The protest song David Byrne called “beautiful”
With a career spanning almost every art form possible, from filmmaking to theatre, David Byrne has never allowed himself to be contained creatively. A pioneering figure in new wave, unafraid to take to stages either barefoot or donning a comically oversized grey suit, he’s rightfully earned his place as one of the most idiosyncratic figures in music history. Much like his wider career, Byrne’s approach to songwriting is equally comprehensive.
Since he founded Talking Heads almost half a century ago, Byrne’s songwriting has encompassed everything from Dadaist lyricism to film scoring, but there is one area he has never really ventured into. Despite infusing his performance and penmanship with observations of the world around him, Byrne has never written a protest song.
This is something he acknowledged during an interview with The San Diego Union Tribune, though he shared his hopes to have “challenged or inspired different ways of thinking” with certain songs. While he may not have explored the art of protest songs in his own work, Byrne has a lot of admiration for artists who have traversed that area.
As part of his American Utopia show on Broadway, Byrne adopted Janelle Monáe’s protest song, ‘Hell You Talmbout’, performing it with eleven other grey suit-wearing musicians. It’s the straightforward nature of the track that Byrne admired, as he explained, “The song is not telling them exactly what to think. It’s just saying: ‘These are lives that have been taken from us. Don’t forget them.’”
“I like protest songs that are not obvious and not preachy,” he continued to explain before naming another track with the same subtle qualities. Picking out Gregory Porter’s ‘Mister Holland’, Byrne declared it “beautiful and subtle” before concluding, “I really like people who do songs that engage with social issues and take them to a different place.”
Released as a single in 2020, ‘Mister Holland’ is a gorgeous, soulful track about equality. The song follows a young Porter and his relationship with beauty queen Rosie and her father, the titular Mr. Holland. “By the way, Mister Holland, I like the way you make no trouble of my skin,” Porter sings, “It’s not a problem, nor has it ever been”.
As Byrne asserted, it’s subtle and understated, focusing on a small, intimate relationship in its words. Enhanced by Porter’s stunning vocals and jazzy instrumentation, it’s not trying to be an anthem for an entire movement but rather a beautiful song of personal protest.
Listen to ‘Mister Holland’ by Gregory Porter, the protest song David Byrne called “beautiful,” below.
