Introduction
Music has always been more than just an art form; it had the power to unite people coming from all sorts of backgrounds. As music developed and became a form of social entertainment, popular performers aimed to deliver personal and political messages through their songs. Rock music, born out of the youth rebellion against authoritative government policies, has become a symbol of protest against police brutality, oppressive regimes, and systematic injustice.
The long and painful history of police brutality
Since the Civil rights movement to Anti-War protests and recent incidents in the US that spread across the globe, the police was always used as a tool to protect the powers-that-be. We should be honest and say that not all members of the police force have a lust for kicking and beating civilians that decided to take their fight to the streets and publicly declare their discontent with how things are being managed. Still, brutal use of force is, almost by rule, the only way the government could get the people out of the streets and take control of public space.
In individual cases, police brutality is often depicted in unjustified use of violent force, disregarding the reasons for such actions. Racial bias is the steppingstone of each generation that triggered numerous cases of unreasonable violence against citizens that simply look suspicious because they have the wrong complexion or a T-shirt that displays a provocative message.
College students are the main driving force behind most protests for social changes. The history of student protests draws back to the time of Robespierre and Garibaldi, who both claimed that social changes can’t occur without the influence of young intellectuals. Some students would take police brutality essays for writing tasks, others prefer active engagement in the streets or through political activism, and then some spend their college days writing rock songs that call to action.
For those about to rock…
The first socially engaged rock songs were a wake-up call to all the young people that both inspired and motivated the youth to challenge authority. This marked Rock music as a catalyst for trouble in the eyes of the system while the younger generation saw music as a way to express their stand. In times of great unrest, when police brutality was at its peak, bands like Black Flag, Rage Against the Machine, punk legends Rancid, and numerous other artists shared their point of view on the unjustified force.
Their message was always the same, despite the time and location, police should defend the people instead of obeying the government and endangering the lives of citizens just to keep the oppressive system intact. The energy and emotions conveyed through sharp lyrics and empowering music, that Rock bands can transmit like no other genre, lift the spirits of the crowd, especially while facing the police cordon.
The lyrical armor
What makes some of the most popular rock anthems such a potent motivator to rise against the force is the fact that these songs are not politically, racially, or any other way oriented so that any free-thinking human could not identify with. The song “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine speaks of racially driven police brutality and the way murders are being justified because they were committed by the police.
An even better example is Michael Jackson with his evergreen hit number “They don’t care about us” where the audience gets a clear message that our differences are just an excuse that police uses to brainwash the public into thinking that some of us deserve to be beaten or treated like violent criminals. The song chorus openly states that such police don’t care about any of the people and that we have to form a unified voice.
Michael’s message draws its authenticity and weight from Martin Nimule’s famous confession “First they came…” that teaches us that systematic oppression can’t be avoided by any group because the goal of every totalitarian regime is absolute power and repression against every group and individual that thinks differently. On the other side, Rock music teaches us to spread our wings and fly as high as we can, fighting off everyone and everything that gets in our way to freedom.
Conclusion
In light of the most recent events and the killing of George Floyd, it’s of utmost importance to remember the lyrics that provide courage to stand strong against police brutality against regular citizens, no matter the gravity of their offense or the color of their skin. There’s a way to deal with those who commit a crime and that way is not beating civilians that demand justice or acting like a judge, jury, and the executioner.
Author Bio:
Jeremy Raynolds is a freelance content writer engaged with several writing agencies and publishers. His work is focused on college lifestyle, music, and politics. As a writer, Jeremy tends to create inspirational and truth-driven content.