What Bob Vylan songs are actually worth listening to?
If 1967 had the summer of love, 2025 has the summer of controversy and artistic censorship.
It all started with Kneecap, when some of their comments at Coachella snowballed into band member Mo Chara facing terrorism charges. It continued at Glastonbury, where frontman Bobby Vylan (from the duo Bob Vylan) was called out by the festival and members of the government for leading a controversial chant.
Glastonbury was a weird one this year. A festival that has always had roots in politics and has never been afraid to speak up about issues seemed to take a very impartial stance when it came to discussing the genocide in Gaza. Artists still managed to get their message out, as the likes of Kneecap, Nadine Shah, and CMAT all mentioned the ongoing genocide in their performances, but the one show that really drew people’s attention was Bob Vylan’s.
In between songs during their set, frontman Bobby Vylan was leading chants with the crowd. People were saying, “Free, free Palastine”, before Bobby suggested a new one: “Death to the IDF”. This sparked outrage from the festival organisers. Glastonbury took to social media the following day to share a statement condemning Bob Vylan’s words.
“With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer’s presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs,” they said, adding, “However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday.”
Bob Vylan continue to stand by their comments. After the festival, they took to social media, saying that it is important to continue speaking your mind in a bid to set an example for the next generation. Since then, they have held a gig in London, where the frontman asked the crowd to stop the chant mockingly, joking that every other chant is fine, but that’s where people draw the line.
With all of the discourse surrounding Bob Vylan, there is no doubt a lot of people who will be stumbling upon their music for the first time, and if that’s the case, you will likely be wondering what songs you should start listening to first. Well, have no fear, as a big fan of Bob Vylan, I’m here to provide you with one song from their last three albums.
A couple of disclaimers. Firstly, while these three songs stand out, all of their albums are well worth a listen, and it’s worth checking them out in full. Secondly, if you were outraged by Bob Vylan’s comments, I wouldn’t recommend listening to any of their music. Just a stab in the dark, but if their Glastonbury chant offended you, I imagine lines like “Let’s go dig up Maggie’s grave and ask her where that milk went”, will also.
The Bob Vylan songs worth starting with:
‘We Live Here’
From the album We Live Here
The title track of their 2021 record is really a standout for the band. Beginning with a brief spoken snippet that says, “It was a lovely area before you come round here,” the tone is set for this punk protest banger right away. The track talks about some of the discourse surrounding immigration and how people seem to think that immigrants and people of colour have magically appeared in their towns and are taking them over. ‘We Live Here’ highlights this mindset and pokes fun at it.
Some of the standout lyrics in this song talk about how Bobby has grown up in the UK, and there’s always been an ugly side, as he raps, “Said since we arrived, this place has got so ugly, but this is my fucking country, and it’s never been fucking lovely.” The aggressive chorus is a statement with a touch of humour, which is a pretty good way to sum up Bob Vylan as a whole.
They are an incredibly political band, but their shows are also filled with a lot of humour and humility. “We didn’t appear out of thin air,” he says, “We fucking live here you cunts.”
‘Turn Off The Radio’
From the album Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life
Arguably the best Bob Vylan album and one where every song deserves a play, but if you’re new to Bob Vylan, this song highlights their style and why they do what they do incredibly well. They sing about how they are tired of listening to songs on the radio and not hearing anything remotely genuine or thought-provoking. They instruct the listener to turn off the radio and try listening to something with meaning instead.
“There’s a world outside pull back the curtain, that don’t revolve around your unrequited love and how her touch is like a drug, pussy shut the fuck up.”
I mean, that’s poetry right there. If you ever want to better understand why Bob Vylan are so adamant on using music as a platform for people to speak their minds, this song that voices their frustration towards mainstream music clears things up pretty well.
‘Makes Me Violent’
From the album Humble As The Sun
Their 2024 album, Humble As The Sun, was an interesting new direction for Bob Vylan. While there is still that angst and aggression there, they also tried experimenting with some different sounds. One of the best examples of this is their song ‘Makes Me Violent’.
If you’ve gotten down to the third song, chances are your way of thinking aligns somewhat with Vylan’s. While this song has their political ideologies at its heart still, it’s also a great flex of their musical prowess, hence why I believe it’s the track from this record to listen to. You get to see a different side to the band, and it’s one laced with grunge, metal and punk energy.
