Was always a great song in its own right.

As it happens, today on the radio I heard Dylan's superb Hurricane (coincidence as I'm going through a Dylan phase).

And I thought - I loved both those tracks but I did fuck all for either Nelson or Ruben Carter.

And look what happened to me. I found myself similarly persecuted and locked up.
Both lyrics mean a great deal more to me now.
I do hope all those listening to equivalent sounds these days don't find their lack of activity provokes bad karma.

"Protest" songs are so important.
I bet there is not one person who has listened to a singer complain about a situation, turn deaf ears and then later revisit the song and say "hang on, they were right."
Dylans "The Hurricane", is such a great example of bringing a case to peoples ears via music.
Had he not written it so graphically and been more cryptic , say as Mcleans "American Pie" was, it would have been a lot more huge in it`s status.
What is also interesting in Dylans writing here is that he went straight for throat as he himself is often guilty(sic) of skirting around a subject to fit a melody.
Jerry Dammers , with his Nelson Mandela song, also told it exactly as it was and people for a while sang, what to them was just a hook line without realising they were in fact part of a campaign.

Music has such incredible powers.

Why don`t we all do a Ban the TV day and just listen to what people sing to us?

(hmm, maybe because we would go all Emo.........)

JK2006 wrote:
Was always a great song in its own right.

As it happens, today on the radio I heard Dylan's superb Hurricane (coincidence as I'm going through a Dylan phase).

And I thought - I loved both those tracks but I did fuck all for either Nelson or Ruben Carter.

And look what happened to me. I found myself similarly persecuted and locked up.
Both lyrics mean a great deal more to me now.
I do hope all those listening to equivalent sounds these days don't find their lack of activity provokes bad karma.
Although you have done "fuck all" thankfully plenty of people did and some of those were introduced/inspired by the songs.

From experience I know the Mandela song created a focal point and a good way to remind without hectoring.

Before the song, almost nobody knew who Nelson Mandela was.

When the single was released, it was the high time of marketing gimmicks. And many DJs / music journalists etc. were searching inside the cover for their free Nelson Mandela.

DJones wrote:
Before the song, almost nobody knew who Nelson Mandela was.

When the single was released, it was the high time of marketing gimmicks. And many DJs / music journalists etc. were searching inside the cover for their free Nelson Mandela.


When I hear "Free Nelson Mandela" I mentally add "...in every box".

I have no soul

I was boringly politically aware at the time of original release and found it very odd hearing his name being sung by people that knew or cared nothing of the subject.
They were odd days really.
Everybody protested about everything and had a party whilst doing so.

Only a couple of years earlier, it was difficult to find a gap between the protest groups.
We started marching to Hyde Park in about `78, with the Rock Against Racism people, were asked to join the Communist party on the way, ended up walking along with the original Gay Pride people and then finally ended up with the CND!

All I really remember that was important at the time is that the Clash played!

I have to ask...Is the power of music so strong it freed Mandela?

And I tell you what I believe, it played a very large part indeed.

Yes Mart, you are right. There is a very strong link between the song and the changing attitude of the british society -especially the Tories - to Mandela and his gang of terrorists, the ANC.

The message is even reaching the Americans:

"Today the United States moved closer at last to removing the great shame of dishonoring this great leader by including him on our government's terror watch list," said Senator John Kerry.

The bill now heads to the White House, where it is expected to be signed by President George W. Bush in time for the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner's 90th birthday on July 18."