List of songs about animal rights

Animal rights has been a subject of both popular and independent music since the 1970s.[1] Associated with the environmentalist musical counterculture of the previous decade, animal rights songs of the 1970s were influenced by the passage of animal protection laws and the 1975 book Animal Liberation.[1] Paul McCartney has cited John Lennon's Bungalow Bill, released in 1968, as among the first animal rights songs.[2]

Popular themes include anti-whaling (prompted by the Save the Whales movement),[1][3][4] opposition to hunting, animal testing and vegetarianism.[5] Bullfighting has been a prominent theme in Spain and some Latin American countries; while folk and pop music have traditionally identified with bullfighting traditions, several ska, rock and punk groups have emerged which oppose them.[6]

Anarcho-punk and veganism have a long association dating back to the 1980s.[5] During this period, American hardcore punk and straight edge scenes became increasingly concerned with animal rights, spawning the vegan straight edge and hardline punk ideologies.[7][8] An increase in Animal Liberation Front activism in the 1990s corresponded with the rise of vegan straight edge and hardline bands.[9][10] The more peaceful Krishnacore subgenre, which also advocates vegetarianism and animal rights, developed around this time too.[11] The association between punk subculture and animal rights has continued in the 21st century, with vegan punk festivals including Fluff Fest in the Czech Republic and Verdurada in Brazil.[8][12]

List of songs about animal rights

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Song Artist Album Themes Year Language Ref.
"Instinctive Fact" Celestial Dreams Single Cruelty to animals, anti-hunting, anti-animal blood sports, anti-animal testing 2023 English
"All the Good Girls Go to Hell" Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Climate change 2019 English [13]
"40-year old Vegan" Chokeules Stay Up Veganism 2014 English [14]
"A Life Embossed" Protest the Hero Volition Opposition to legislations against specific dog breeds 2013 English [15]
"Acà toro" Punkreas Paranoia e potere Anti-bullfighting 1995 Italian [16]
"Animal Grace" Laura Nyro Angel in the Dark Animal rights 2001 English [17]
"Animal Kingdom" Prince The Truth Veganism 1998 English [18][19]
"Animal Liberation" Los Fastidios Guardo avanti Anti-animal testing, direct action 2001 Italian and English [20][21]
"As Long As It Tastes Good" Acerbic Wit Single Turning a blind eye to animal cruelty 2022 English
"Beat the Meat" Good Clean Fun On the Streets Saving the Scene From the Forces of Evil Vegetarianism 2000 English [22]
"Behind the Mask" Goldfinger Disconnection Notice Animal rights activism, veganism 2005 English [23]
"Blood Sports" The Style Council "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" Anti-hunting, anti-animal blood sports 1985 English [24]
"Cats and Dogs" Gorilla Biscuits Start Today Speciesism 1989 English
"Civilized Man" Shelter Mantra Vegetarianism 1995 English [25]
"Clams Have Feelings Too (Actually They Don't)" NOFX Pump Up the Valuum Vegetarianism, ethics of eating seafood 2000 English [22][26]
"Consume & Kill" Manliftingbanner Ten Inches That Shook the World Vegetarianism 1992 English and French [27]
"Cow" Linda McCartney and Carla Lane Wide Prairie Vegetarianism 1998 English [28]
"Cruel Circus" The Colourfield Virgins and Philistines Opposition to animal acts in circuses, anti-trophy hunting, anti-animal testing 1985 English [29][30]
"Cruelty to Animals" Frenzal Rhomb Forever Malcolm Young Cruelty to animals 2006 English
"Death Camps" Cro-Mags Best Wishes Vegetarianism 1989 English [25]
"Don't Kill The Animals" Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich 1986 English
"Don't Kill the Whale" Yes Tormato Anti-whaling 1978 English [3][31]
"Excuse Me" The Decline Are You Gonna Eat That? Anti-animal testing 2011 English
"Heart Break Like Mine" Sylvie's Songs Featuring Bryon Harris Animal rights, end factory farming 2024 English
"Human(e) Meat (The Flensing of Sandor Katz)" Propagandhi Supporting Caste Hypocrisy of ethical meat eating 2009 English [32]
"Hunters Will be Hunted" Heaven Shall Burn Veto (album) Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, anti-whaling 2013 English [33]
"I Don't Eat Animals" Melanie Safka Leftover Wine Vegetarianism 1970 English [34]
"Kitten's World" Brandy Sinco Healing, Hope, and Transformation MEOW Formula 2003 English [35]
"Liberación Animal" Chucho Merchán El poder sagrado de la vida Animal Rights, Animal Liberation 2017 Spanish [35]
"Looking for Changes" Paul McCartney Off the Ground Anti-animal testing 1993 English [36]
"Long Leather Coat" Paul McCartney "Hope of Deliverance" Anti-fur/leather 1992 English [36]
"Lower Order (A Good Laugh)" Propagandhi Victory Lap Speciesism, Ethics of animal consumption 2017 English
"Meat Is Murder" The Smiths Meat Is Murder Against all types of meat eating. 1985 English
"Men In Helicopters" Adrian Belew Young Lions Anti-hunting, Anti-fishing, Anti-speciesism 1990 English
"Nailing Descartes to the wall" Propagandhi Less Talk More Rock For the end of the killing of animals for food. 1996 English
"Panda" Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane Panda anti-hunting. 1989 English
"Pink Convertible" MARINA Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land Climate change 2021 English
"Potemkin City Limits" Propagandhi Supporting Caste Anti-animal husbandry, animal consciousness 2009 English [37]
"Puppies and Friends" Atrophy Violent by Nature Animal rights 1990 English [38][39]
"Ravenous Medicine" Voivod Killing Technology Animal cruelty, Animal testing 1986 English
"San Fermín" Attaque 77 Amén! Anti-bullfighting 1995 Spanish [16]
"Save the Whales!" Country Joe McDonald Paradise With an Ocean View Anti-modern whaling 1975 English [40]
"Show Us You Care" Icons of Filth Onward Christian Soldiers Anti-animal testing 1984 English [41]
"Shut Up Already" NOFX Liberal Animation Anti-animal rights activism 1988 English [42]
"Skin" Siouxsie and the Banshees Kaleidoscope Anti-fur/leather 1980 English [43]
"Small Black Flowers That Grow in the Sky" Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go Anti-zoos 1996 English
"Song of the World's Last Whale" Pete Seeger At 89 Anti-whaling 1970[nb 1] English [45]
"The Bullfighter Dies" Morrisey World Peace Is None of Your Business Anti-bullfighting 2014 English [46]
"TheHealingFields" Bones Powder Veganism, anti-meat industry 2015 English
"The Last Leviathan" Sheena Wellington Kerelaw Anti-whaling 1986 English [47]
"The Slayer" Refused Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent Slaughter, Selfishness, cruelty to animals 1996 English
"To the Last Whale..." Crosby & Nash Wind on the Water Anti-whaling 1975 English [1]
"Vergüenza" Ska-P Planeta Eskoria Anti-bullfighting 2000 Spanish [16]
"Voice of the Voiceless" Heaven Shall Burn Antigone Animal rights 2004 English
"Waste" Good Riddance Ballads from the Revolution Ethics of eating meat 1998 English [48]
"Wild Life" Paul McCartney and Wings Wild Life Opposition to anthropization that affects wildlife 1971 English [36]
"Without A Choice" Useless ID State Is Burning Animal rights 2016 English

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Pete Seeger composed "Song of the World's Last Whale" in 1970 and played it live, but did not officially record it until the album At 89 of 2008.[44]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Rojas, Eunice; Michie, Lindsay (8 October 2013). Sounds of Resistance: The Role of Music in Multicultural Activism. ABC-CLIO. p. 172. ISBN 978-0313398063. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  2. ^ Rowley, D. (2013). All Together Now: The abc of the Beatles songs and albums. Troubador Publishing Limited. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-78088-680-0. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  3. ^ a b Rothenberg, David (2010). Thousand-Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound. Basic Books. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-1458759245. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  4. ^ Weyler, Rex (6 October 2004). "Hotel Papa". Greenpeace: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World. Rodale, Inc. pp. 395–396. ISBN 1594861064.
  5. ^ a b Stewart, Francis (2016-09-01). "This is (not) the A.L.F.?: Anarchism, punk rock and animal advocacy" (PDF). Punk & Post Punk. 5 (3). Intellect: 227–245. doi:10.1386/punk.5.3.227_1. ISSN 2044-1983.
  6. ^ de Castro, Julian (2009). "Más All del Pasodoble y de la Copla: Un Acercamiento a la Tauromaquia Desde el Pop-Rock, el Jazz y Otras Manifestaciones Musicales Modernas" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Taurinos (in Spanish). 26: 205–254.
  7. ^ Haenfler, R. (2006). Straight Edge: Clean-living Youth, Hardcore Punk, and Social Change. Rutgers University Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-8135-3852-5. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  8. ^ a b Kuhn, Gabriel (2010). Sober Living for the Revolution: Hardcore Punk, Straight Edge, and Radical Politics. Oakland: PM Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-60486-051-1.
  9. ^ Pieslak, Jonathan (March 2014). "The Music Cultures of Radical Environmental and Animal-Rights Activism (REARA)" (PDF). Exit-Deutschland. ISSN 2196-8136. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  10. ^ Cordova, R. (2016). DIY Punk as Education: From Mis?education to Educative Healing. Critical Constructions: Studies on Education and Society. Information Age Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-68123-577-6. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  11. ^ Dines, Mike (2014). "The Sacralization of Straightedge Punk: Bhakti-yoga, Nada Brahma and the Divine Received: Embodiment of Krishnacore". Musicological Annual. 50 (3). Department of Musicology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana: 148–150. doi:10.4312/mz.50.2.147-156.
  12. ^ Denise de Paiva Costa Tangerino (May 2010). "Verdurada: uma breve reconstrução dos interdiscursos que constituem sua história" (PDF). Intercom.org.br (in Portuguese). Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  13. ^ Twersky, Carolyn (2019-09-05). "Billie Eilish's New Music Video Has a Super Important Secret Message and I Stan Her Even More Now". Seventeen. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  14. ^ "This 40-Year-Old Vegan Rap Is The Catchiest Not-Eating-Animals Tune Ever". HuffPost Canada. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  15. ^ Pasbani, Robert (17 October 2013). "New PROTEST THE HERO Song "A Life Embossed" Goes To The Dogs". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  16. ^ a b c "Cinco canciones anti-taurinas" [Five anti-bullfighting songs]. KienyKe (in Spanish). 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  17. ^ Moser, Margaret (6 April 2001). "Angel in the Dark". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  18. ^ Perone, J.E. (2008). The Words and Music of Prince. Praege. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-275-99474-7. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  19. ^ Raven, Robin (17 March 2017). "7 Vegan Songs to Add to Your Playlist". VegNews. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  20. ^ "LOS FASTIDIOS (IT), BLISTERHEAD (SWE)". Czechcore.cz (in Czech). 18 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  21. ^ "Animal Liberation". Genius.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  22. ^ a b Fossum, Melissa (1 October 2012). "10 Meatless Songs in Honor of World Vegetarian Day". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  23. ^ Shari Black Velvet (Winter 2007). "GOLDFINGER". Black Velvet Magazine. The Vegan Society. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  24. ^ "Internationalists 1985". Wellerworld.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 October 2004. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  25. ^ a b Lucchesi, Nick (1 October 2011). "Ten great punk songs about going vegetarian". Westword. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  26. ^ "8 PRO-VEGETARIAN SONGS THAT ARE BETTER THAN PAUL MCCARTNEY'S 'MEAT FREE MONDAY'". Forkedtongues.net. 6 October 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  27. ^ Haenfler, Ross (11 June 2015). "Sober Revolution: The story of straight edge hardcore in 10 records". The Vinyl Factory. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  28. ^ Bowen, Mark (6 September 2009). McCartney Solo: See You Next Time. Lulu.com. p. 219. ISBN 978-1409298793. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  29. ^ Spotnitz, Frank (7 February 1986). "The Colour Field Exploits '60s Sound". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  30. ^ Wallace, Wyndham (June 3, 2010). "25 Years On: Remembering The Colourfield's Virgins & Philistines". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018. [...] At times, however, [Virgins and Philistines] broadens its reach to address social affairs: 'Cruel Circus' refers to "fur coats on ugly people expensively dressed up to kill / In a sport that's legal within the minds of the mentally ill", [...]
  31. ^ Perlah, Jeff (8 March 2017). "RICK WAKEMAN'S PIANO JOURNEY INTO YES, BOWIE". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  32. ^ Bell, Kathleen (5 March 2009). "Propagandhi: Still Angry, Still Screaming". See Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 April 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  33. ^ Katharina. "Heaven Shall Burn - Interview zu "Veto" mit Matze". www.burnyourears.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  34. ^ Goddard, Simon (1 February 2013). Songs That Saved Your Life - The Art of The Smiths 1982-87 (revised ed.). Titan Books. p. 154. ISBN 978-1781162590. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  35. ^ "Chucho Merchán: Músico, poeta, vegano y filántropo". Eje21 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  36. ^ a b c Martinelli, Dario (2017). Give Peace a Chant: Popular Music, Politics and Social Protest. Springer. ISBN 9783319505381.
  37. ^ Parmar, Priya; II, Anthony J. Nocella; Robertson, Scott; Diaz, Martha (2014). Rebel Music: Resistance through Hip Hop and Punk. IAP. p. 94. ISBN 9781623969110.
  38. ^ "On Phoenix, Arizona's Thrash Metal (20 years ago) Newbies– Atrophy". hhbrady.wordpress.com. 2012-11-24. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  39. ^ "Review: "Atrophy: Violent By Nature (remaster)"". seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  40. ^ Bronner, Simon J. (1 December 2009). "Taking Aim". Killing Tradition: Inside Hunting and Animal Rights Controversies. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0813138602. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  41. ^ Glasper, Ian (2006). The Day the Country Died. Cherry Red Books. p. 250. ISBN 1901447707. [...] every track is an essential listen, with the highlight for this writer being 'Show Us You Care', surely one of the most potent - and poignant - anti- vivisection songs.
  42. ^ Ambrosch, Gerfried (2018). The Poetry of Punk: The Meaning Behind Punk Rock and Hardcore Lyrics. Routledge. ISBN 9781351384445.
  43. ^ Simonson, Peter (2001). "Social noise and segmented rhythms: News, entertainment, and celebrity in the crusade for animal rights". The Communication Review. 4 (3): 399–420. doi:10.1080/10714420109359476. ISSN 1071-4421. S2CID 145278028.
  44. ^ Aberbach, Katie (7 May 2008). "Ocean of Sound: David Rothenberg". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  45. ^ Kerr, Amy (28 January 2014). "Thank You Pete Seeger". Ocean Alliance. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  46. ^ Grow, Kory (16 July 2014). "Morrissey Explains Animal Rights Song 'The Bullfighter Dies'". RollingStone. Archived from the original on 22 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  47. ^ "The Last of the Great Whales / The Last Leviathan". Mainlynorfolk.info. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  48. ^ Ambrosch, Gerfried (2018). The Poetry of Punk: The Meaning Behind Punk Rock and Hardcore Lyrics. Routledge. ISBN 9781351384445.