Protest Songs (One Songwriter's Response to the Toronto G20)

Any event that triggers strong emotion is excellent material for songwriting.

When our heart is touched deeply by an event, either in our own relationships or the wider world, we can come to understand that experience more deeply through any form of artistic creativity.

Exploring a serious topical subject in a song can do several positive things.

Writing a song can help us tune into the emotional heart of the subject (which varies from person to person)...thus clarifying our own values and beliefs. This is a healthy thing to do, especially when the subject can seem overwhelming. (These two songs were inspired by events that took place at the recent G20 Summit in Toronto. For additional background on what happened and its implications, watch this video and read this op-ed piece written by a Conservative MPP.)

Writing a song can give us a sense of agency and self-determination, allowing us to "change the things we can" (in the words of the Serenity Prayer) when there are so many things we can't.

Finally, writing a song can allow us to share our deepest feelings with others in a way that promotes healing and community...and can educate others about subjects that might not be well-covered in traditional media. If a song influences even a few people, it can be a force of change.

(While I was writing this entry, I received an email update from David Rovics, who is a tireless writer of modern protest songs, chronicling many stories of human concern. Also, Greg Quill wrote an insightful column in the Toronto Star recently about the state of protest songs today.)

This Sufi wisdom sits above my desk: "You are sharing in the totality of [cosmic] pain. You are called upon to meet it in joy instead of self-pity. The secret is to offer your heart as a vehicle to transform cosmic suffering into joy."

Seen in this light, "topical" songs or even "protest" songs might more accurately be seen as "healing" songs: songs that arise as a result of pain, confusion, violence or fear...but that attempt to move people (starting with the songwriter) to greater peace, understanding, reconciliation or purpose.

The process of songwriting allows us to start with dissonance and create harmony...to experience tension but to move toward resolution.

Songs can teach us that such transformation is possible.