Protest Song

By: Emily Carrington

What was the first protest song you heard or read about?

Weird question for March, right? But it’s National Music in Our Schools month here in the US and I can’t think of a better way to fight tyranny than with music.

My first consciously-heard protest song was by the Chad Mitchell Trio. I can’t find a recording of it anywhere, but it’s called “We Didn’t Know.” Here’s a sample of the lyrics:

“We didn’t know at all.

“We didn’t see a thing.

“You can’t hold us to blame.

“What could we do?

“It was a terrible shame

“But we can’t bear the blame.

“Oh, no, not us,

“We didn’t know.”

When I sing this song, I’m reminded of the responsibility writers and readers share: to tell the truth and extend that truth beyond the pages of the books we enjoy and into our lives.

Many of my books are inspired by the idea of protesting domination. I’ll highlight three for you here:

Hunter’s Claim (A Pack of His Own, Duet, volume 1) Charlie McLaughlin, professor, visually impaired half werewolf, will stand against the tyranny he can’t even see just so long as the psychic vampire he longs for with every breath will stand by his side. Buy it here.

Fae Schooled: Brett, a powerful fae in his own right,  will stand against his grandmother, the queen, to defend the human he loves. Buy it here.

The Prince and the Painter: Jason will stand against prejudice, a stalker, and even a serial killer to show the man he loves that the world can be a good place. Buy it here.