History has shown that as society becomes politically challenged, music takes root and becomes a way for artists to deliver messages. Music has given the mic to past artists and present artists who continue to set the tone with songs that are used to speak on ongoing issues.
On Nov. 17, 1986, the band Genesis released a song called “Land Of Confusion.” This song is one of protest, frustration, concern and tension. It questioned future generations, criticized world leaders and pleaded to society to spread love during the Cold War era.
According to an article by Tina Benitez-Eves, the song’s lyrics contained an angry message about the growing fear of economic conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union and “questioned some of the intentions of the world leaders.”
“The men of steel, men of power/ They’re losing control by the hour/ This is the time, this is the place/ So we look for the future/ But there’s not much love to go round/ Tell me why this is the land of confusion.”
According to Billboard Hot 100, the song climbed to reach No. 4 on the charts in 1987 and received a Grammy nomination for “Best Concept Music Video.”
“Land of the Confusion” gained more popularity when the heavy metal band “Disturbed” released a cover version of the song in 2005. An article in Blabbermouth said the band released their own music video on October 2, 2009. The music video used satirical political puppets that poked fun at figures such as Ronald Reagan.
Todd McFarlane, who helped direct the music video, told MTV that the Disturbed version of the video shows a big view of the corporate world.
“The world is run by one giant thing, which is driven by greed and lust,” he said.
In 2025, famous rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar performed for the 59th Super Bowl Halftime Show with guest star SZA. This halftime show peaked at 133.5 million views, passing Rihanna, Usher, and Michael Jackson’s past Super Bowl halftime shows.
The show opened up with Lamar performing his unreleased song “Squabble up,” and early on in Lamar’s performance, he tells the audience:
“The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
Fans all over the internet believed this was a message Lamar was sending to prepare the nation for the next four years. The line was in reference to a poem written by Gil Scott-Heron in 1971 called “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”
A blog post by Cheyanne M. Daniels published in The Hill argues that “change does not come from corporations but individuals, and that the media will not showcase the violence of racism.”
In the analysis, Daniels detailed how Lamar used symbolism to portray his revolution throughout the halftime performance. The backup dancers formed an American flag during the song “Humble” and separated to either side of the Lamar.
“The image of the divided flag seemed to speak to political divisions around the nation,” said Daniels. “To which Lamar alludes with the line, ‘it’s a cultural divide.’”
Artists from the past have spoken and protested by using their powerful lyrics with deeper meanings– just like the artists we know and love today. With catchy rhythms that can send chills down our spine, we are impacted by the messages they send us.
