The Musical Worldview Project is an ongoing attempt to curate a positive, loving and hopeful playlist of protest songs; songs trying to just make sense of it all and songs just lamenting. Read more about the project here and follow the Musical Worldview Project posts here.

Browse all of the Musical Worldview Project (finding wisdom in lyrics) entries here in alphabetical order by artist:

• 75 Dollar Bill: "F&N"

• A Tribe Called Quest: “Excursions”

• African Head Charge: "Peace And Happiness"

• Akron/Family: "Don't Be Afraid, You're Already Dead"

• Akron/Family: "Love, Love, Love (Everyone) And Reprise"

• Akron/Family: "There's So Many Colors"

• Trey Anastasio: "Rise/Come Together"

• Fiona Apple: “Ladies”

• Fiona Apple: “Relay”

• Fiona Apple: “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”

• Arcade Fire: “City With No Children"

• Louis Armstrong: "What A Wonderful World"

• the Avett Brothers: "Bang Bang"

• the Avett Brothers: "Ten Thousand Words"

• Art Blakey: “Freedom Rider”

• Erykah Badu: “Apple Tree”

• Erykah Badu: “Bag Lady”

• Erykah Badu: "Drama"

• Erykah Badu: “On and On”

• Angel Bat Dawid: "The Wicked Shall Not Prevail"

• the Beach Boys, "I Know There's An Answer"

• Beastie Boys: “Gratitude”

• Beastie Boys: "It Takes Time To Build"

• the Beatles: “Strawberry Fields Forever”

• Beauty Pill: "Dog with Rabbit in Mouth, Unharmed"

• Big Star, "Thank You Friends"

• Black Sabbath: “War Pigs”

• Art Blakey: “Freedom Rider” (Instrumental Edition)

• Blue Scholars: "Blink"

• Blue Scholars: "Blue School"

• Blue Scholars: "Fire for the People"

• Blue Scholars: “Still Got Love”

• Blue Scholars: "Selfportrait"

• Blue Scholars: "Solstice: Reintroduction"

• Billy Bragg: “The Price of Oil”

• Billy Bragg and Wilco: "All You Fascists"

• Billy Bragg and Wilco: “Blood Of The Lamb”

• Billy Bragg and Wilco: “"Jesus Christ For President"”

• Jaimie Branch: “Love Song”

• Jaimie Branch, "Prayer for Amerikkka Pt. 1 & 2"

• Leon Bridges: “River”

• Greg Brown: "Two Little Feet"

• Sammy Brue: “Control Freak”

• Sammy Brue: “I See, I Hear”

• Sammy Brue: “Lay Me Down”

• Solomon Burke: “Diamond In Your Mind”

• Burning Spear: “Bad to Worse”

• Caamp, "By and By"

• Caamp, "Wunderbar"

• Cage The Elephant: "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked"

• Bill Callahan: "Small Plane"

• Paul Cauthen: “Give 'Em Peace”

• Chvrches: “Make Them Gold”

• Church of the Cosmic Skull, "Revolution Comes With An Act of Love"

• Circles Around The Sun: “Hallucinate A Solution” (Instrumental Edition)

• the Clash: "Know Your Rights"

• Jimmy Cliff: “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”

• Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers: 'Love, Come Lighten My Load'

• Natalie Cole, "Be Thankful"

• John Coltrane: "Peace on Earth" (Instrumental Edition)

• The Commodores: "Assembly Line"

• Common: “Letter To The Free”

• Common Market: “Every Last One”

• Common Market: “G'Dang Diggy”

• Phil Cook: “Another Mother’s Son”

• Sam Cooke: "A Change Is Gonna Come"

• Elvis Costello: "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding"

• Country Joe and the Fish, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag"

• the Cranberries: “Zombie”

• Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Bad Moon Rising"

• Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young: "Carry On"

• Ray Davies, "Thanksgiving Day"

• Jackie DeShannon: “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”

• Jackie DeShannon: “What the World Needs Now Is Love”

• De La Soul: “Pain”

• De La Soul: "Tread Water"

• Iris Dement: “Going Down To Sing In Texas”

• Dirty Three: “Hope” (Instrumental Edition)

• Mike Doughty: “His Truth Is Marching On”

• Mike Doughty: "Move On (Bloom Like the Sunlight in My Song)"

• Mike Doughty: "Your Misfortune"

• Dub Syndicate: “More And More”

• Bob Dylan: “Only A Pawn In Their Game”

• Bob Dylan: "Standing In The Doorway"

• Bob Dylan: "'Till I Fell In Love With You"

• Bob Dylan: “With God On Our Side”

• Earth, Wind, & Fire, "Gratitude"

• Brian Eno and David Byrne: “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today”

• Brian Eno and David Byrne: "America is Waiting"

• Bill Evans: “Peace Piece” (Solo Piano Instrumental Edition)

• Five Man Electrical Band: “Signs”

• Fleet Foxes: "I Am Not My Season"

• Fontaines D.C.: “Love is the Main Thing”

• Jon Foreman: “White As Snow”

• Fugazi, "Merchandise"

• the Fugs: “Kill For Peace”

• Future Islands, "Seasons (Waiting On You)"

• Gang Starr: "Family And Loyalty"

• Marvin Gaye, "God Is Love"

• Marvin Gaye: "Inner City Blues (Make Me Holler)"

• Marvin Gaye: “What’s Going On?”

• Howe Gelb: “Love Knows (No Borders)”

• Gift of Gab (feat. R.A. The Rugged Man and A-F-R-O): "Freedom Form Flowing"

• Jef Gilson & Malagasy: "The Creator Has a Master-Plan" (Instrumental Edition)

• The Go-Go’s: “Can’t Stop the World”

• Graham and Nash, "They Want It All"

• Grateful Dead: “Althea”

• Grateful Dead: "Box Of Rain"

• Grateful Dead: "Casey Jones"

• Grateful Dead: "Days Between"

• Grateful Dead: “Greatest Story Ever Told”

• Grateful Dead: "Help On The Way"

• Grateful Dead: “New Speedway Boogie”

• Grateful Dead: “Playing In The Band”

• Grateful Dead, "Ramble On Rose"

• Grateful Dead” "Ripple"

• Grateful Dead, "Scarlet Begoinias"

• Grateful Dead: "Tennessee Jed"

• Grateful Dead: "Throwing Stones"

• Grateful Dead: “Uncle John’s Band”

• Grateful Dead: “Truckin’”

• Patty Griffin: “When It Don’t Come Easy”

• Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives, "Bon Voyage Hymn"

• Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives, "Friendly Fire"

• Vince Guaraldi Thanksgiving Theme

• Guru: “Lifesaver”

• George Harrison, "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)"

• Lee Hazlewood: “Cold Hard Times”

• Colin Hay: “Beautiful World”

• Hiss Golden Messenger: "If It Comes in the Morning"

• Hiss Golden Messenger: “Katy (You Don’t Have To Be Good Yet)”

• Hiss Golden Messenger: "When the Wall Comes Down"

• Bruce Hornsby and the Range: "The Way It Is"

• the Housemartins: "Anxious"

• the Housemartins: "Caravan of Love"

• the Housemartins: “Five Get Over Excited”

• the Housemartins: "Get Up Off Our Knees"

• the Housemartins: "Think For A Minute"

• Ben Howard: “Keep Your Head Up”

• Rikki Ililonga, "My Destiny"

• the Impressions: "Keep On Pushing"

• James: “Zero”

• Jerry Garcia Band: "My Sisters and Brothers"

• Karen O and the Kids: “All Is Love”

• Robert Earl Keen: "Jesse With The Long Hair"

• the Kernal: "U Do U"

• the Kinks, "Days"

• the Kinks: "Some Mother's Son"

• Gladys Knight & the Pips: "Friendship Train"

• Kendrick Lamar: “Alright”

• Daniel Lanois: "Dance On"

• Daniel Lanois: "(Under) The Heavy Sun"

• Daniel Lanois, "The Maker"

• Daniel Lanois: "Tumbling Stone"

• Daniel Lanois: "Way Down"

• the Linda Lindas: “Never Say Never”

• the Linda Lindas": 'No Clue'

• the Linda Lindas: “Racist, Sexist Boy”

• Fred Locks: "Love And Harmony"

• Love and Rockets: "No New Tale To Tell"

• Madvillain: "Shadows of Tomorrow"

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: "Burnin' and Lootin'"

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: “Exodus”

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: “Guiltiness”

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: "No More Trouble"

• Bob Marley and the Wailers, "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)"

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: "War"

• Bob Marley and the Wailers: "You Can't Blame The Youth"

• Damian Marley: "Speak Life"

• Massive Attack: 'Be Thankful for What You've Got'

• Massive Attack: “Hymn Of The Big Wheel”

• Massive Attack: "Protection"

• Massive Attack: “Teardrop”

• Curtis Mayfield: "Move On Up"

• Curtis Mayfield: "We Got To Have Peace"

• Sarah McLachlan: “O Holy Night”

• John Mark McMillan: “Death In His Grave”

• Medeski, Martin and Wood (Instrumental Edition): 'Khob Khun Krub (Thai for 'Thank You')'

• Júníus Meyvant: "Neon Experience"

• John Mellencamp: "Jack And Diane"

• Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: "Wake Up Everybody"

• MewithoutYou: "January 1979"

• M.I.A.: "Pull Up The People"

• Jackie Mittoo (Instrumental Edition): 'Be Thankful'

• Mac Miller, "Blue World"

• Steve Miller Band: "Fly Like An Eagle"

• Charles Mingus: “Fables of Faubus”

• Model Engine "Scarred But Smarter"

• Money Mark: "Fight With Love"

• New Order: “Run”

• the O'Jays: "Love Train"

• One Eleven Heavy: “Geneva”

• Ozzy Osbourne: "Crazy Train"

• Pedro The Lion: “My Phoenix”

• Lee "Scratch" Perry, "Bed Jammin"

• Lee "Scratch" Perry, 'Some Have Fe Halla'

• Glen Phillips: “Thank You”

• Phish: "A Life Beyond the Dream"

• Phish: "Backwards Down the Number Line"

• Phish: "Everything's Right"

• Phish: "More"

• Plastic Ono Band: 'Give Peace a Chance'

• Primal Scream: “Come Together” (Andrew Weatherall Remix Edition)

• John Prine: “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”

• John Prine: “When I Get To Heaven”

• John Prine: “Spanish Pipedream (Blow Up Your TV)”

• Public Enemy: 'Fight The Power'

• Public Image Ltd., “Rise”

• Joe Pug: “Hymn #101

• Joe Pug: "Hymn 35"

• Queen and David Bowie: "Under Pressure"

• David Ramirez: "Hallelujah, Love Is Real"

• David Ramirez: “Prevail!”

• R.E.M., "Talk About The Passion"

• Rage Against The Machine: "Killing In the Name"

• Rainer: “Sometimes It’s Hard”

• Roaring Lion: "Love Thy Neighbor"

• Olivia Rodrigo: "hope ur ok"

• the Rolling Stones: "Salt of the Earth"

• Sonny Rollins: “Freedom Suite”

• Run The Jewels: "Ju$t"

• Pharoah Sanders, "The Creator Has A Master Plan"

• Pharoah Sanders: "Love Is Everywhere"

• Sault: “Miracles”

• Sault: “Pray Up, Stay Up”

• Scientist, "Plague of Zombies"

• Gil Scott-Heron: “Work For Peace”

• Seryn: "Figuring Out"

• Seryn: “Headache”

• Seryn, “Mausoleum”

• Archie Shepp, "Professor Shepp's Agenda 1"

• Nina Simone: “Backlash Blues”

• Nina Simone: "I Think It's Going To Rain Today"

• Nina Simone: "Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)"

• Sleeping At Last: "Saturn"

• Sly and the Family Stone, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”

• the Smiths: “Ask”

• the Smiths: “Death Of A Disco Dancer”

• the Smiths: “I Know It’s Over”

• the Specials: "A Message To You Rudy"

• Soma Collective: “Till The Stone Was Lifted”

• Sons of Kemet: “Throughout The Madness, Stay Strong” (Instrumental Edition)

• Songs: Ohia: “Farewell Transmission”

• Songs: Ohia: “Just Be Simple”

• the Staple Singers, "Respect Yourself"

• Star & Micey, "So Much Pain"

• Edwin Starr: "War"

• Cat Stevens: “Don’t Be Shy”

• Cat Stevens: "Father and Son"

• Cat Stevens, "Peace Train"

• Sufjan Stevens: “Video Game”

• Michael Stipe: "No Time for Love Like Now"

•  Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, "Bhindi Bhagee"

• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: "Johnny Appleseed"

• Thin Lizzy: "Fight Or Fall"

• Sister Rosetta Tharpe: “Strange Things Happening Every Day”

• Three Dog Night: “The Family of Man”

• Thrice,:"The Earth Will Shake"

• the Toasters: "Freedom"

• Jeff Tobias: "Our Very Recent Past"

• Jeff Tobias: "Thank You For Your Service"

• Jeff Tobias: "We're Here to Help"

• Peter Tosh: "Equal Rights"

• Tower of Power: "What Is Hip?"

• the Tragically Hip: "At The Hundredth Meridian"

• the Tragically Hip: "Reformed Baptist Blues"

• Tupac: “Keep Ya Head Up”

• Jeff Tweedy: “Even I Can See”

• Jeff Tweedy: “Love Is The King”

• U2: “Mysterious Ways”

• U2: "One"

• Vampire Weekend: “Harmony Hall

• Vigilantes of Love: "Black Cloud O'er Me"

• Vigilantes of Love: “Nothing Like A Train”

• Vigilantes of Love: “She Walks On Roses”

• Vigilantes of Love: "You Give It All Your Heart" (Live Buechner Edition)

• Tom Waits: “Hold On”

• Tom Waits: “Road To Peace”

• Eric Burdon and War: "Love Is All Around"

• War: "There Must Be A Reason"

• Waterdeep: “Good Good End”

• Derek Webb: "A King and A Kingdom"

• Derek Webb: "Wedding Dress"

• Bob Weir: “Black-Throated Wind”

• Matthew E. White: “Brazos”

• Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley: 'Broken Mirror (A Selfie Reflection)/Composition 9'

• Wilco: “Before Us”

• Wilco: “Everyone Hides”

• Wilco: 'Jesus, Etc.'

• Wilco: “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)’

• Wilco: “One And A Half Stars”

• Wilco”True Love Will Find You in the End”

• Wilco: “White Wooden Cross”

• Lucinda Williams: “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road”

• Bill Withers: “Lean On Me”

• Yo La Tengo: "Ohm"

• Yo La Tengo, "Until It Happens"

• Neil Young: "Keep On Rockin In The Free World"

• Neil Young: “Look Out For My Love”

• Neil Young: "Love And Only Love"