- Opinion
- 20 Oct 16
With the last of the presidential debates finally behind us, now seems as good a time as any to go back and look at the many anti-Trump protest songs that have come out of the woodwork during the American election. From YG and Nipsey Hussle not mincing words with their song “Fuck Donald Trump,” to Aimee Mann’s quieter but all the more damming digs at Trump’s sanity, these past few months have inspired many artists to come forward and speak out against Trump. Here’s just a few.
Eminem- “Campaign Speech”
Eminem came back in full swing yesterday with a nearly eight minute rant against not only against Donald Trump, but other controversial figures such as George Zimmerman. Though the track is mostly Eminem expressing his anger in true Eminem fashion, he also does put an emphasis on how dangerous a Trump presidency would be, with “Consider me a dangerous man/But you should be afraid of this dang candidate/You say Trump don't kiss ass like a puppet/‘Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin’/And that's what you wanted/A fuckin' loose cannon who's blunt with his hand on the button/who doesn't have to answer to no one - great idea!”
Franz Ferdinand- “Demagogue”
Advertisement
Franz Ferdinand didn’t waste any time going after Trump for his notorious comments from 2005 about sexually harassing women, with their sharpest lyric: “From the Wall straight to La Quenta/Those pussy-grabbing fingers won't let go of me now.”
Swet Shop Boys- "T5"
Swet Shop Boys debuted their first album, Cashmere last week, with many tracks about the Muslim experience in both England and America. The video here for their single "T5" begins with a news soundbite about Trump's demand that all Muslims submit to a test to prove their American loyalty. Riz MC, also an actor known in America for his starring role on the crime drama "The Night Of," bites back with the line "Trump wants my exit, but if you push the red button to watch Netflix, bruv, I'm on."
Death Cab for Cutie- "Million Dollar Loan"
Advertisement
Taking a stab at Trump's business history, Death Cab released a lyric video featuring silhouettes of Trump surrounded by falling cash.
R.E.M- "World Leader Pretend (live version)"
The song was initially released in 1988, and yet it rings all too true for the 2016 American election. R.E.M released this new live version as part of the "30 Songs, 30 Days for a Trump-Free America" project.
YG and Nipsey Hussle- "FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)"
Though the song itself is one of the angriest anti-Trump anthems, the video starts off with silence, as the text across the screen calls upon the young people of America to register to vote, saying "The next leader of America will be a most pivotal president... Register ASAP and choose wisely." From then on, though, the song doesn't hold back, as it goes straight into its chorus of "Fuck Donald Trump." A must listen for anyone needing to blow off some election-season steam.
Advertisement
Aimee Mann- "Can't You Tell?"
While it doesn't express the same blatant frustration as the other songs on this playlist, this one might be the most scathing, as Mann gets into Trump's head with such lyrics as "Isn’t anybody going to stop me?/I don’t want this job /I can’t do this job, my god/Can’t you tell/I’m unwell." Confronting questions about Trump's sanity while also articulating the notion that this campaign is even out of Trump's control, Mann creates an indie ballad that has the potential to push more of Trump's buttons than even Eminem can.
Rocky Mountain Mike, 'Mr. Tangerine Man'
This parody of 'Mr. Tambourine Man' stabs at the man's skin tone, which happens to have the same hue as Florida's favourite citrus. The band questions the mentality of Trump supporters, "Hey, Mr. Tangerine man, build a wall for me/I'm not that bright and don't know that you're not going to". Other political parodies feature on the band's album Politically Incoherent.
Stay tuned for more of these as the election continues. You can also keep track of the afore-mentioned "30 Days, 30 Songs" project at www.30days30songs.com, for a daily anti-Trump anthem.