Protest Songs About America

"Americana" – The Offspring
Well I'd like to tell you all about my dream, it's a place

Where strip malls abound and diversion's mere moments away

Where culture's defined by the

Ones least refined

And you'll be left behind

If you don't fit in

It's all distorted

In americana my way

Well fuck you

Whoa Whoa Whoa

Well my dream has come true

Whoa Whoa Whoa

My vision has come true

Now give me my cable, fast food, four-by's, tats right away

I want it right now cause my generation don't like to wait

My future's determined by

Thieves, thugs, and vermin

It's quite an excursion

But it's okay

Everything's backwards

In americana my way

Well fuck you

Whoa Whoa Whoa

Well my dream has come true

Whoa Whoa Whoa

My vision has come trueIt's all coming true

I'm a product Of my environment

Don't blame me, I just work here

But I wanna fuck you!!!!!

My rights are denied by

Those least qualified

Trading profit for pride

But it's okay

Everything's backwards

In americana my way

Well fuck you

Whoa Whoa Whoa

My nightmare has come true

Whoa Whoa Whoa

My nightmare has come true

Yeah, it's all coming true

Yeah, it's all coming true
Obviously, we haven’t really turned out to be the "America that we originally set out to be." The founding fathers had this idea of greatness, but nowadays when you think of American culture, this song just about says it all. The song came out in 1998 so not much has changed at all. If anything it’s just gotten worse now that we have things like the invasion of Iraq.

"Holiday" – Green Day
Hear the sound of the falling rain

Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)

The shame, the ones who died without a name

Hear the dogs howling out of key

To a hymn called Faith and Misery (Hey!)

And bleed, the company lost the war today

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

On holiday

Hear the drum pounding out of time

Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)

To find, the money's on the other side

Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)

There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)

A gag, A plastic bag on a monument

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

On holiday

hey!(3,4)

The representative from California now has the flooor...

siege Heil to the president gasman,

Bombs away is your punishment!

Pulverize the Eiffel towers,

who criticize your government!

Bang bang goes the broken glass man,

Kill all the fags that don't agree!

Trial by fire, setting fire

It's not a way that's meant for me

Just cause, just cause, because we're outlaws yeah!

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies

This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

This is our lives....On Holiday!

This song talks about our president abuses his powers and will not have anything any other way than his and how war is such a dominant and terrible solution to everything.

"The Hand That Feeds" – Nine Inch Nails
You're keeping in step, in the line.

Got your chin held high and you feel just fine

'Cause you do what you're told

But inside your heart, it is black

And it's hollow and it's cold

Just how deep do you believe?

Will you bite the hand that feeds?

Will you chew until it bleeds?

Can you get up off your knees?

Are you brave enough to see?

Do you wanna change it?

What if this whole crusade's a charade

And behind it all there's a price to be paid

For the blood which we dine

Justified in the name

Of the Holy and the Divine

Just how deep do you believe?

Will you bite the hand that feeds?

Will you chew until it bleeds?

Can you get up off your knees?

Are you brave enough to see?

Do you wanna change it?

So naïve

I keep holding on to what I wanna believe

I can see

But I keep holding on and on and on and on(Repeat x8)

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?

Will you stay down on your knees?
This song was written about how Americans always complain about the terrible things our president has done, (specifically the invasion of Iraq) but do not act or try to change it. I think it really nails a big part of American culture because I myself am a person who complains about issues but never actually tries to find a way to stop it.

"Sleep Now in the Fire" – Rage Against the Machine
The world is my expense

The cost of my desire

Jesus blessed me with its future

And I protect it with fire

So raise your fists

And march around

Just don't take what you need

I'll jail and bury those committed

And smother the rest in greed

Crawl with me into tomorrow

Or I'll drag you to your grave

I'm deep inside your children

They'll betray you in my name

Hey, hey

Sleep now in the fire

Hey, hey

Sleep now in the fire

The lie is my expense

The scope of my desire

The party blessed me with its future

And I protect it with fire

I am the Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria

The noose and the rapist

The fields overseer

The agents of orange

The priests of Hiroshima

The cost of my desire

Sleep now in the fire

Hey, hey

Sleep now in the fire

Hey, hey

Sleep now in the fire

For it's the end of history

It's caged and frozen still

There is no other pill to take

So swallow the one

That made you ill

The Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria

The noose and the rapist

The fields overseer

The agents of orange

The priests of Hiroshima

The cost of my desire

To Sleep now in the fire
This song talks about the terrible things America has done in the past, such as the conquest of Native Americans, slavery, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Agent Orange in the Vietnam war. This song is a prime example that we are not the America we once set out to be.

"…And Justice For All" – Metallica
Halls of Justice Painted Green

Money Talking

Power Wolves Beset Your Door

Hear Them Stalking

Soon You'll Please Their Appetite

They Devour

Hammer of Justice Crushes You

Overpower

The Ultimate in Vanity

Exploiting Their Supremacy

I Can't Believe the Things You Say

I Can't Believe

I Can't Believe the Price You Pay

Nothing Can Save You

Justice Is Lost

Justice Is Raped

Justice Is Gone

Pulling Your Strings

Justice Is Done

Seeking No Truth

Winning Is All

Find it So Grim

So True

So Real

Apathy Their Stepping Stone

So Unfeeling

Hidden Deep Animosity

So Deceiving

Through Your Eyes Their Light Burns

Hoping to Find

Inquisition Sinking You

With Prying Minds

The Ultimate in Vanity

Exploiting Their Supremacy

I Can't Believe the Things You Say

I Can't Believe

I Can't Believe the Price You Pay

Nothing Can Save You

Justice Is Lost

Justice Is Raped

Justice Is Gone

Pulling Your Strings

Justice Is Done

Seeking No Truth

Winning Is All

Find it So Grim

So True

So Real

Lady Justice Has Been Raped

Truth Assassin

Rolls of Red Tape Seal Your Lips

Now You're Done in

Their Money Tips Her Scales Again

Make Your Deal

Just What Is Truth? I Cannot Tell

Cannot Feel

The Ultimate in Vanity

Exploiting Their Supremacy

I Can't Believe the Things You Say

I Can't Believe

I Can't Believe the Price

We Pay

Nothing Can Save Us

Justice Is Lost

Justice Is Raped

Justice Is Gone

Pulling Your Strings

Justice Is Done

Seeking No Truth

Winning Is All

Find it So Grim

So True

So Real

Seeking No Truth

Winning Is All

Find it So Grim

So True

So Real
This song uses some symbolism and depicts a corrupt legal system (America’s). Obviously, having a justice system that is so filled with injustices, is an oxymoron and no the way we originally set out for.