt just the season

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

Motor citys burning and the flames are running wild

They reflect upon the waters of the river and the lake

And everyone is listening

And everyones awake

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

The printing press is turning

And the news is quickly flashed

And you read your morning paper

And you sip your cup of tea

And you wonder just in passing

Is it him or is it me

 

Black day in july

 

In the office of the president

The deed is done the troops are sent

Theres really not much choice you see

It looks to us like anarchy

And then the tanks go rolling in

To patch things up as best they can

There is no time to hesitate

The speech is made the dues can wait

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

The streets of motor city now are quiet and serene

But the shapes of gutted buildings

Strike terror to the heart

And you say how did it happen

And you say how did it start

Why cant we all be brothers

Why cant we live in peace

But the hands of the have-nots

Keep falling out of reach

 

Black day in july

Black day in july

Motor city madness has touched the countryside

And through the smoke and cinders

You can hear it far and wide

The doors are quickly bolted

And the children locked inside           

 

Martha and the Vandellas

            I Should Be Proud

 

Artist:                                    Martha and the Vandellas

Song:                                    I Should be Proud

Album:                        Natural Resources

Producer:                        Henry Cosby, Clarence Paul

Year:                                    1970

Label:                                    Gordy

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    n/a

Lyrics:                         http://www.onewest.net/~roxtar/lyrics/reeves_martha2.html

 

I was under the dryer when the telegram came:
"Private John C. Miller was shot down in Vietnam"
Through my tears I read: "No more information at this time
He's missin' in action somewhere on the Delta Line"

& they say that I should be proud; he was fightin' for me
They say that I should be proud, those too blind to see
But he wasn't fightin' for me, my Johnny didn't have to fight for me
He was fightin' for the evils of society

Now I prayed night & day that my Johnny wouldn't die
Love, faith & hope was all that kept me alive
Then 6 weeks later came that cold & heartless letter:
"Private Johnny was killed in action, number 54327"

& they say that I should be proud; he was keepin' me free
They say that I should be proud, those too blind to see
But he wasn't fightin' for me, my Johnny didn't have to die for me
He was fightin' for the evils of society

(instrumental)

(spoken):
They shipped him home with medals of honor & glory
Even our local paper ran a front-page story

But the whole time gave him praisin' & said how honored I should be
But I don't want no superstar, just the good man they took from me

& they tell me I should be proud; he was fightin' for me
They say that I should be proud, those too blind to see
But he wasn't fightin' for me, my Johnny didn't have to die for me
He's a victim of the evils of society
I should be proud of my Johnny
They tell me that I should be proud; they just don't want Johnny for me

They tell me that I should be proud of my Johnny
...& fade

 

George Michael

            Killer

 

Artist:                                    George Michael

Song:                                    Killer

Album:                        Ladies and Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Producer:                        N/A

Year:                                    1998

Label:                                    Sony

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP09qjjWijI

Lyrics:                        http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/george+michael/killer_20059243.html

 

So you want to be free
To live your life the way you wanna be
Will you give if we cry
Will we live or will we die

Tainted hearts heal with time
Shoot bad love so we can
Stop the bleeding

Solitary brother, is there still a part of you that
Wants to live?
Solitary sister, is there still a part of you that
Wants to give?
Solitary brother, is there still a part of you that
Wants to live?
Solitary sister, is there still a part of you that
Wants to give?

If we try to live our lives
The way we wanna be

Solitary brother, is there still a part of you that
Wants to live?
Solitary sister, is there still a part of you that
Wants to give?
Solitary brother, is there still a part of you that
Wants to live?
Salitary sister, is there still a part of you that
Wants to give?

Racism in future kings can only lead to no good
And besides, all our sons and daughters already
Know how that feels

 

Nena

            99 Luftballons

 

Artist:                                    Nena

Song:                                    99 Luftballons/ 99 Red Balloons

Album:                        99 Luftballons

Producer:                        n/a

Year:                                    1984

Label:                                    EMI

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14IRDDnEPR4

Lyrics:                                    http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Nena/99-Red-Balloons.html

 

You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons
With the money we've got
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message
"Something's out there"
Floating in the summer sky
99 red balloons go by

99 red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it's red alert
There's something here
From somewhere else
The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
Where 99 red balloons go by

99 Decision Street
99 ministers meet
To worry, worry, super-scurry
Call the troops out in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it boys, this is war
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by

[Instrumental Interlude]

99 Knights of the airway
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a Silverhero
Everyone's a Captain Kirk
With orders to identify
To clarify and classify
Scramble in the summer sky
As 99 red balloons go by

As 99 red balloons go by

99 dreams I have had
In every one a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty
In this dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenier
Just to prove the world was here
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go

 

Paper Lace

            Billy Don’t Be A Hero

 

Artist:                                    Paper Lace

Song:                                    Billy Don’t Be A Hero

Album:                        Single

Producer:                        n/a

Year:                                    1974

Label:                                    Mercury

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDq_xJlF0TE

Lyrics:            http://www.lyricsdownload.com/paper-lace-billy-dont-be-a-hero-lyrics.html

 

The marchin' band came down along main street
The soldier blues fell in behind
I looked across and there I saw Billy
Waiting to go and join the line
And with her head upon his shoulder
His young and lovely fiancee
From where I stood I saw she was cryin'
And through her tears I heard her say

Billy don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life
Billy don't be a hero, come back and make me your wi-i-ife
And as Billy started to go-o
She said keep your pretty head low-ow-ow-ow
Billy don't be a hero, come back to me-ee

The soldier blues were trapped on a hillside
The battle ragin' all around
The sergeant cried, we've gotta hang on boys
We've gotta hold this piece of ground
I need a volunteer to ride out
And bring us back some extra men
And Billy's hand was up in a moment
Forgettin' all the words she said, she said

Billy don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your li-ife
Billy don't be a hero, come back and make me your wi-i-ife
And as Billy started to go-o
She said keep your pretty head low-ow-ow-ow
Billy don't be a hero, come back to me-ee

I heard his fiancee got a letter
That told how Billy died that day-ay
The letter said he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw the letter away...

 

Edwin Starr

            War

 

Artist:                                    Edwin Starr

Song:                                    War

Album:                        War and Peace

Producer:                        Norman Whitfield

Year:                                    1970

Label:                                    Gordy

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://youtube.com/watch?v=-_tBDk4SuvA

Lyrics:                                    http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1029

 

War, huh yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing.
War huh yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing.
Say it again y'all
War, huh good god
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. Listen to me

War-I despise
'Cause it means destruction
Of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mothers' eyes
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives

War, huh good god y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. say it again
War whoa lord
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. listen to me
It ain't nothin but a heartbreaker
Friend only to the undertaker

Oh war, is an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest in the younger generation
Induction, then destruction who wants to die

War, good god y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. say it say it say it
War uh huh yeah huh
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. listen to me
It ain't nothin but a heartbreaker
Got one friend that's the undertaker

Oh war has shattered many young man's dreams
Made him disabled bitter and mean
Life is much to short and precious to spend fighting wars these days
War can't give life it can only take it away oooooh

War, huh good god y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. say it say again
War whoa lord
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. listen
It ain't nothin but a heartbreaker
Friend only to the undertaker

Peace love and understanding tell me
Is there no place for them today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But lord knows there's got to be a better way

 

Style Council

            Walls Come Tumbling Down

 

Artist:                                     Style Council           

Song:                                    Walls Come Tumbling Down

Album:                        Our Favourite Shop

Producer:                        Paul Weller

Year:                        1985

Label:                        Polydor                       

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I29aPBkEc0Y

Lyrics:           

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/style+council/walls+come+tumbling+down_20132778.html

 

You dont have to take this crap

You dont have to sit back and relax

You can actually try changing it

I know weve always been taught to rely

Upon those in authority -

But you never know until you try

How things just might be -

If we came together so strongly

 

Are you gonna try to make this work

Or spend your days down in the dirt

You see things can change -

Yes an walls can come tumbling down!

 

Governments crack and systems fall

cause unity is powerful -

Lights go out - walls come tumbling down!

 

The competition is a colour tv

Were on still pause with the video machine

That keep you slave to the h.p.

 

Until the unity is threatend by

Those who have and who have not -

Those who are with and those who are without

And dangle jobs like a donkeys carrot -

Until you dont know where you are

 

Are you gonna realize

The class wars real and not mythologized

And like jericho - you see walls can come tumbling down!

 

Are you gonna be threatend by

The public enemies no. 10 -

Those who play the power game

They take the profits - you take the blame -

When they tell you theres no rise in pay

 

Are you gonna try an make this work

Or spend your days down in the dirt -

You see things can change -

Yes and walls can come tumbling down!

 

The Tears

            Refugees

 

Artist:                                    The Tears

Song:                                    Refugees

Album:                        Here Come the Tears

Producer:                        The Tears

Year:                                    2005

Label:                                    Independiente

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JM4khs7qKU

Lyrics:                                    http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/t/Tears/Refugees-Lyrics.htm

 

You are the dust and
I am the rain
Lets go out in the rust and
Let's gather the change

Let's take to the streets
You and I we're life's refugees
But like Bonnie and Clyde we're free
Don't say there's nothing between us

You stain the pavements
I'll take the blame

Our love is our saviour
Our life is our grave

Let's take to the streets
You and I we're life's refugees
But like Bonnie and Clyde we're free
Don't say there's nothing between us

‘Cause we're all refugees
And we're all drifting like leaves
But like Bonnie and Clyde we're free
Don't say there's nothing between us

We'll live for the sunshine
And smile through the rain

And we're all refugees
And we're all drifting like leaves
But like Bonnie and Clyde we're free
Don't say there's nothing between us

So let's take to the streets
You and I compete with the freaks
And like Bonnie and Clyde we're free
Don't say there's nothing between us

Well there's nothing between us
Well there's nothing between us

 

The Wallflowers

            Murder 101

 

Artist:                                    The Wallflowers

Song:                                    Murder 101

Album:                        Breach

Producer:                        Andrew Slater, Michael Penn

Year:                                    2000

Label:                                    Interscope Records

Genre:                                    Pop

URL:                                    http://www.amazon.com/Breach-Wallflowers/dp/B00004YACO            

Lyrics:                         http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/wallflowers/murder101.html

 

Never thought that I knew too much
I always thought I knew enough
I didn't want to learn this stuff
I didn't ever want to be that tough
But love was just implied
And everything else died
This class has now begun
In Murder 101

You can learn it in the first degree
You could even make yourself believe
That you'll never even think of me
When you're packing up your things to leave
Now my intuition failed
I can't graduate unskilled
They don't excuse the young
This is Murder 101

Find yourself another heart that needs a rest
Tie a hook onto a single thread
Drop it down beneath the chest
There's the first part of this test
They'll grade you on a curve
They're including everyone
No matter what you've heard
You know this class has now begun
Drop out before they come
To Murder one by one

Just look what we've done
In Murder 101

Just look what we've done
In Murder 101

Just look what we've done
This is Murder 101

Just look what we've done
To Murder one by one

 



Home || Treaties || Search || Links