This weekend, Round 22 of the Hyundai A-League will be played. It has also been named the ‘Erase Racism Round’.
According to the media release from All Together Now, an organisation that promotes the prevention of racist behaviour in Australia:
The initiative will aim to highlight the commitment of the Hyundai A-League and the players at all clubs in ensuring that racism has no place in the league, football generally or Australian society.
Here at Shoot Farken, we have decided to contribute to the campaign to erase the scourge of racist behaviour. But we haven’t got A-League players talking #EraseRacism, they do try hard but some should leave the talking to their feet, we have got something better. We’ve got talented musicians and singers.
Racism – horrible subject, great songs.
Yes, it is a paradox, but one where we are truly thankful to the artists for shining a mirror on this pestilence we humans have allowed to fester.
For #EraseRacism Round, we have compiled a list of seriously good anti-racist songs as a replacement for the usual fare of prematch entertainment at A-League venues. If you’re at the ground, put on your headphones. If you’re at home on the weekend, play the songs on your stereo before the game. Who knows? Maybe our idea will catch on and a playlist similar to this will be pumping out of the stadium PA in #EraseRacism rounds of the future, because deep down, despite our best wishes, we all know it won’t be going away anytime soon.
‘Mississippi Goddamn’ by Nina Simone (1964)
Before Public Enemy, before Tupac and way before Kendrick Lamar, there was Nina Simone. And the legendary singer was angry. In the American South segregation was still enforced, black people were electorally disenfranchised and innocent kids were getting blown up by the KKK. Nina wrote a song, a great song railing against the slowness of change. The song was conveniently banned in some Southern states because of the use of a curse word. On the March 24 1965, she sang the song at a concert held the night before the Selma marchers reached the steps of Montgomery’s State Capital Building. The song and her politics hurt her career. Unlike some of today’s hip hop artists, she did it tough.
Picket lines, school boycotts
They try to say it’s a communist plot
All I want is equality
For my sister, my brother, my people and me
‘Is It Because I’m Black?’ by Syl Johnson (1969)
As an elderly citizen Syl Johnson, an original soul funk brother, lives a comfortable existence courtesy of substantial pension cheques from the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill and Kid Rock who borrowed his sounds to make their sounds groovier. ‘Is It Because I’m Black?’ is soulful tour de force on how racism cuts deep, real deep.
‘Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey’ by Sly & The Family Stone (1969)
Don’t call me nigger, whitey
Don’t call me whitey, nigger
Don’t call me nigger, whitey
Don’t call me whitey, nigger
Well, I went down across the country
And I heard the voices ring
People talkin’ softly to each other
And not a word could change a thing
Pretty self explanatory, really. Listen to the whole six minute jam, or watch this fantastic live clip as Sly and his multi-coloured family segue from a brief spurt of “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey” to the glorious rambunctiousness of “I Want To Take You Higher.”
‘Southern Man’ by Neil Young (1970)
Not only an indictment on the racist legacy of the American South but also piece of sonic brilliance.
‘Rednecks’ by Randy Newman (1974)
The utter, utter lyrical genius of Randy Newman. What starts out as a satire on racist Southern rednecks for smug Northern white liberals to enjoy…
We’re rednecks, rednecks
And we don’t know our ass from a hole in the ground
We’re rednecks, we’re rednecks
And we’re keeping the niggers down
…gets turned on it’s head as Randy tips the bucket on them and exposes their (and our) complacent liberal hypocrisy.
Down here we’re too ignorant to realize
That the North has set the nigger free
Yes he’s free to be put in a cage
In Harlem in New York City
And he’s free to be put in a cage in the South-Side of Chicago
This ain’t a black hip hop artist performing to a black audiences in 1990. This is a white guy performing to white audiences in the 1970’s. Randy had chutzpah.
‘People Are People’ by Depeche Mode ’ (1984)
Depeche Mode’s “I Just Can’t Get Enough’ (1981) is popular on the football terraces as a fan chant, but their first bona fine international hit was this catchy piece of light industrial synth-pop which asked a heavy question. We’re still asking it.
People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
So we’re different colours
And we’re different creeds
And different people have different needs
It’s obvious you hate me
Though I’ve done nothing wrong
I never even met you
So what could I have done
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
‘Your Racist Friend’ by They Might Be Giants (1990)
What a bummer! Going to a party and having to deal with a racist.
This is where the party ends
I’ll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
You and your racist friend
Listen to the studio version here, or enjoy TMBG performing the song on Letterman.
‘Racist Friend’ by The Special AKA (1984)
So, you’ve got a racist friend and you get invited to a party. Don’t ruin it for everyone by bringing him along. But, should you still be friends with a racist?
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House, (Jerry) Dammers says the song was his way of dealing with a friend who “just suddenly used to come out with racist comments”.
“Apart from that he was a really nice guy – it was just really out of character. It didn’t make any sense,” he says.
Apart from penning the song, Dammers also stopped seeing this “friend” – an approach echoed in the song’s chorus: “If you have a racist friend/ Now is the time, now is the time/ For your friendship to end.”
But for Dammers, who confesses he is “not a confrontational person”, the song was substitute for a more direct challenge. He never actually got to tell the person why he had broken off contact.
‘One Blood’ by Junior Reid (1989)
Rousing roots reggae action from Junior Reid as he reminds all of us that we share the same red fluid.
You coulda come from Libya or you come from America
Coulda come from Europe or you come from Africa
One blood one blood one blood
Just watch out for those modern vampires of the city hunting blood, blood, blood.
‘Blackfella/Whitefella’ by Warumpi Band (1985)
An Aboriginal rock band with an anti-racist classic. An alternate Australian national anthem that is shamefully not played enough nowadays.
Black fella, white fella.
Yellow fella, any fella.
It doesn’t matter, what your colour.
As long as you, a true fella.
All the people, of different races.
With different lives, in different places.
It doesn’t matter, which religions.
It’s all the same when the, ship is sinking.
We need more brothers, if we’re to make it.
We need more sisters, if we’re to save it
Now, let’s play some football.
