Here are 10 songs that have a pro-liberty message, with or without you having noticed so far:
Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
Yes we know, when we think pro-liberty activism, it’s certainly not Miley Cyrus we think of. Bear with me though, because willingly or not, ‘We Can’t Stop’ is an interesting ‘mind your own business’ anthem.
The refrain, with it’s granted simplicity, asserts:
“It’s our party we can love who we want
We can see who we want”
It continues with an even more valuable point on property rights and that own yourself:
“It’s our party we can do what we want to
It’s our house we can love who we want to
It’s our song we can sing if we want to
It’s my mouth I can say what I want to yea, yea, yeah”
Green Day – Minority
In this song, Green Day takes on quite a few things which are dear to the United States, for instance by “pledging allegiance” to the underworld or by mentioning “One nation under dog”. More heart-opening to libertarians though is the refrain, which goes as follows:
“‘Cause I want to be the minority
I don’t need your authority
Down with the moral majority
‘Cause I want to be the minority”
We feel you.
Rush – The Trees
Rush is kind of a no-brainer when it comes to libertarian music, notably because drummer Neil Pear hasn’t made a secret out of being an objectivist. The band’s 1976 album 2112 was even dedicated to “the genius of Ayn Rand.” “The Trees” (1978) is no exception to this trend, mocking socialism and trade union movements, leading up to this damning conclusion:
“So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
‘The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light’
Now there’s no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw”
The Beatles – The Taxman
The Beatles are clearly awesome all by themselves, but “The Taxman” definitely has every libertarian getting shiny eyes. George Harrison takes the piss out of tax collectors, by cynically singing “Should five per cent appear too small, Be thankful I don’t take it all”. The song’s refrain observes how literally all aspects of our daily lives are being taxed, before the song ends on:
“Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman
And you’re working for no one but me.”
Pharrell Williams – Freedom
Just as happy as in his other signature song, is Pharrell Williams’ music video for his song “Freedom”. The video features resistance to oppression, the Tank Man from the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and anti-war figure Muhammad Ali.
The Who – Going Mobile
The Who’s “Going Mobile” is a beautiful plea for freedom of movement.
“Watch the police and the taxman miss me!
I’m mobile! Oh yeah he he
Mobile, mobile, mobile, yeah”
The Alan Parsons Project- Eye in the Sky
This 1982 song can easily been seen as a depressing interpretation for government surveillance and control.
“I am the eye in the sky, looking at you
I can read your mind
I am the maker of rules, dealing with fools
I can cheat you blind”
Grace – You Don’t Own Me ft. G-Eazy
I think it’s safe to say that Grace definitely didn’t have self-ownership that sense in mind, but hey, we let’s just imagine she was talking about government here, shall we?
“Don’t tell me what to do
And don’t tell me what to say
Please, when I go out with you
Don’t put me on display”
Rage Against The Machine – Killing In the Name
Maybe not the best communication strategy in terms of advocacy for the ideas of liberty, but the message is on point regardless. It’s definitely the 16-line refrain of “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” that did it for me.
Salt-n-Pepa – None of your business
Again, pretty sure the message isn’t intentionally libertarian, yet we can still be humming to it, thinking Salt-n-Pepa meant the government here.
Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash