For me, Piano Man by Billy Joel is a perfect example of a song about the working class without it being communist or anything.
It’s just a song about the regular people at the bar, from all walks of life. A bar is one of the quintessential working class symbols around here in my opinion, and the songs perfectly captures the joys and the loneliness one may find in a bar. The drunks, the people remembering the old days, the party folks, etc. all coming together to have a laugh, a drink and a song. It’s such a cliche song but it always makes me emotional lol.
You guys got any suggestions?
Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Its messaging is extremely pro-proletarian, the main characters are quintessential working class stand-ins, and the song urges that no matter how much the world or system pushes down on us, that we have to hold strong with those we love and our communities in order for everyone to make it through. Heck, the first line of the song is literally about a man being on strike from his labour job.
Man I never thought about the song in that way lol. There’s so much main stream songs that carry a socialist sentiment despite it not being the intention. Turns out people make music for the people.
Exactly! The context of the song also makes it significantly more poignant, as according to Bon Jovi the song focused on the people he saw everyday in his small industrial hometown who were being crushed by the horrible economic decisions of the Reagan era in the name of capitalism.
Music is by the people, for the people. Always has been and always will, as music is a testament to the human spirit.
I’d like to add Mr. Brightside. Play this anywhere and everyone in the whole bar will start a riot.
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St Peter don’t you call me cause I can’t go/I owe my soul to the company store
I also really like The Workers Song by The Longest Johns
Also shoutout to the Dutch hiphop scene: Fresku, Hef, Adje, Crooks, Feis, Broederliefde, Kevin, Sevn, Josylvio, Kempi, Mocromaniac etc. Music from the streets is music for the people.
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Love me some good old country
Has to be “9 to 5”, hands down
Hudsonville MI 1956 by la dispute. I love this band w/ my whole heart. I’d consider most of their music something like cerebral proletarian music but not communist, especially the Rooms of the House album.
Hudsonville MI 1956 is a story about a woman and her child being separated from her husband while he works at a furniture mill 300 miles away to support them, all the while a devastating storm is gathering. The couple can’t get ahold of each other and it feels utterly apocalyptic outside. It’s such a human song.
The Peronist anthem, really rad song.
LOS MUCHACHOS PERONISTAAAAS
TODOS UNIDOS TRIUNFAEEMOOOOOS
Y TODOS JUNTOS DAREMOOOOOOS
UN GRITO DE CORAZOOOOONVIVA PERON VIVA PERON
9-5ers anthem by Aesop Rock or maybe the waitress by atmosphere. This whole thread is gold.
This guy’s politics are trash now, but he did do some great songs in the 80s:
Cheating a bit, but: Dropkick Murphys - James Connelly
Damn, that’s good.
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Not sure if this quite fits but I love the track Question Time by Dave. Its just like a 7 minute long rant about how the UK sucks ass. He delves into NHS funding, British imperialism and the Grenfell tower fire. Banging tune. Not really certain what his politics are these days but I love me some Dave, one of the best rappers out there right now
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Common People by Pulp
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
