Get Up, Stand Up or Shut Up and Dance: An Exploration of Whether We Can Ever Keep Politics Out of Music

Now, you’ve probably not heard, but a gentleman by the name of Ed Sheeran seems to have found himself in the middle of a bit of a brouhaha. Unless you’ve been hiding under a really large rock (and let’s face it, who could blame you?) you will be more than aware of the tale of how Seattle rapper Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s huge US tour, following demands from Massachusetts squillionaire Robert Kraft and, in a show of solidarity, the rest of the support roster decided to leave the tour. The argument centres on Macklemore’s opposition to the Israeli Government’s operations in The West Bank and Gaza, which has been seen by some as antisemitic- particularly given previous accusations of antisemitism when the American rapper dressed up in a costume and prosthetics which he himself described looking like a “Jewish caricature”. Supporters argue that Macklemore is entitled to express his political opinion, especially when it is in support of an oppressed population. Some go as far as to say that musicians and those with a public profile, are obliged to speak up for their beliefs, and to remain silent is to be complicit.

Cards on the table, I value my inbox too much to wade into the argument of whether Ed Sheeran is a patsy for Netenyahu, or Macklemore is a terrible person who should be deplatformed, but I am interested in the argument of whether or not musicians should stick to music and keep out of politics. There is a rich history of politics in music, which arguably dates to the days of wandering minstrels singing songs that would earn them favour with those who would pay them. If you’re singing a song for the King of the day, you better make sure that it paints him in a suitably rosy light. Playwrights also got in on the act, notably Shakespear would regularly be mean about the enemies of the monarch, in order to curry favour. It makes sense in a way; entertainment is escapism, but it also has to have some reflection of reality- in this case, through politics- for people to relate to the themes within.

In the Twentieth Century, the relationship between politics and music continued. Lindy hoppers pushed the boundaries of decency for a conservative and white society. This was perhaps the first time that African American culture broke into the mainstream, laying the foundations on which Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley continued to build. Then Elvis got in on the act and, rather than just being a pale pastiche of what had gone before, he continued to push those social boundaries. Music has continued to play an important part in racial cohesion and has led to amazing fusions of cultures and styles. As well as Elvis, The Beatles and The Stones borrowed heavily from different parts of the world, and this continued through punk, two tone, house music, nu metal... This intertwining of cultures is perhaps one of the most political aspects of music, bringing nations together rather than building walls between them.

This maybe doesn’t quite address the issue though, these were all examples of music itself doing the heavy lifting, rather than musicians explicitly stating their politics- either through lyrics, or the things they say when they’re not singing. The American civil rights movement was often represented in music, particularly (certainly at first) by artists of colour. Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’, John Coltrane’s ‘Alabama’ (written following the murder of four young black girls when a Baptist church was bombed) and the incredible ‘Mississippi Goddam’ by Nina Simone are powerful reminders of the struggles and injustices faced by African Americans in mid-Century America. When it came to actually speaking (rather than singing) Frank Sinatra famously refused to play hotels in segregated cities if Sammy Davis Jr wasn’t allowed to stay. Whilst times may have a’changed, racism continues to be a societal disease and so music continues to be used as a way to challenge it. Bob Vylan’s visceral ‘We Live Here’ is one of the most thought-provoking pieces on modern racism that you could wish to hear, and Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’ is always worth a listen.

It’s generally thought that musicians (and creatives in general) are more likely to be left leaning, and there’s plenty of evidence of this in the causes that musicians choose to champion. The Red Wedge was a particularly famous example in the mid-1980s, where musicians including Paul Weller, Kirsty Macoll, Jimmy Somerville and Billy Bragg attempted to push young voters towards Labour (who went on to lose by a landslide). But surely not all musicians are lefties? Eric Clapton famously went on an incredibly ill-conceived anti-black rant on stage one time, although he later apologised and blamed it on the pesky heroin. The Beatles were loud opponents of the British tax system, as was Rod Stewart. Stewart went as far as to emigrate to the USA in the 1970s to avoid tax and then went on record as saying there were too many immigrants in the UK. He’s also recently expressed support for Nigel Farage, which has led to a few raised eyebrows, to say the least. The Who’s Roger Daltrey was a keen proponent of Brexit and has never hidden his political light under a bushel- often criticising figures on the left.

Further to the right, there is a long history of white supremacy and pro racist music. Johnny Rebel sang in support of the Ku Klux Klan, The Confederacy and segregation, in the late 60s, frequently using the N word- just reading the song titles within his discography is enough to make an unsuspecting researcher shiver. Skrewdriver became the first major white power rock band, but many have followed in their footsteps- Rock Against Communism was formed in response to Rock Against Racism, and organised events involving white supremacy music. Hate Music, Skinhead Rock and National Socialist Black metal continue to be thriving scenes in certain dark corners, and Morrissey is probably muttering something on the subject as well.

As material wealth has increased over the past two centuries, people have been able to shift their attentions towards post-materialist concerns- such as the environment, racial and gender equality and sexuality. Culture wars have abounded, further concerns have been added- gender identity, immigration, freedom of speech; it’s no surprise that these are themes raised in music and by musicians. One of the most unfortunate aspects of culture wars is their binary nature- if I don’t say anything in opposition to something, then I must be a flag waving supporter of whatever that something is. Of course, life is actually nuanced- I might agree with elements of each argument, or I may not feel moved to have an opinion. I do have strong opinions on some things though, and when a musician says something that I don’t agree with, it’s tempting to shout out that they should stick to the music and keep out of politics. Some might argue that it’s not a Massachusetts squillionaire’s place to talk about politics either, and that maybe they should just stick to running stadia. That seems unfair though; we’re all allowed to post our political views on social media, and have robust conversations with those we disagree with- does a musician’s job exclude them from this? Or maybe, they should be expected to (or at least we should accept that they will) use their platform to push for change. The world seems in a pretty grim state, and listening to the points of view of others, even if we don’t agree, will help us to understand our fellow humans and maybe not try to kill each other. This may lead to some pretty unpalatable choices- can we separate the art from the artist? It’s all down to the listener who must weigh their feelings about the music, against their feelings about the artist’s viewpoint. There will be some bands that I could never listen to in all good conscience, and maybe I’m missing out on some great music, but I think I can live with that. What I couldn’t live with is creativity being stifled because someone believes that musicians should stick to music and keep their nose out of politics.

Words - Jon Stokes