Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Everyone is in a bubble, but some bubbles model reality far better than others!

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

It could be worse. Vance could have said “post-menopausal sows.” Waiting for that audiotape to surface.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

Democrats are back in array!

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Never forget that he train is barreling down on Trump, even as he dances on the tracks.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

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79Comments

  2. 2.

    gogol's wife

    Between the two of you, you covered my favorites. We sang both “Lift Every Voice” and “Precious Lord” in church this week, along with “We Shall Overcome.”

  9. 9.

    dedc79

    Is there seriously any debate on this? A Change is Gonna Come. Same Cooke’s and Otis Redding’s versions are both great, but I think the edge goes to Cooke.

    Mississippi Goddamn by Nina Simone belongs up close to the top, too.

  12. 12.

    kindness

    For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield.

    Not so much a civil rights song as a protest song.

  19. 19.

    Pogonip

    @lamh36: I like that one! It’ll go on the iPod. Every time I clear out old CD’s I put the songs I want from the CD on the iPod .

  21. 21.

    raven

    I had been doing poetry readings. I had been doing some in the last year or so because I’ve got a poetry book out called Blackbird Singing, and when I would read “Blackbird”, I would always try and think of some explanation to tell the people, ’cause there’s not a lot you can do except just read the poem, you know, you read 10 poems that takes about 10 minutes, almost. It’s like, you’ve got to, just, do a bit more than that. So, I was doing explanations, and I actually just remembered why I’d written “Blackbird”, you know, that I’d been, I was in Scotland playing on my guitar, and I remembered this whole idea of “you were only waiting for this moment to arise” was about, you know, the black people’s struggle in the southern states, and I was using the symbolism of a blackbird. It’s not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it’s a bit more symbolic.
    — Paul McCartney, Interview with KCRW’s Chris Douridas, 25 May 2002 episode of New Ground

  26. 26.

    pete

    Of Dylan’s output, I think the crucial civil-rights song is “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” and for me it’s the Otis Redding version of “A Change Is Gonna Come” (sorry, Sam) but what matters more is what was important to the folks in the movement, and I’d suggest that either something by Mahalia Jackson or the evergreen “We Shall Overcome” would be it.

  27. 27.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Betty Cracker: I know a woman who met Pops Staples in the 60s. When it came up – I can’t recall exactly how (for reasons that will become clear) – I was excited and asked her where. She said “Martin introduced me to him.”

    After a beat, I understood that meeting Pops Staples was not the most impressive part of that story. Apparently she was an active young follower of Dr. King, as I later heard her describe some of those days.

  30. 30.

    Amir Khalid

    @kc:
    From the story at your link:

    Myrtle Beach resident Sandy Adams said she already was planning to attend the convention before learning that Trump would be there, but was most excited about seeing him.

    “I was hoping that he’d make the announcement that he was running today, but oh, well,” she said. “I would vote for him if he runs.”

    Adams, who also attended the event last year, said she was impressed with his speech.

    “All of the issues that he talked about are the issues I care about,” she said. “And I think they’re the issues most people talk about.”

    Facepalm.

  36. 36.

    raven

    Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions

    This is My Country

    Some people think we don’t have the right
    To say it’s my country
    Before they give in, they’d rather fuss and fight T
    han say it’s my country
    I’ve paid three hundred years or more Of slave driving, sweat, and welts on my back
    This is my country

  40. 40.

    ProfessorLarry

    “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield
    “Come Go with Me” by the Staple Singers
    “Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke (w/ a shoutout to Otis’ version)

  43. 43.

    bg

    I agree Sam Cooke A Change is Gonna Come. But Bettye Lavette singing it with Jon Bonjovi at Obama’s first inauguration knocked my socks off
    For white people of that era, it was probably Blowin’ in the Wind

  44. 44.

    raven

    @bg: Many of us were introduced to Blowin in the WInd by Peter, Paul and Mary.

    “”Blowin’ in the Wind” was first covered by the Chad Mitchell Trio, but their record company delayed release of the album containing it because the song included the word “death,” so the trio lost out to Peter, Paul and Mary, who were represented by Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman. The single sold a phenomenal three hundred thousand copies in the first week of release and made the song world famous. On August 17, 1963, it reached number two on the Billboard pop chart, with sales exceeding one million copies. Peter Yarrow recalled that, when he told Dylan he would make more than $5,000 (equivalent to $39,000 in 2015[11]) from the publishing rights, Dylan was speechless.[12] P”

  45. 45.

    scav

    Don’t know that it’s the best, but I’ve always found Joan Baez’s We Shall Overcome rather moving at concerts, perhaps mostly as everyone is singing. And that’s under the hopeful mood. Likely something by Nina Simone when more realistic.

  47. 47.

    Judge Crater

    “This Land is Your Land” by all kinds of folks including Pete Seeger. Not strictly a civil rights song, but good for all causes.

    Beyonce at the Lincoln Memorial for Obama’s first Inaugural – http://youtu.be/Z_7gxJmmV_M

  54. 54.

    dance around in your bones

    Jesus is my Air-O-Plane by Megs McCollum .

    Youtube not coming up for me :( – damn you, BJ!!!

  58. 58.

    Oklahoma Joe

    Don’t hear it very often; don’t know that I could stand to hear it very often – I’m pretty well teared up right now – but it was on my mind this PM after coming home from the local march:

  59. 59.

    Schlemazel

    @Lee Rudolph:
    This is the one I remember most. I had never heard it before the day I marched on the Capitol as police informed us we had to leave the street for the sidewalk, which would not have been large enough to hold us all. It was the perfect point in time for that song & I have never felt such a chill run up my spine for a song.

  66. 66.

    gocart mozart

    “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll”

    William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
    With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
    At a Baltimore hotel society gath’rin’
    And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
    As they rode him in custody down to the station
    And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder
    But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
    Take the rag away from your face
    Now ain’t the time for your tears.

    William Zanzinger who at twenty-four years
    Owns a tobacco farm of six hundred acres
    With rich wealthy parents who provide and protect him
    And high office relations in the politics of Maryland
    Reacted to his deed with a shrug of his shoulders
    And swear words and sneering and his tongue it was snarling
    In a matter of minutes on bail was out walking
    But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
    Take the rag away from your face
    Now ain’t the time for your tears.

    Hattie Carroll was a maid in the kitchen
    She was fifty-one years old and gave birth to ten children
    Who carried the dishes and took out the garbage
    And never sat once at the head of the table
    And didn’t even talk to the people at the table
    Who just cleaned up all the food from the table
    And emptied the ashtrays on a whole other level
    Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
    That sailed through the air and came down through the room
    Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle
    And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger
    And you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
    Take the rag away from your face
    Now ain’t the time for your tears.

    In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
    To show that all’s equal and that the courts are on the level
    And that the strings in the books ain’t pulled and persuaded
    And that even the nobles get properly handled
    Once that the cops have chased after and caught ’em
    And that ladder of law has no top and no bottom
    Stared at the person who killed for no reason
    Who just happened to be feelin’ that way witout warnin’
    And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished
    And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance
    William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence
    Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fearsv
    Bury the rag deep in your face
    For now’s the time for your tears.

  68. 68.

    Porco Rosso

    R.E.S.P.E.C.T.?

    You wont understood the struggle until you’ve heard a white LDS girl trying to sing in on Eugene Jeleznik’s Talent Showcase before the Days of ’47 Parade in the early 80s.

    Oh, and anything from Nina Simone that’s relevant.

  72. 72.

    john fremont

    Odetta’s version of The Times They Are A Changing moves me every time I hear it.

    Born Dead, Alabama March and Move This Rope by JB Lenoir fit right alongside Mississippi Goddamn for me.

    God Rest His Soul by Gregg and Duane Allman has grown on me as well. Southern rock was Southern, not Confederate, when it came to the Allman Brothers. This song was a demo written after the assassination of MLK.

    Not a civil rights song but one I like is the Mothers of Invention’s Trouble Every Day. Zappa could be pretty abstract with his humor but this song about the racial strife and media sensationalism in the mid 60’s still hasn’t lost its relevancy. “Blow your harmonica son!.”

  76. 76.

    brantl

    I always thought that Dylan’s Blowing in the Wind, was one of the best I ever heard. It’s true, it’s blatant, and it grabs you by the fundamentals.

  78. 78.

    miserybob

    @lamh36: Yes – Sweet Honey and the Rock… man, those harmonies…

    The whole album “Freedom Song” (from the movie… which I didn’t see…) is fantastic. Ain’ Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round and Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Freedom are two other standouts on that album.

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