1963 Mugshot of Martin Luther King Jr, who was arrested for protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 and he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Considering the inedible impact that the famed civil rights leader had, it should be no surprise that numerous songs have been inspired by him. Here is a list of ten of those tunes.
Blues For Martin Luther Kings – Otis Spann (1968)
This 1968 blues tune was written immediately after the aftermath of King’s death (“did you hear the news, it happened down in Memphis, Tennessee yesterday”). The lyrics were taken directly from news reports and you can sense the mourning that Spann was experiencing. That same loss was experienced by all lovers of peace and equality.
Why? (The King of Love Is Dead) – Nina Simone (1968)
Simone was an integral voice in the civil rights movement, so it is no surprise that she would have a musical response to King’s assassination. Just like with “Blues For Martin Luther King” this song was an immediate response. Simone first performed the song live three days after his death at the Westbury Music Fair. Simone encourages listeners “to stop and think, everybody knows we’re on the brink”. Those lyrics still resonate.
Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder (1981)
Wonder composed this tune as part of a campaign to get Martin Luther King’s birthday to be recognized as a national holiday. Stevie also questions why anyone would be opposed to commemorating King’s birthday “I just never understood, how a man who died for good/could not have a day that would be set aside for his recognition”.
Pride (In The Name of Love) – U2 (1984)
U2’s 1984 album featured two songs inspired by King, “MLK” and “Pride (In The Name of Love)”. Just to make clear that “Pride” was about King, Bono included the lyrics “early morning, April four, shots ring out in the Memphis sky”.
They Killed Him – Kris Kristofferson (1985)
The lyrics deals not only with King, but it is also about Jesus and Gandhi. It seems like anytime people advocate for peace, love and equality, people want to kill them. The song was also covered by Bob Dylan for his 1986 album, Knock Out Loaded.
By The Time I Get To Arizona – Public Enemy (1991)
Back in 1990 Arizona voted against recognizing Martin Luther King day as a federal holiday. This is Chuck D’s hard-hitting response to what he perceives as racist motives. The lyrics continued to resonate in later years in light of Arizona’s anti-immigration polices and the racist conduct of former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Like A King – Ben Harper (1994)
In this poignant tune, Harper draws parallels between Martin Luther King and victim of police brutality Rodney King. One line in particular which stands out is “Martin’s dream, has become Rodney’s worst nightmare.” Unfortunately the lyrics still resonate in light of ongoing issues with police brutality.
Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King Jr. – Lambchop (2008)
The lyrics composed by Lambchop lead singer and songwriter Kurt Wagner, contains poetic imagery to provide commentary about King’s vision. Only if the good Reverend was still alive to share a drink with, while still imparting his vision for a better future.
One – India.Arie (2013)
The song isn’t necessary about Martin Luther King, but the song is inline with his vision and it does have a powerful reference to him “Gandhi was a Hindu/ Martin Luther King, a Christian/ God is a religion, they knew love was the vision/ And it all comes down to one.” Instead of focusing on what divides, the song is about focusing on what unites.
Glory – John Legend (featuring Common) (2014)
The song was written for the movie Selma, which dealt with the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery. The song has a gospel feel. The song chronicles the different civil rights struggles that have taken place over the years. Common also raps the poignant line “King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up” referring to Dr. King’s historic last speech “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop.” The song also won the 2015 Academy Award for best original song.