what are some songs that pretain to history?

Answer 1

"American Pie" by Don McLean.

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

"...The song is an allusive history of rock and roll that starts with the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson Jr. (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in 1959, and ends in 1970."

It was believed that the name of the plane that crashed was "American Pie" but it later turned out that the plane didn't really have a name, only it's registration number on the tail. As noted in the article the lyrics have been widely debated but it's clear to all that "The day the music died" refers to the day that Don was delivering papers as he did during his youth and he opened up a stack of papers to see that the 3 had died, inspiring him to write the song.

Answer 2

Songs which make many references to different historical events:

A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission) by Simon & Garfunkel (1965)

American Pie by Don McLean (1971)

It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. (1987)

One Week by Barenaked Ladies (1998)

Soldiers by Girlyman (2005)

Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones (1968)

Washington Bullets by The Clash (1980)

We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel (1989)

Waterloo by ABBA (1974)



Songs which mainly cover one historical event:

All For You, Sophia by Franz Ferdinand (2004)

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Buffy Sainte-Marie

The Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914) by The Zombies (1968)

Chicago by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
In response to the riots in Chicago in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention.

Children's Crusade by Sting (1985)

Holland, 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by The Four Lads (later covered by They Might Be Giants) (1953)

My Little Shirtwaist Fire by Rasputina (1996)
The song is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by The Band (1969)
About the American Civil War.

Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
A response to the Kent State shootings in May of that year.

P.L.U.C.K. by System Of A Down (1998)
The song is about the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

Pride (In The Name Of Love) by U2 (1984)
About Martin Luther King, Jr., and specifically references his assassination in 1968.

Rock The Casbah by The Clash (1982)

Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple (1973)
About a 1971 fire that destroyed a casino complex in Montreux, Switzerland, including a studio where the band was set to record an album.

When The Tigers Broke Free by Pink Floyd - (World War II)

Answer 3

Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, about the Kent State shootings
Great analysis of the lyrics here: http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/ohio.htm

Death of Emmitt Till and Only a Pawn in their Game, both by Bob Dylan. Both about two high profile murders during the height of the civil rights movement. Great background on these songs here: http://www.africanamericans.com/BobDylanProtestSongs.htm

"I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" by Country Joe McDonald, one of the catchiest Vietnam protest songs written. The story behind the Rag is here: http://www.countryjoe.com/rag.htm

Tom Lehrer was a comedian who wrote all kinds of songs for a show called "That Was The Week That Was" (kind of the Daily Show or Colbert Report of its day). Recommedned tracks are "Who's Next?" and "We Will All Go Together When We Go," both songs about nuclear proliferation; and "Pollution." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Was_The_Year_That_Was

Answer 4

They Might be Giants: Road to Berlin, Kiss me Son of God, James K Polk, Istanbul not Constantinople

Elton John: Goodbye England's Rose

Frances Scott Key: Star Spangled Banner

Billy Joel: We Didn't Start the Fire

REM: It's the End of the World as We Know it, and I feel fine

Paper Lace: The Night Chicago Died

Dixie

Answer 5

Songs which make many references to different historical events
"A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)" by Simon and Garfunkel (1965)
"American Pie" by Don McLean (1971)
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M. (1987) (Point of interest: both "A Simple Desultory Philippic..." and "It's the End of the World..." mention comedian Lenny Bruce.)
"One Week" by Barenaked Ladies (1998)
"Soldiers" by Girlyman (2005)
"Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones (1968)
"Washington Bullets" by The Clash (1980)
"We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel (1989)
"Waterloo" by ABBA (1974)
[edit]
Songs which mainly cover one historical event
"All For You, Sophia" by Franz Ferdinand (2004)
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" by Buffy Sainte-Marie - Wounded Knee
"The Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)" by The Zombies (1968)
"Chicago" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970) In response to the riots in Chicago in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention
"Children's Crusade" by Sting (1985) [1]
"Holland, 1945" by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by The Four Lads (later covered by They Might Be Giants) (1953)
"My Little Shirtwaist Fire" by Rasputina (1996)
The song is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911.
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band (1969)
About the American Civil War.
"Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
A response to the Kent State shootings in May of that year.
"P.L.U.C.K." by System of a Down (1998)
The song is about the Armenian Genocide in 1915.
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2 (1984)
About Martin Luther King, Jr., and specifically references his assassination in 1968.
"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash (1982)
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (1973)
About a 1971 fire that destroyed a casino complex in Montreux, Switzerland, including a studio where the band was set to record an album.
"When The Tigers Broke Free" by Pink Floyd - (World War II)
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot
The Battle of New Orleans by Jimmy Driftwood

Answer 6

U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and The Cranberries' "Zombie."

Both refer to periods of violence in Northern Ireland called "The Troubles," occuring during the 20th century. Specifically, the "Bloody Sunday" conflicts of 1920 and 1972 (U2 song) and the Easter Revolution of 1916 (Cranberries song).

Answer 7

Walk like an Egyptian

Answer 8

the green beret. vietnam war songs.

Answer 9

8th of November by Big & Rich.

Answer 10

"We Didn't Start the Fire" Billy Joel