Top of the freethinking atheist pops (Nominations 4): The Clash and Teenage Fanclub

Right I reckon I've got some official stonkers for you this time around.

Nomination Nine
The Clash - Rock the Casbah

I reckon that regular readers suspected this was going to be nominated at some point, and quite right too. One of the band's better known numbers this simply has to be included for its lampooning of how religious leaders can't stand rock and pop culture and how they seek to control it or ban it.  It blends this theme together with the insane hatreds of middle east politics. This song attacks religious leaders in a way that, I suspect, if released today would face many, many calls for it to be censored and taken off the radio. How things change eh?

Nomination Ten
Teenage Fanclub - Starsign

This song by Teenage Fanclub, great in its own right, demonstrates a fantastic contempt for new age superstitious beliefs and their attraction to selfish, vain individuals. The lyrics revolve around various new age activities followed by the response "big deal"...love it! Lyrics and video for the song:

Hey there's a horseshoe on my door; big deal.
And say there's a black cat on the floor, big deal.

If these things make your day
Well if these things change your day

Well do you know where you belong?
And is your star sign ever wrong?

If these things change your day,
Well if these things make your day
Seen it all before, seen it all before...
In a time these things will change

Hey there's a side of me unknown, big deal.
And say, should this unknown force be shown, big deal.

If these thoughts make your day
Well if these thoughts change your day
Seen it all before, seen it all before
Given time these things will change
Seen it all before, seen it all before
Given time these things will change.

Recap, Nominations so far

1. The Cardigans - Godspell
2. That Petrol Emotion - Creeping to the cross
3. Oasis - Do you know what I mean?
4. Ziggy Marley - Love is my religion
5. The Hoodoo Gurus - Middle of the Land
6. Nine Inch Nails - Heresy
7. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Born secular
8. The Shamen - Jesus Loves Amerika
9. The Clash - Rock the Casbah
10. Teenage Fanclub - Starsign
11. Willie Dixon - I ain't superstitious

Comments

[Richard Harris]

I quote, "...religious leaders can't stand rock and pop culture". Well, maybe that's because they see the competition for people's minds as a danger to their own fading hegemony?

Of course, the true believer in either of these mind-control social-constructs doesn't see them for what they are - the two biggest-ever cons against humanity.

Now, are there any atheistic songs without an ugly noise for accompaniment? (I guess that's like asking a Christian if his religion isn't founded upon superstition.)

[Valerie Cantone]

You should link up to my blog in NYC. It's called "The Atheist Diaries", http://theatheistdiaries.blogspot.com

One of my contributor's, Duane, did a post called "Atheist Rap"; really, just something of a reprint.

Your friend,

Valerie