Historical quotes

November 26, 2007 9:28 PM

Are there any music files that feature quotes from historical social, political, and economic events, much like Kenny G's Auld Lang Syne?

Much like this, quotes from famous events in chronological order. They don't have to be set to music. Hell, maybe just a page of separate files of historical quotes would work. Oh yeah, I'm looking for events from the 70s through now.

posted by daninnj to media & arts (15 comments total)

Cult of Personality by Living Colour starts with a Malcolm X quote and ends with a John Kennedy quote (the quotes are pre-70s, and the song is from the 80s, so it might not fit your parameters, but it's a good example of what you're asking for, if I'm reading your question correctly).
posted by amyms at 9:41 PM on November 26, 2007

P.S. Cult of Personality has an FDR quote too.
posted by amyms at 9:43 PM on November 26, 2007

Not very musical, but The Beatles' Revolution Number 9 has a lot of quotes if I remember correctly. And I think that the Tori Amos cover of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" on Strange Little Girls has some quotes as well...I have to admit, I don't like either of these songs very much.
posted by hue at 10:13 PM on November 26, 2007

Simon & Garfunkel's 7 O'Clock News/Silent Night has a newcaster speaking over an acapella version of the carol.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:17 PM on November 26, 2007

There is Churchill's speech toward the begining of Fool's Overture (youtubish TorontoFilter). Is that the kind of thing you are talking about?
posted by Chuckles at 11:35 PM on November 26, 2007

Both Fight the Power and Can't Truss It by Public Enemy are opened by powerful excerpts from Malcolm X speeches. By the time Chuck D says, "Here come the drums!" in Can't Truss It, I'm ready to stand up and rip something apart.

The live version of Iron Maiden's Aces High from their Live After Death album features a very rousing Churchhll speech ("We shall defend our islands whatever the cost. We shall never surrender!") as its intro.
posted by ignignokt at 1:45 AM on November 27, 2007

The Holy Bible by the Manic Street Preachers features historical audio quotes on every track. They've used them on other albums and singles too. You can find info on all the quotes (Ginsberg, Hubert Selby Jr, Malcolm X, Ballard, Flavour Flav etc) they have used in their career on this site (quotes section.)
posted by fire&wings at 3:16 AM on November 27, 2007

The lyrics to War by Bob Marley were taken from a speech Haile Selassie delivered at the UN.
posted by micayetoca at 5:08 AM on November 27, 2007

R.E.M.'s "Exhuming McCarthy" has a sample of Joseph Welch rebuking Joe McCarthy during the 1954 Army-McCarthy Hearings:

Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator...You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?

posted by kirkaracha at 6:30 AM on November 27, 2007

Moodswing's cover of "State of Independence" (on the Moodfood album) samples from the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Beautiful People's album "If 60s were 90s" has (I think) several samples of Jimi Hendrix speaking throughout. Not political, but definitely representative of a certain time.

Thievery Corp's "Exploration" has a quote by an astronaut (can't come up with his name right now). I'm pretty sure I've heard at least one other electronica track sample the same quote, which starts "I look at it as the beginning, really, of an exploration." Maybe someone else can identify the speaker.
posted by adamrice at 6:39 AM on November 27, 2007

Aaron Copeland's "Lincoln Portrait."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:30 AM on November 27, 2007

Ministry: "N.W.O." samples George H. W. Bush -

"What we are looking at is good and evil, right and wrong." "A new world order" "We're not about to make that same mistake twice."
posted by mjbraun at 7:54 AM on November 27, 2007

Wax Audio

See "Major Combat Operations"
posted by pompomtom at 3:34 PM on November 27, 2007

Ratcat's "getting away from this world" had samples of the voiceover from the Challenger space shuttle launch...at least I think it was the challenger.
posted by robotot at 4:27 PM on November 27, 2007

There was an incredibly awful, exploitive remix of Don Henley's "New York Minute" that came out post-9/11 with news commentary from that day. It was icky.
posted by InnocentBystander at 9:23 PM on November 27, 2007