Songs referencing police/state brutality

cozski

Hey, I'm planning to do a radio show slot focusing on songs that directly reference events related to police and state brutality. I was hoping to get a mixture of songs from any genre but I thought the punk/alt/rock/folk genres would be a richer vein to puncture. Has anybody got any suggestions... and a brief back story or link to somewhere I can read about it.... so it would be much more preferable if the song referenced real rather than imagined events.

Any contributions appreciated.... and thanks in advance.

MightyMighty737

It's weird, I should be able to think of loads, but at the moment the only songs relating to the boys in blue I can think of look very positively at them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcGwZIBrds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj42W4wNnBQ

Not exactly what you're looking for but hey ho.

Billy Mays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PScmRiaZhwk

Brunteaphile

You should really do your own research ye lazy git!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dbCeagk4NI

cozski

Yeah, er... I'm not expecting you to do research... just voluntarily offer a few suggestions... but that's cool if you don't want to. Thanks for the suggestion... by the way.

bassey

Police story by The Partisans

dregin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyEM2WAi14M

K.Flyer

You CANNOT do a Radio Slot of Police Brutality without playing the ultimate Classic of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Sonny's Lettah.

LKJ-Sonny's Lettah (Anti-Sus Poem), Iron Bar Dub, Making History, New Crass Massahkah (Mix) Pure Epic!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zBCFLEkjpc

anti-venom

Angelic Upstarts - Who killed Liddle / Police Oppression

Force or service? - Conflict

ACAB - 4 Skins

Amongst the thugs - Condemned 84

Sids Not

Anti flag..Police story
The Filaments..Bastard Coppers
Cockney Rejects..police car..
Oi Polloi...Pigs for slaughter

Cee-Jay-Cee

Dead Kennedys - Police Truck
The Clash - I fought the Law
Conflict - Force or Service
The Exploited - S.P.G.
The Exploited - Cop Cars
The Exploited - Son of a Copper
Oi Polloi - Thugs in uniform
The Partisan - Police Story
Cockney Rejects - Police car
Discharge - State Violence/State Control

cozski

Holy Sh*t! Thanks for all those suggestions! I knew there had to be a good few out there but there's definitely a few new ones on me. I really appreciate the suggetions... one of the things I've noticed though is that many of them are from a different era, so to speak. I was wondering if the improved communications opportunites has actually led to less songs of this nature being made... I doubt most people, even contemporaneously, would have been that familiar with the events surrounding the Liddel Towers song by the Upstarts, or Police Story by the Partisans... but in this era of Global protest and the ability to share information so rapidly you might expect this to provide bands/songwriters with a wealth of material. I know there's probably plenty of punk bands still highlighting all sorts of injusitces, state and police violence, but are these getting out to a wider audience than before because of the communication possibilites... makes me wonder. As a Chumbabwamba fan I can still take some comfort from the fact that they're still the standard bearers for political songs with a big 'P'. Thanks again for the posts.....

Cee-Jay-Cee

I dont have a lot of interest in any of the current punk bands and would only know the names of a handful of bands let alone any of their songs/music. I got into punk in the early/mid 80's and so all of the punk music i would have been (and still am to a certain extent) into is from the 70's 80's and 90's so unfortunately i dont know any newer material which might be relevant to the police.

Sids Not

CJC999 wrote: »

I dont have a lot of interest in any of the current punk bands and would only know the names of a handful of bands let alone any of their songs/music. I got into punk in the early/mid 80's and so all of the punk music i would have been (and still am to a certain extent) into is from the 70's 80's and 90's so unfortunately i dont know any newer material which might be relevant to the police.

There are no punk bands anymore...............:D:pac:

suspectdevice

one dead cop - leftover crack
burn them prisons - leftover crack


as matter of fact anything by choking victim, loc, stza crack, against all authority - songs like wet foot policy

PolarBearClub

No one has yet mentioned Propagandhi, who has to be the best political punk band currently going.

Any number of their songs could be worth using.

Dord

The Offspring - L.A.P.D.

It's about the L.A. riots in '92

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj8-Pp8ox18

Also, another one I can think of is Screeching Weasel - Police Insanity

bohspunks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3tjXt5FR9o

robocop is innocent about the Garda riot on may Day in dublin

the band arent alcoholics though this is how the video description has them.;)

NecroSteve

Section 4 - Store St. Murder Station

http://section4.bandcamp.com/track/store-st-murder-station

Sids Not

Take yer pick.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_punk_songs