Sunday, October 7, 2007

Political Song of the Week

The average age of a Canadian voter is 59. The low voter turnout of our youth is a threat to Canadian democracy. Considering less than 3 percent of the members of Canadian political parties are under the age of 25, other methods of sparking political interest among youth are needed. Music has been used as a political tool by many musicians and bands. It is an effective method of rebelling against the dominant norm of society. Music is also more appealing to most youth than joining a political party is.

Many political messages about real change have been recorded in songs over the years. Sometimes, their original meaning is even more relevant today. Every week I will recommend a song with an important political message. If you have songs to suggest, please share them!

My first recommended Political Song of the Week is "War" by Bob Marley.

On the Oct. 3, 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live, Sinead O'Connor sings a unique version of Bob Marley's "War" ending with her ripping up a picture of the Pope.

Click here for the link to the youtube video of that performance.

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