Showing posts with label the new left. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the new left. Show all posts

Friday, December 28, 2018

Happy Birthday Keith Richards -*Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By-The Rolling Stone's "Street Fighting Man"

Click on the title to link a "YouTube" film clip of The Rolling Stones performing "Street Fighting Man".

In this series, presented under the headline “Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By”, I will post some songs that I think will help us get through the “dog days” of the struggle for our communist future. I do not vouch for the political thrust of the songs; for the most part they are done by pacifists, social democrats, hell, even just plain old ordinary democrats. And, occasionally, a communist, although hard communist musicians have historically been scarce on the ground. Thus, here we have a regular "popular front" on the music scene. While this would not be acceptable for our political prospects, it will suffice for our purposes here.

Markin comment:

According to legend, and perhaps it was merely in his own mind at that, the model for Mick and Keith's street fighting man here was the old time "New Left" revolutionary, Tariq Ali, the 'terror' of the British establishment back in the day. These days though I note that Mr. Ali is front and center in the thick of social-democratic politics, as presented in such journals like "The New Left Review", as they are filtered through the British, and European, prism. How the mighty have fallen, although hardly a unique story from the turbulent 1960s.



Street Fighting Man Lyrics

(M. Jagger/K. Richards)


Ev'rywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
'Cause summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the street, boy
But what can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's just no place for a street fighting man
No

Hey! Think the time is right for a palace revolution
'Cause where I live the game to play is compromise solution
Well, then what can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's just no place for a street fighting man
No

Hey! Said my name is called disturbance
I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the king, I'll rail at all his servants
Well, what can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's just no place for a street fighting man
No