NEW RELEASE: REVOLUTION ANTHEM (FESTIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED)
ABOUT THE NEW RELEASE
The dictionary definition of ‘REVOLUTION’ is ‘a radical change in society’s structure.’ The axiom, “revolution is the festival of the oppressed and exploited”, was coined by Lenin in 1917, who first saw revolution as a ‘celebration’ for the masses amid their struggle against the status quo to gain civilian and workers’ rights.
Since 1917, many other ‘revolutions’ and ‘social changes’ have occurred, all of which have attempted to throw off the ‘shackles of oppression’ to achieve social reform, to bring about change.
Social reform, though, shouldn’t merely be seen as a class issue as it was in 1917 or as it was during the brutal and bloody French revolution involving Marie-Antoinette’s unfortunate encounter with ‘Madame Guillotine’. Whilst any form of ‘revolution’ is uncomfortable for society and demands a certain degree of unrest in order to change and reform, it should be without the use of brute force or violence.
The phrase ‘Revolution is the festival of the oppressed’, was reprised by Germain Greer, for example, when she examined how ‘revolution’ can create a sense of “purpose and integrity... pride and confidence... communication and cooperation… emancipation from helplessness...and equality of opportunity”. Whilst she may have been referring to equality for women, each of these attitudes of ‘festival’ are equally as relevant for every aspect of social change... for the betterment of all humankind...think: abolition of slavery; women’s rights; universal suffrage and the right to vote; Black Lives Matter; gay rights; Welsh language act; and too many more to mention.
And so, with this in mind, why write ‘Revolution Anthem - The Festival of the Oppressed’?
Once again, we stand at a tipping point for our society, not just here in the UK, but the World. The dawn of revolution seems imminent. We are “down-out, down-beat and down-trodden”.
“It has to be time for a change”.
As songwriters and artists, we have the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the ‘vox populi’. We have the responsibility to write about the injustice that we see...to stand up for the voiceless... to shine a light on the shadow cast by lies of those in power... to protest the oppression of our society.
We are very much living in an epoch when our consciousness is stirred on a weekly, if not daily, basis through social media and the news... forced to face the questions: ‘Is this true?’; ‘Is it authentic?’; ‘Is it false/ fake/ lies?’. It seems that duplicity and deception are being peddled with greater ease at the expense of us - the ‘hoi polloi, ‘the proletariat’...we, the people, “have been taken for plebs”. In such a diverse society with an increasing multiplicity of views and array of opinions, how do we speak up for what is right and true? How do we stand up for humanity without losing our human dignity? We, the people, after all have the ability to hold the governing few to account for decisions they are making for the many.
Here in the UK, the country is at a point of breaking - we are “taxed-up, mortgaged, broke...we’ve been laid-off underfed”. We’ve been “Brexited” with lies and “conned” into voting using false promises; “Lock-downed” whilst ‘Party-gate’ was surreptitiously carrying on with carefree abandon. It feels like we have “lost our dreams”, our direction, that we’ve been abandoned and we really “don’t know where, or to whom, we belong”.
Nothing will change, though, if we do not take a stand and raise our voices together. There is, after all, “power in our voice”. And this is the revolution to which the lyrics of this song are referring...the Revolution of the Voice...We must work together as ‘the people’ and not in disparate factions in order to resonate the sighs of society, in order to articulate and facilitate change. The energy of discontent in this world now is palpable. Both the UK and the rest of world have had chaos and havoc wreaked upon them by those in power.
So many people, particularly the youth, are disillusioned and society is once again beginning to wake up to the fact that we, the people, can stand in solidarity for what is right, true, honourable and fair. Our voices cannot, and will not, be silenced anymore. “When the whole world is silent, our voice must be heard” If we join together, each of us has more power to change this world. I for one, intend to use my voice, to help create that change, will you?
After all, “this is our song”.