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.

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.

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)

September is Recovery Month. Here are songs to encourage those working their way from addiction to health.

1. Accidents Can Happen Sixx: A.M.; Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (Eleven Seven)
2. Been On a Train Laura Nyro; Christmas & The Beads Of Sweat (Columbia)
3. Change For The Better Journey; Revelation (Nomota)
4. Fine Again Seether; Disclaimer (Wind-Up)
5. Little Rock Collin Raye; Extremes (Epic)
6. Needle & The Damage Done Neil Young; Harvest (Reprise)
7. That’s Why I’m Here Kenny Chesney; I Will Stand (BNA)
8. You’re Not My God Keith Urban; Golden Road (Capitol)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Addiction: General, Addiction: Recovery, Alcohol, Cigarettes and Drugs (various).

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.

A recent tweet by The Gateway to 21^st Century Skills, an NEA-supported site that gathers educational resources online, asked a question that intrigued us: “Anyone have ways to incorporate events in Egypt and Middle East into different subject areas?”

Naturally, we thought about using songs! Freedom and protest songs have a rich history, and GreenBookofSongs.com® has catalogued hundreds of songs from Civil Rights, peace and other political movements that are relevant to Egypt’s fight for democracy. And of course, music is a great way to get students involved and bring subject matter to life.

We compiled the following list from a variety of Green Book categories, among them Freedom; Protest; Politics: Political Classics; and Politics: Social Injustice. Whether you’re using music as a background to discussion, connecting American history with the Middle East, or helping students learn to put their own thoughts into words, you’ll find something useful here.

1. Eyes On The Prize Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
2. (For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People Chi-Lites; Greatest Hits (Epic)
3. Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marley & The Wailers; Songs Of Freedom (Tuff Gong)
4. Power To The People John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; Shaved Fish (Capitol)
5. Revolution Beatles; Hey Jude (Capitol)
6. Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson: Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (A&M)
7. Something In The Air Thunderclap Newman; ST/The Strawberry Statement (MCA)
8. Stand! Sly & The Family Stone; Greatest Hits (Epic)
9. Takin’ It To The Streets Doobie Brothers; Takin’ It To The Streets (Warner Bros.)
10. We Didn’t Start The Fire Billy Joel; Storm Front (Columbia)

Last month, we featured songs about civil rights leaders. This month, we honor Black History Month with this brief selection of songs from the Civil Rights movement itself. Each one helped strengthen and motivate those in the fight.

1. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize Pete Seeger; We Shall Overcome-Complete Carnegie Hall Concert (Columbia)
2. Move On Up Curtis Mayfield; Curtis (Rhino)
3. Oh, Freedom Joan Baez; How Sweet The Sound (Razor & Tie)
4. Say It Loud-I’m Black And I’m Proud-Pt. 1 James Brown; 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (Universal Motown)
5. We Shall Not Be Moved Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
6. Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed On Freedom Sweet Honey In The Rock and James Horner; Freedom Song (Sony Classical)

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Politics: Civil Rights.

No Name-Calling Week is a program aimed at elementary and secondary school students to promote acceptance and understanding of the differences among us.  Now in its eighth year, the program’s stated goal is to “end name-calling of all kinds.”

We support this effort with the following playlist of songs urging kindness, love and mutual respect:

1. Don’t Laugh At Me Mark Wills; Wish You Were Here (Mercury)
2. Good Left Undone, The Rise Against; The Sufferer & The Witness (Geffen)
3. If Everyone Cared Nickelback; All The Right Reasons (Roadrunner/IDJMG)
4. Let Me Be Myself 3 Doors Down; 3 Doors Down (Universal Republic)
5. Point Of Light Randy Travis; Heroes And Friends (Warner Bros.)

For some songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Character & Integrity and Teaching Values.

We honor Martin Luther King Day 2011 with these songs about the civil rights movement, and those who sacrificed so much for freedom.

1. Anne Braden Flobots; Fight With Tools (Universal Republic)
2. Change Is Gonna Come, A Sam Cooke; Portrait Of A Legend-1951-1964 (Abkco)
3. Everyday Angel Radney Foster; Another Way To Go (Dualtone)
4. He Was My Brother Simon & Garfunkel; Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. (Columbia)
5. Here Comes The Freedom Train Merle Haggard; Capitol Collectors Series-Merle Haggard (Capitol)
6. No Easy Walk To Freedom Peter, Paul & Mary; No Easy Walk To Freedom (Warner Bros.)

For more songs on this subject, see the GreenBookofSongs.com® category, Politics: Civil Rights.