It was around this time last year that Ethics Alarms expanded its list of the top Hollywood movies with ethical lessons and themes to 25. (You can find the complete collection here, here, here and here.) I am researching a similar list for popular songs, and this task is far more difficult. Most pop songs, if they have a story at all, convey unethical lessons and cautionary tales: exemplary ethics are not, apparently, the stuff hits are made of.
I am soliciting nominations. To get you started, here are two on my list, both oldies. The first is “Ringo,” one of those talking songs like Jimmy Dean’s “Big John” (also a candidate for the list), performed by Pa Cartwright himself, Lorne Greene. The ethical values shown in this Western tale are kindness, reciprocity, loyalty, and gratitude:
My second nomination is one of several sound-alike hits from Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. In this song, Gary illustrates an understanding of Restraint Bias—none of us is as resistant to temptation as we would like to believe. The song is about responsibility. (I don’t think Roman Polanski was a fan of the Union Gap).
I await your playlists.
Ethics Alarms 
Queen Latifa “U.N.I.T.Y.”
Arrested Development “People Everyday”
A couple of early attempts at hip hop ones.
Everyone’s heard this song:
(No laughing at me, I know it is corny)
PATCHES
Clarence Carter
I was born and raised down in Alabama
On a farm way back up in the woods
I was so raggedy, folks used call me, Patches
Papa used to tease me bout it
Of course deep down inside he was hurt
Cause hed done all he could
My papa was a great ol man
I can see him with a shovel in his hand
See, education he never had
But he did wonders when the time got bad
The little money from the crops he raised
Barely paid the bills we made
Oh, life it kicked him down to the ground
When he tried to get up, life would kick him back down
One day papa called me to his dyin bed
Put his hands on my shoulders and in tears he said
He said, Patches
Im dependin on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, its all left up to you
Two days later papa passed away
And I became a man that day
So I told mama I was gonna quit school
But she said that was daddys strictest rule
So every morning fore I went to school
I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too
Sometimes I felt that I couldnt go on
I wanted to leave, just run away from home
But I would remember what my daddy said
With tears in his eyes on his dyin bed
He said, Patches
Im dependin on you, son
I tried to do my best
Its up to you to do the rest
But then one day a strong rain came
And washed all the crops away
And at the age of 13
I thought I was carryin the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
And you know mama knew what I was going through
Cause every day I had to work the fields
Cause thats the only way we got our meals
You see, I was the oldest of the family
And everybody else depended on me
Every night I heard my mama pray
Lord, give him strength to face another day
4 years have passed and all the kids have grown
The angels took mama to a brand new home
God knows people, I she’d tears
But my daddys voice kept me through the years
Sayin, Patches
Im dependin on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, its all left up to you
I can still hear papa when he said, Patches
Im dependin on you, son
I tried to do my best
Its up to you to do the rest
I can still hear papa when he said, Patches
Im dependin on you, son
To pull the family through
Here’s one where the ethics are a problem:
“What’s The Matter Here?”
10,000 Maniacs
That young boy without a name anywhere I’d know his face.
In this city the kid’s my favorite.
I’ve seen him. I see him every day.
Seen him run outside looking for a place to hide from his father,
the kid half naked and said to myself “O, what’s the matter here?”
I’m tired of the excuses everybody uses, he’s their kid I stay out of it,
but who gave you the right to do this?
We live on Morgan Street;
just ten feet between and his mother, I never see her,
but her screams and cussing, I hear them every day.
Threats like: “If you don’t mind I will beat on your behind,”
“Slap you, slap you silly.”
made me say, “O, what’s the matter here?”
I’m tired of the excuses everybody uses, he’s your kid, do as you see fit,
but get this through that I don’t approve of what you did to you own flesh and blood.
“If you don’t sit on this chair straight
I’ll take this belt from around my waist and don’t think that I won’t use it!”
Answer me and take your time,
what could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age?
If I’m the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear.
Oh these cold and lowly things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
and instead of love and the feel of warmth you’ve given him these cuts and sores don’t heal with time or with age.
And I want to say “What’s the Matter here?”
But I don’t dare say.
This is clearly about an ethical dilemma faced by a young, powerless individual. I’ve never heard the song… but it should be on the list… asking the question “What can I do when I KNOW “something’s the matter, but… don’t dare say?”
I vote for the Beatles’ “Revolution” – res ipsa loquitor…
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We’d all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We’re doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah
ah, ah, ah, ah, ah…
You say you’ll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it’s the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
I think it is difficult to have a fleshed-out ethical dilemma and resolution in the typical 2-5 minutes that are normally allotted to a pop song. I think most would reside in either country or rap music, both of which do have more of a tendency to tell a story.
They Might Be Giants have some good songs in general about various ethical situations.
Arrested Development-Mr. Wendel (not judging a book by it’s cover)
Slick Rick- Children’s Story- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Story (crime, no matter how alluring, does not pay)
Marvin Gaye- Inner City Blues/What’s Going On/Mercy, Mercy Me (economic policy, police brutality, importance of taking care of the environment)
Public Enemy- Fight the Power (the importance of protest)
Michael Jackson- Man in the Mirror (change begins with one person)
I’ve been lurking for a while, but this is a topic where I can contribute. 🙂
Try “The Riddle” from Five for Fighting. Or a bunch of others from the same guy (John Ondrasik, Five for Fighting is his stage name); another favorite of mine is “World”.
Thanks Jack for your work, keep it up!
Thanks, for the songs and the kind words.
Try “Politically Incorrect” by Gretchen Wilson and Merle Haggard. Or an old favorite of mine “The Ballad Of The Green Berets” (I dedicate it to all the troops serving in Afghanistan)
How did I forget about Barry Sandler? I am awash in shame.
Bruce Springsteen, “Spare Parts”
http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858505399/
I guess I am stuck in the ’70s, or thereabouts (like my age). To be honest, I have never thought much about ethics while enjoying music of any kind. Not even when I watched musicals. But two songs from the 1970s time frame immediately came to mind, once I read your call.
One is “Cat’s In the Cradle,” by Harry Chapin. I have not listened to any of his music for months, but it is possible that he wrote many songs where ethics could be considered. On second thought…maybe that song is not so much about ethics, as about the circle of life, the tragic repetition of history, and brokenness in relationships, regardless of ethics or lack thereof.
The other is “The House You Live In,” by Gordon Lightfoot. I remember so many decades ago, when I strummed a guitar more often, learning that song with a mind to sing it to my kids. I never did; the best I could do was to lullaby only one of my daughters, in more recent years, with “Blackbird.” – the old Beatles acoustic thing – after I learned to pick, and not just strum.
While we’re here, I would appreciate your opinion (other commenters’, too): If you know the song, what do you think of my dancing with my daughter at her wedding reception (you know, the classic tradition of the bride and her father dancing?) while the George Benson tune plays, “Everything Must Change?” (There’s another one from the 1970s, right? GAD!) “Blackbird” would be great, but it is not dance-able; “Butterfly Kisses” is just too sappy beyond anything that is real about me. I have asked my daughter (though she is not engaged yet, but probably will be soon) if I can have any say-so in the music to be played for dancing at her wedding reception. Three tunes I have in mind are “White Wedding” by Billy Idol, “Gimme All Your Lovin” by ZZ Top, and “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC. Surely there is a mix-master who could fit those into his playlist if they aren’t already in, right?
Two have finally come to mind:
“Easy To Be Hard” from Hair
“Get Together” by the Youngbloods
I especially liked Eeyoure’s mention of “The House You Live In” by Gordon Lightfoot. Good choice!
I’m sure there are others that I will remember…eventually.
Hi Jack,
Here are three. One is not a pop song but a singer-songwriter number. Here are links to the videos. We are thinking of more as well.
Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Dear Mr. President by Pink
People Look Around by Catie Curtis (not official video I don’t have flash)
Allison
Jack, How about Bobby Bare’s country hit, ‘Drop Kick Me Jesus”?
Here are my suggestions: “Royals” by Lorde; Waterfalls” by TLC; “easy to Be Hard” byThree Dog Night (also from the musical Hair); “man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson; “Same Love” by Macklemore; “let’s Wait Awhile” by Janet Jackson. And, how can we overlook “do They Know It’s Christmastime” and “we Are the World”?
I wasn’t really old enough to experience “We Are the World” in its heyday, but I think it loses points for having become a sort of joke-symbol for, well, THIS: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/23/18-awareness/
“Forever Young,” by Bob Dylan. I like Joan Baez’s covers of it.
Like this one (cuts off at the end):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2K-_bkLCrE
I think I’ll write a parody of this song and call it “Forever Dumb”. It will be dedicated to the low information voter who elected Obama w/o checking his credentials 😉
Not criticizing, just encouraging: You might have a richer well for your lyrics, if you start with “Forever Numb.” That allows for even smart people to get caught up in the “mania” which (in their minds) keeps alive their perception of the aura of infallibility and unassailability they seem to want to think surrounds their Blameless One. Even smart people think, say, and do the most vexingly “numbskull” things, from what I have observed.
Hey, some of us voted for Obama with our expectations set at “tolerable mediocrity”.
Can’t necessarily say he met even that standard, so that’s on me.
Beach Boys: Be True to your School
!!!!
I’ll shut up in this thread after this: “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens.
I mean, he is Yusuf Islam now, not Cat Stevens. Over and out.
I bet Cat has some others that belong, too.
Did you ever finish this list? Where is it?
I did. Thanks for reminding me…I have to clean it up and post it.