Social Commentary in Prog-Rock

Edited by Sean Trane - December 12 2020 at 10:45

People singing about what they think is wrong with the world is a bit like lobbying the profoundly deaf to effect change.

HackettFan wrote: Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging Numerous Peter Gabriel solo tracks

dr wu23 wrote: You want social commentary....it doesn't get any better than this and Mr Harper has been commenting from the beginning...

Great song from a great album! One of favorites by Roy. He came a long way from "I Hate The White Man."

Edited by SteveG - December 11 2020 at 12:40

^^ Maybe we need new ways to say the things that matter? That was (and hopefully still is) a prime motivation for Prog. Cliches & repetition aren´t that enjoyable, that's for sure.

SteveG wrote: Tbh, the social commentaries themselves do little for me. I've heard it all before in various guises of folk and folk rock. What I do like about it is that it forces the artists to create music as dramatic and moving as the lyrics. Just look at the usual suspects like Epitaph from KC and New World from the Strawbs. Moving songs that were custom made for the mellotron.

lazland wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: Selling England comes to mind. Selling England is most definitely social commentary, an entire album dedicated to an England (it was England, not Britain) quickly disappearing in every social sense. It was not political at all. Others here have mentioned Floyd with Waters as the main protagonist lyrically, but his lyrics were primarily political, not social. I have commentated on my Floyd reviews, especially Animals, how much he influenced me politically for many years, but, in all honesty, I find it tiresome as I have gotten older, especially his anti-Israel rants. Ironically, the Genesis lyrics on their social commentary influences me far more politically now as a middle aged man. Another exceptional example, btw, is Martin Orford’s exceptional lyrics (and music) on The Old Road, especially the title track and The Endgame. Jim Garten provided this site with the finest interview we have seen when he questioned Martin about the events which led to his retirement from the music industry, and whether you agreed with him, or not, you feel intrinsically bound to him when listening to the lyrics on this fine work.

The lyrics of The Court Of The Crimson King seems to represent well several of the apects pointed out until now: it's metaphoric, establishing some sort of parallel between that elusive medieval society and ours, it's acid with criticism, but also omitting any political/revolutionary agenda, and it works as motivation for the huge dramatic scope of the music (with the help of mellotron, of course).

Playing now the advocate of the devil, I propose a counter-example:
Genesis' "Visions of Angels" doesn't adress any social issue, does it? It's more about a romantic perception of nature, perhaps.

Selling England by The Pound in general, Gentle Giant's Proclamation, Zappa in general, Captain Beefheart had ome very unique off the cuff commentary on social and political happenings.