Songs that reference historical events/figures

[jpgretzky15]

What are some songs about historical events and figures? I know We Didn't Start The Fire is an obvious choice, but that is way too diverse. I want each song to be about a different event.

I'm thinking songs like Strung Out- Jackie-O. About Jackie Kennedy.

Any others?

[Serenity]

The Postal Service - Sleeping In has a JFK assassination reference...

[yourneck]

Sufjan Stevens mentions Abe Lincoln once or twice on Illinois.
Rage Against the Machine talks about Fred Hampton on 'Down Rodeo', dunno if that really counts.

[imirish06]

do song titles count?

moneen - nobody tells locke what to do

u2 - sunday bloody sunday

[imirish06]

at the drive in - in valid leter dept.!

[El_Jeffe]

herbs - french letter (about staying nuclear free)

[goyoyofosoco]

"Sleeping In" - The Postal Service



Maybe not what you're looking for, but... I gave it a shot.



It's too early for me to be thinking.

[Rock]

john mellencamp - jackie O

[Alex DiVincenzo]

Both about Kennedy:

Alexisonfire - The Kennedy Curse
Misfits - Bullet

[jpgretzky15]

Sufjan Stevens mentions Abe Lincoln once or twice on Illinois.
Rage Against the Machine talks about Fred Hampton on 'Down Rodeo', dunno if that really counts.

Sufjan! nice picks there. Illinois is a perfect "history" album. I'm a history major and I'm gonna do a little presentation for one of my classes with songs that include historical references.

[fiddypercent]

streetlight manifesto - here's to life (camus, hemingway, van gogh)
sufjan stevens - john wayne gacy, jr. (you never said that had to be good people)

[Neo Cassady]

streetlight manifesto - here's to life (camus, hemingway, van gogh)
sufjan stevens - john wayne gacy, jr. (you never said that had to be good people)

:appl: both AMAZING songs.

[El_Jeffe]

hepcat - marcus garvey

[Chris Fallon]

"Heaven Runs on Oil" by Nightmare of You is about the war in Iraq. I know there are a lot of songs about WWII out there. I just gotta find 'em.

[saysmydoctor]

Civil War - Guns and Roses

I listened to it US History as a precursor to some things we would be studying.

[loudermilk]

Spanish Bombs - the Clash
the Spanish Civil War

Vincent - Don McLean
Vincent Van Gogh

[Broken Parachute]

Catch 22 - Permanent Revolution

The whole album is about Leon Trotsky and the Marxists.

[invudreamergirl]

The Same Fire by Bishop Allen

[kaskomm09]

3eb - Anything

"Jackie O" would of course be Jackie Onassis Kennedy

[rocktometal]

neither are rock songs, but...
ira hayes by johnny cash
about the n. american whose helped raise the flag at iwo jima (flags of our fathers)
buffaloe soldier by bod marley
about african americans

[FOBPrettyNPunk]

Descendents - 'Merican.

[CorporateFish]

Say Anything's "Alive With The Glory Of Love" is fairly historical.

[the_pro]

Say Anything's "Alive With The Glory Of Love" is fairly historical.

This song is about detainees at the Triblinka concentration camp during Hitler's rule. I thought it was kinda funny because as a joke I dedicated it to my g/f and then I realized it's true meaning... I guess I won't be telling her what it's really about.

[lordflashdance]

Sufjan! nice picks there. Illinois is a perfect "history" album. I'm a history major and I'm gonna do a little presentation for one of my classes with songs that include historical references.

do you have a copy of that paper, im doing something similar and im kindof at a roadblock

[undonesweater93]

Hypnotize - System of a Down

[Iwudstilldie4u]

Kill Hannah - Kennedy
Relient k - Pleading the Fifth

[forget_december]

"bonzo goes to bitburg (my brain is hanging upside down)" by the ramones is about ronald reagan.

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/118966/

[mar_]

James K. Polk by They Might Be Giants is about James K. Polk. It's how I managed to remember what he did in American History with manifest destiny and everything. And that he was only on for one term. But I suppose you could use TMBG to teach a history class practically.

[jpgretzky15]

Any others? I'm now a history teacher, and I'm using the following songs for a lesson tomorrow. The songs may not all reference a specific historical event, but they include references to war/mistrust in govt today.

The Clash - Spanish Bombs
Nightmare of You - Heaven Runs on Oil
No Use For A Name - Biggest Lie
Bad Religion - Let Them Eat War
Strung Out - Jackie-O
Billy Joel - We Didnt Start the Fire
AGainst Me - White People for Peace
Catch 22- The Purge 1936

ANy more?

[NicoleMariex3]

U2 - Pride in The Name Of Love

[can't_slow_down]

The Priest and the Matador - Senses Fail

It has William Tell references, was the first song that came to mind.

[Anderson]

Abba - Waterloo

[MADSTA]

Abba - Ra Ra Rasputin

[Anderson]

Abba - Ra Ra Rasputin
Boney M.

kvDMlk3kSYg

[MADSTA]

Abba covered it though, didn't they?

[squared82]

Five Iron Frenzy has a couple of songs about Native Americans. "Banner Year" in particular

[joexfm]

"Sadie" by Alkaline Trio

references to the Charles Manson and Susan Atkins murders

[Twikki]

conor oberst - lenders in a temple

references joan of arc and the ides of march

[ryanisarealboy]

bright eyes - napoleon's hat
napoleon, dr. robert oppenheimer, hitler/nazis, mozart and even hurricane katrina as a whole (concept wise)

my chemical romance - skylines and turnstiles is about 9/11

gatsby's american dream - pomeii -about mt. vesuvius

gaslight anthem - once upon a time - about soul singers/mlk jr.

[mmmmmpoetry]

bob dylan period...

[makeshiftmind]

Best Friends Forever - Eisenhower is the Father

[Misstamara]

Oli Sykes <3

[kanyewong]

Paul Revere- Beastie Boys

[nivek87]

Bob Dylan - Hurricane
Bruce Springsteen - 41 Shots (American Skin)

[bigcitydreamsxx]

We Didn't Start the Fire by Bily Joel. haha