Comments on: songs about sociology

By: mtraven

mtraven — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:28:30 +0000

Can’t believe nobody mentioned this one, which really trumps everything else.

By: socgrad

socgrad — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:01:17 +0000

First time posting here!
I agree with Anomie that country music is great for class critiques. On the alt/indie side, a song by the obscure band, The Mr. T Experience, called “Institutionalized Mysogyny” has some good sociological stuff. Here are a few choice lyrics:

I’m not complaining, I’m just figuring out
how everything left us behind
I got my problems, I’m aware of them
I’ll take care of them, never you mind
you’re still repeating pre-recorded things
they used to say in universities
and books on left wing politics and law
about underlying structures
that so far as they mean anything
still won’t support the personal
connections that you draw
Institutionalized
misogyny
that’s all that stands between
my baby and me

…..

Michelle, ma belle:
ton beau, Michel Foucault
a Foucault dependent is always ready to go
I think we’re alone
I might have known
she’s got Chomsky on the phone

….

By: briand0n0van

briand0n0van — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:46:23 +0000

@carlyconfused — Thanks! I’m glad I’m not the only weirdo. While the others are citing punk and hip hop, I think we’re bringing important Musical knowledge to the table. How about performing gender in “We Both Reached for the Gun” from “Chicago?” Anyone? Anyone?

By: jessica

jessica — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:44:50 +0000

I second the mention of Dead Kennedys. The best popular culture paper ever written in my Social Inequality class was an analysis of a bunch of Dead Kennedys songs and it got me hooked.

By: issuesfocusing

issuesfocusing — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:50:10 +0000

So this is my first post ever—yay me. I’m going to have to say “Juicy” by Notorious BIG and “Changes” by Tupac have always been Sociological favorites.

By: bandeiras

bandeiras — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:12:34 +0000

Johnny Cash seems to have tons of sociological content, but my favorite is “Man in Black.”

By: carlyconfused

carlyconfused — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:00:33 +0000

briand0n0van: that was my first thought, as well, dorky as it may be. Of course, West Side Story is my favorite movie of all time, so I’m not surprised.

My second thought is totally inacessible to most posters on here as it’s in Swedish. Dr. Kosmos entire oevre. The band deal with both gender & class issues quite a bit. Their first album was called “Socialmedicin” (Social Medicine).

By: crimsonglow

crimsonglow — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:08:34 +0000

One of the Wisconsin campus newspapers also recently interviewed a Marxist rapper called Son of Nun:
http://www.sonofnun.net/

I think the Palestine song’s his catchiest. His website is also advertising a CD called Peace Not War vol. II which sounds promising for potential sociological insight.

By: smalinky

smalinky — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:38:34 +0000

On class: Good Guys (Don’t Wear White), by Minor Threat.

By: briand0n0van

briand0n0van — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:46:05 +0000

The first time I heard the word “sociological” was listening to the “West Side Story” soundtrack (over and over again) as a child. So, here, I offer probably the dorkiest example you’ll see all day:

Officer Krupke:

A-RAB: (As Psychiatrist) Yes!
Officer Krupke, you’re really a slob.
This boy don’t need a doctor, just a good honest job.
Society’s played him a terrible trick,
And sociologic’ly he’s sick!

ACTION
I am sick!

ALL
We are sick, we are sick,
We are sick, sick, sick,
Like we’re sociologically sick!