Music has been used to express many emotions, cultures, and morals, ever since it was โinventedโ. Songs have become parts of history as a symbol for revolutions, wars, and independence. Many countriesโ national anthems are sung because of freedom from other countries or a sort of independence. Prime examples of this are the American national anthem and even our own national anthem. Here are three of the most famous songs that are known to represent the freedom of a community, society, or even an entire nation.
โBlack or Whiteโ - Michael Jackson
โBlack or Whiteโ was a song that hit the billboards in 1991 and was and still is used to fight racism and discrimination as a whole. A famous phrase that is repeated throughout the song is: โIt don't matter if you're black or whiteโ. This phrase brings out the essence of the fight against racism.
Another vital part of the song that shows the essence is in the video clip. At the end of the video clip, we are able to see people from different races and cultures morphing into one another (some examples in the photo above). The morphing wants to express the fact that in the end, all the people in races, cultures, and communities have on thing in common, being human. โBlack and Whiteโ is known for its symbolism of the fight against racism and has been used in many protests ever since it came out.
โMan! I Feel Like A Womanโ - Shania Twain
โMan! I Feel Like A Womanโ fights for another cause, sexism. Shania Twain released the song in 1999 with the intention of expressing the idea that women could be whatever they want. The whole song talks towards girls and how they should just โhave a little funโ and โgo crazyโ. The song tries to remove the barrier between women and men and their tendencies. โMan! I Feel Like A Womanโ was a catchy song that helped many realise problems in our world (regarding sexism) and how people could fight it.
โSunday Bloody Sundayโ - U2
โSunday Bloody Sundayโ is a song U2 released in their album war, which detailed the consequences on the communities when at war. โBroken bottles under children's feet, Bodies strewn across the dead end streetโ are two lines in the song talking about how war is, physically and mentally. The song is meant to bring freedom from war, just like the famous protests by the resistance, flower power, in the 1960s. โSunday Bloody Sundayโ is a song against war which is expressed through detailing a specific battle (1972, Derry, Northern Ireland). The song has inspired many people to protest against war and violence.