Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest

Get Up, Stand Up was produced as an investigation and a celebration to show that pop music can be much more than simply "popular" music. Using songs as punctuation, the film chronicles the way music has been used to convey social dissatisfaction, from highlighting labour unrest to denouncing terrorist attacks. It traces the birth of protest songs back to the American union movement and explores the impact of pop culture in politicising the baby boomer generation during the Vietnam era. It explores how musicians in the United States have taken on larger and larger issues in countries such as Bangladesh and Tibet. According to the programme website, benefit concerts and individual hit songs, including Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas" and USA for Africa's "We Are the World," raised millions while capturing the attention of billions worldwide.

The Get Up, Stand Up website offers additional background information about protest music. Five songs that have been considered protest music are examined, discussing the individuals who wrote them and why they can be considered 'revolutionary.' The website provides information and video clips to explore some of the key historical events that inspired some of the music, and to offer readers the opportunity to share their own thoughts about the issues raised by each.

• Great Depression
• U.S. Labour Movement
• Civil Rights
• Vietnam
• Birth of Bangladesh
• Apartheid
• Central American Wars
• Ethiopian Famine
• War in Iraq

Resources are also available outlining more about the strategy of using music for protest.

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