Mention the term “protest song,” and most people’s thoughts go back to the activism and political actions of the 1960s. But, as volatile as those times were, it is easy to see that today’s world is much less harmonious. So, if Wishing is a protest song, then I say, bring it on.
Over a gentle, folky acoustic tune, SHIV advocates nothing less than “the end of war.” It is a song written specifically with the recent tragic events in Gaza in mind but is equally applicable to tragic events the world over. Perhaps this understated acoustic approach resonates most with me, echoing the vibe and vibrancy of songs like Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth, CSN&Y’s Ohio, and Tom Paxton’s oft-overlooked Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation.
Perhaps the surprising thing is not finding a protest song in the modern musical canon but realising that there is an urgent need for them now, more than ever before.