As culture wars rage during this campaign season, we thought Women’s History Month would be a good time for songs about gender stereotypes that define and confine, and the women who break through.

1. Girls With Guitars Wynonna; Tell Me Why (MCA)
2. I’m Gonna Be An Engineer Peggy Seeger; Period Pieces-Women’s Songs for Men And Women (Tradition)
3. Keep Woman In Her Sphere Elizabeth Knight; Songs Of The Suffragettes (Folkways)
4. Keep Young And Beautiful Annie Lennox; Diva (Arista)
5. Not A Pretty Girl Ani DiFranco; So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter (Righteous Babe)
6. When I Was A Boy Dar Williams; The Honesty Room (Razor & Tie)
7. Woman In Chains Tears For Fears; The Seeds Of Love (Island Def Jam)

For more songs on this topic, visit GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Feminism, Gender Conflicts and  Gender Stereotypes.

We’ve chosen a few songs about famous African-Americans for this Black History Month list:

1. Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick; Ballads Of Black America (Folkways)
2. Harriet Tubman’s Ballad (Part 1) Woody Guthrie; My Dusty Road (Rounder)
3. Harriet Tubman’s Ballad (Part 2) Woody Guthrie; My Dusty Road (Rounder)
4. I Refuse To Stand (Tribute To Rosa Parks) Pat Grant; Incredible (Pat Grant)
5. Jackie Robinson’s Legacy Phil Coley; Baseball Songs Sports Heroes-#2 (King Of The Road Music)
6. Obama Song Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring SoliLLaquists Of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B; Single-Obama Song (Anti/Epitaph)

For many other ways to use music to teach Black History Month, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories such as African-American, Brotherhood, Celebrities & Famous Names: American Heroes, Presidents: Barack Obama, Slavery and War: Civil War.

These songs will help Americans of all ages celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. Come By Here, Martin Luther King Kristin Lems; Imagine That! Songs For Creative Teachers (Carolsdatter)
2. Dr. King Mason Jennings; Birds Flying Away (Bar/None)
3. Dream, A Common; ST/Freedom Writers (Hollywood)
4. Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Evan Belize; Songs Of A True Patriot (Evan Belize)
5. King UB40; 1980-1983 (A&M)
6. Like A King Ben Harper; Welcome To The Cruel World (Virgin)
7. Up To The Mountain (MLK Song) Patty Griffin; Children Running Through (ATO)
8. Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead) Nina Simone; Very Best Of Nina Simone-Sugar In My Bowl-1967-1972 (RCA)

For more songs on this and related topics, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Brotherhood, Celebrities & Famous Names: American Heroes and Politics: Social Injustice.

Thanksgiving in songs? It has to include some history, some food, and of course, gratitude. All are represented below. Happy Thanksgiving!

1. (I’m Gonna Eat) On Thanksgiving Day Laurie Berkner; Whaddaya Think Of That? (Razor & Tie)
2. Blessed Martina McBride; Greatest Hits (RCA)
3. My Mom’s Thanksgiving Dinner Children Of N.Y.P.S. 24; Songs For All Year Long (Folkways)
4. Sailing To America Saxon; Crusader (Carrera)
5. Thankful N’ Thoughtful Sly & The Family Stone; Fresh (Legacy)
6. Thanksgiving The Stuffing; Single-Thanksgiving (EMA)
7. Thanksgiving Song Dave Holiday Sylvester; Single-Thanksgiving Song (Jambox)
8. Thanksgiving Song Jessica Klee; Single-Thanksgiving Song (Jessica Klee)

For more songs for Thanksgiving, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Holidays: Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Countries: America, History and Love: Friends & Family.

As Occupy Wall Street protests continue, we look back at the songs that grew from and sustained earlier social movements. You’ll find many more in our category Protest. Here’s a small sample:

1. Bread And Roses Judy Collins; So Early In The Spring, The First 15 Years (Elektra)
2. Eyes On The Prize Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
3. Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marley & The Wailers; Songs Of Freedom (Tuff Gong)
4. If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song) Peter, Paul & Mary; In Concert (Warner Bros.)
5. Ohio Crosby, Stills & Nash; CSN (Atlantic)
6. This Land Is Your Land Woody Guthrie; Woody Guthrie (Vanguard)
7. War Edwin Starr; War & Peace (Motown)
8. What’s Going On Marvin Gaye; What’s Going On (Motown)

Before 9/11, the Green Book Of Songs By Subject listed songs about danger and disaster in one general category. Afterwards, we were compelled to create a category devoted solely to this tragedy. Here is a selection from the 72 songs in Danger & Disaster: 9/11/2001.

1. America Will Survive Hank Williams, Jr.; Patriotic Country-C (BMG)
2. Believe Yellowcard; Ocean Avenue (Capitol)
3. Bravest, The Tom Paxton; Looking For The Moon (Appleseed)
4. Let’s Roll Neil Young; Are You Passionate? (Rhino/Warner Bros.)
5. On A Clear Day Jack Hardy; Vigil-N.Y. Songs Since 9/11-C (Conscious)
6. On That Day Leonard Cohen; Dear Heather (Columbia)
7. Tuesday Morning (9/11) John Yarrow; Loss Of Self (John Yarrow)
8. You’re Missing Bruce Springsteen; The Rising (Columbia)

C = Compilation

Each year, we celebrate Independence Day with songs from the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Holidays: Fourth of July. Our choice this year isn’t about fireworks or picnics, but instead about flags, history and the qualities of freedom those Revolutionary War soldiers fought to secure for us.

1. Here Comes The Freedom Train Merle Haggard; Capitol Collectors Series-Merle Haggard (Capitol)
2. Ragged Old Flag Johnny Cash; Patriot (Columbia)
3. Shot Heard Round The World Creator Kids; Startup History (Creator Kids)
4. This Is My Country Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Greatest Hits (Columbia)
5. This Is My Country Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions; Curtis Mayfield-The Anthology-1961-1977 (MCA)
6. You’re A Grand Old Glad John Peterson; George M. Cohan Tonight! (Sh-k-boom) 

Happy Fourth of July!

We developed this list of songs as we watched reports of the river flooding its way down the middle of the country. We are thinking of those in the river’s path.

After The Flood Lone Justice; Lone Justice (Geffen)

Bridge Washed Out Warner Mack; Country’s Greatest Hits-#3-C (MCA)

Flood Of ’57 Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys; Classic Bluegrass (Rebel)

Homeless Blues Odetta; Blues Everywhere I Go (M.C.)

Ol’ Man River Paul Robeson; Ol’ Man River (Mbop Global)

River, Stay ’Way From My Door Ethel Waters; Stars Salute Sinatra-C (Horgi)

Story Of The Mighty Mississippi Ernest Stoneman; People Take Warning! Murder Ballads And Disaster Songs-1913-1938-C (Tompkins Square)

When The Levee Breaks Memphis Minnie; Queen Of The Blues (Columbia/Legacy)

C = Compilation

For more, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Floods, Rivers and Danger & Disaster.

In previous lists for Women’s History Month, SongsAbout.com has looked at female heroes, the feminist movement, and the spirit of women who will not be kept down. For Women’s History Month 2011, we focus on women at work – the discrimination, the low pay, but also the ability and determination to do whatever work they choose.

1. 9 to 5 Dolly Parton; 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA) Don’t be fooled by the humor. Parton’s description of harassment, low pay and underappreciation is no joke.
2. Company Time Linda Davis; Shoot For The Moon (Arista) This song describes the classic bind: a single mother torn between caring for her children and the discriminatory workplace where she earns the paycheck to support them.
3. Dirty Sheets Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women; Hot Flash (Alligator) A blues song about cleaning women who labor all week, yet can’t afford rent — all the more tragic because it is just as true as it was when released 20 years ago.
4. I’m Gonna Be An Engineer Peggy Seeger; Period Pieces-Women’s Songs For Men And Women (Tradition) Remember the bad old days, when girls were discouraged from careers in science? Let’s not go back.
5. Mill Worker Cris Williamson; Circle Of Friends (Wolf Moon) The soul-killing drudgery of factory work leaves this single mother wondering how she ended up in a dead-end life.
6. She’s Not Just A Pretty Face Shania Twain; Up! (Mercury) To close the list, a song in the spirit of women’s independence. Women can do any job!

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Feminism and Work: Women in the Workplace.

If Wisconsin governor Scott Walker wants to defeat collective bargaining, he’d better hope teachers, police and firefighters aren’t listening to these inspiring tunes. They chronicle the challenges, and sometimes the deaths, of workers in the mines, factories and mills, birthplace of the unions Walker seeks to sideline. Those who remember what it cost to get unions may work that much harder to keep them. 

1. Come All You Coal Miners Sarah Ogan Gunning; Harlan County USA-Songs Of The Coal Miner’s Struggle (Rounder)
2. Death Of Harry Simms Pete Seeger; American Industrial Ballads (Smithsonian Folkways)
3. Death Of Mother Jones Gene Autry; Freedom: Songs From Heart Of America-C (Columbia/Legacy)
4. It Goes Like It Goes (Theme From “Norma Rae”) Jennifer Warnes; Best Of Jennifer Warnes (Arista)
5. Joe Hill Paul Robeson; Don’t Mourn-Organize! Songs Of Labor Songwriter Joe Hill (Smithsonian Folkways)
6. Join The C.I.O. New Lost City Ramblers; Songs From The Depression (Folkways)
7. Shuttin’ Detroit Down John Rich; Son Of a Preacher Man (Warner Bros. Nashville)
8. There Is Power In A Union Billy Bragg; Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Yep Roc)
9. They’ll Never Keep Us Down Hazel Dickens; Hard Hitting Songs For Hard Hit People (Rounder)
10. Union Burying Ground Woody Guthrie; My Dusty Road (Rounder)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Work: Unions.