A Cheltenham Greens' protest song has been listed by the Centre For Political Song on the Glasgow Caledonian University website (i).

The world's only Centre for Political Song was established in January 2001 and exists to promote and foster an awareness of all forms of political song and collects, conserves and disseminates material from throughout the world, across the political spectrum and from all musical genres. Their collection spans the political spectrum from the far left to the far right and contains material from almost all musical genres: popular music, punk, folk, hip hop, reggae, opera, world music and jazz. Woody Guthrie, Riot Grrrl and Verdi exist side by side.

Political song has been an important tool throughout all ages and all cultures. Songs can be enduring and well known or ephemeral and obscure. And they need not have overtly political lyrics: some political songs are politicised by context. Political songs can serve a multitude of functions such as to sustain a campaign, express discontent, generate support, motivate, provoke, educate and mock.

Note

(i) The Centre for Political Song exist to promote and foster an awareness of all forms of political song; to develop a comprehensive educational resource of political song material; to develop online resources to target an international audience; to assist Glasgow Caledonian University in the delivery of learning and teaching support; to facilitate research in all relevant areas of study and to offer a comprehensive programme of community engagement and outreach.

Check out site at:
http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/politicalsong/songs/songbirdcooper1.html

See original news release and song:
http://www.glosgreenparty.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1449&Itemid=2

See Guardian article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,4125194-103418,00.html