This Week with David Rovics

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Weekly 5-minute (or so) musical commentary on history and current events.

David Rovics


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 775 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from This Week with David Rovics

    New song: "Gunning Down Little Girls and Boys"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 2:47


    Every day since the US/Israeli mercenaries set up their fake aid distribution killing field, they have committed a massacre of starving children -- children who have been starved by those very same governments who are putting food parcels in their hands and bullets in their backs.  Was there something else in the news?

    New song: "Survivors"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2025 3:16


    The Israeli regime has been telling us all along what's coming next: mass expulsion or death for everyone in Gaza. Do you believe them yet?

    New song: "The War Machine"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 2:57


    Israel has one company that makes the sorts of bunker-busting missiles that have been annihilating the population of Gaza for so many years (Elbit Systems).  The US has the rest of them, which provide Israel with most of its missiles, fighter jets, etc.  Otherwise known as the American war machine -- without which the genocide would not be possible.

    New song: "Israel's War on Children (Another Night in Gaza)"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 4:07


    The girl in the flames the world has been seeing over Memorial Day weekend actually survived the bombing of the classroom she was sleeping in, unlike the many other children and women and men who were burned alive, in that and other Israeli air strikes targeting children throughout Gaza, throughout the weekend.

    What the Folk? interview with David Rovics

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 120:34


    I spoke at length with folks from Atlanta, Georgia for the What the Folk? show on WRFG Community Radio. Here's the whole show -- the interview segments as well as all the excellent song selections from various artists that comprise the rest of this wonderful two-hour radio show.

    "Where Were You (When the Jewish State Committed Genocide)" REMIX H

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 3:01


    I'm very excited to announce that the brilliant Laura Love is contributing vocal harmony parts to tracks on my upcoming album, such as this one.  What these harmonies are adding to the impact of the songs is immeasurable, in my humble opinion.

    New song: "If We're All Palestinians"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 3:44


    In the Israeli military there is a popular expression.  They say the soldiers of the world's most moral army, as they call themselves, care so much about humanity -- even Palestinian humanity -- that they are all crying while they're shooting.  I'm quite certain the same is true for Elias Rodriguez as he shot the Israeli diplomats.

    Labour Beat radio interview

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 54:19


    On my recent trip to BC I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Brian Charlton & Stephen Harvey for their Labour Beat radio show. We had a wide-ranging and downright fascinating conversation. The first 40 minutes of this episode represents Part 1.

    Hornby Island Radio Interview

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 58:35


    When I was in BC recently I was interviewed at some length by Cornelius Lundsgaard for Hornby Island Community Radio.

    New song: "In Our Dreams"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 3:05


    When all is lost, all that's left is our dreams.

    "Where Were You (When the Jewish State Committed Genocide)" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 2:57


    Another powerful and timely remix to the latest song I've recorded, from Chet Gardiner.

    Judging FalastinVision 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 12:00


    While EuroVision was getting the headlines, FalastinVision was where you could find the most relevant music.

    Genocide and the Deafening Silence

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 15:55


    Some thoughts on the silent majority.

    New song: "When the Jewish State Committed Genocide"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 3:06


    There is a mythology so many of us grew up with, that because of the experience of the Nazi holocaust, Jews were generally a more moral people, as a whole, and no state run almost entirely by Jews could possibly do something like genocide another people. This mythology was wrong, and Gaza is the evidence.  

    "As We Watched a Million Children Die" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 2:45


    Chet added some musical touches to serve the song and turn up the intensity a notch.

    "This is What Genocide Looks Like" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 3:29


    Chet Gardiner has made some powerful improvements to the song, with various instruments.  The genocide of the people of Gaza is happening now, via famine and disease.  One thing you can do right now is share this song.  Songs can reach places the news stories don't.

    New song: "As We Watched a Million Children Die"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 2:52


    The Israeli plan is to kill everyone in Gaza -- "to holocaust them," as Netanyahu's advisors say live on national TV, in Hebrew.

    Unfinished Business interview with David Rovics

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 66:31


    I had a good time chatting the other day with the hosts of the podcast, Unfinished Business with Paul & Rob. We talked about Gaza and music and other things.  The interview with me begins 12 minutes in.

    Travelogue 5.2025: Visiting Countries on Top of the Target List

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 21:08


    A few thoughts from my recent travels in Canada and Denmark.

    New song: "This is What Genocide Looks Like"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 3:29


    Entering the third month of Israel's total embargo on Gaza, the starvation has begun.

    Interview with Americans Who Tell the Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 12:29


    Americans Who Tell the Truth -- americanswhotellthetruth.org -- is a brilliant project that's been going for decades now, which involves portraits painted by Robert Shetterley of many wonderful people.  I was interviewed recently for the website by Constance Carter, AWTT's Director of Education, and the interview was so nicely edited that I thought I'd share it with you.

    Staging A Rally

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2025 13:22


    Do it well, and you might just grow a movement. Do it badly, and you can kill it in the bud.

    Earth Day 2025 Live from my Living Room

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 59:22


    Here's a little Earth Day preview of the sort of concert folks have in store coming right up in BC and Denmark...

    The Letter Liz Cheney Didn't Write, and the Movement That Isn't

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 16:58


    Some of us were just going for the bread and circus, but when we went there, we found neither.

    Travelogue 4.2025: Random Reflections of a Wobbly Wobbly

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 30:09


    After our visit to Mexico, we spent several days in southern California and three weeks between England and Scotland.

    "International Law" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 3:18


    Almost a month into Israel's complete blockade of food, water, medicine or anything else getting into the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli military orders mass evacuations of Palestinians to an unknown destination, here is Chet Gardiner's chilling remix of my most recent song about all of that.

    New song: "International Law"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 3:18


    The only groups that are actually trying to enforce international law when it comes to Israel's war crimes are organizations that are illegal in many western countries to say anything nice about, or you risk being considered a terrorist.

    New song: "The World According to MAGA"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 3:10


    Normally the ruling elite is supposed to be able to distinguish between reality and their own propaganda, even if most of the commoners believe it. With the new administration, it appears that these people actually believe their own lies, and are actively setting up a whole regime based on them being true.

    New song: "St Patrick's Day in Churubusco"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 2:28


    A song about what Kamala and I have been doing for the past several days in Mexico City.

    "Mahmoud Khalil" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 2:29


    As we wait to hear whether Mahmoud Khalil will be given a trial, be deported without one, sent to Guantanamo, or who knows what, here's Chet Gardiner's powerful remix of the song I just wrote.

    New song: "Mahmoud Khalil"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 2:43


    ICE agents taking orders directly from the top and disappearing a student activist with no warrant, no due process, canceling his green card and holding him incommunicado in an unknown location, this is what's happening in the USA right now.

    The Disconnected 20% That Runs It All

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 18:23


    Some thoughts on that majority element of top-quintile US society that persistently refers to itself as "the middle class."

    "Toddlers-in-Chief" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2025 2:07


    Another fab remix from Chet Gardiner, of a song that's at least as relevant as it was a few days ago, when I wrote it, after that meeting in the Oval Office.

    March 15-16 the Make the Planet Earth Great Again WORLD TOUR begins in MEXICO CITY!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 6:20


    The Ministry of Culture is thrilled to be kicking off our 2025 bout of touring with the St. Patrick's Weekend events in Mexico City! We're also looking forward to LA, London, Glasgow and elsewhere after that! More info: davidrovics.com/tour

    New song: "Toddlers-in-Chief"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 2:18


    I'm constantly unable to decide whether they're brilliantly theatrical, Machiavellian coup-plotters or just bumbling billionaires whose emotional development stalled out a long time ago.

    New song: "Meanwhile in Gaza"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 2:44


    The Israeli government has shut off the Gaza Ghetto completely, so no food can get in.  After a brief message from our sponsors, this holocaust now continues.

    The People Want Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 7:27


    I have some free advice to anyone trying to organize a memorable protest or a successful social movement.

    Jury Duty

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 16:49


    I don't know what came over me, but this time when I got the summons for jury duty, I didn't make up a reason why I couldn't do it.  Next time I get such a summons, I'll make sure I'm out of town, or have a sick child to care for.

    "What do you mean you haven't seen the new Dylan movie?!"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 11:22


    Somehow I have a lot to say about a movie I haven't seen yet. Sort of a non-review here.

    "It's A Coup" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 2:48


    OK, now they're firing all the military lawyers who are supposed to be responsible for determining whether a command is legal or not.  Folks, this is definitely a coup, in case there was any question.  This is not a corruption cleanup operation, it is a dictatorship installation operation.  Here's Chet Gardiner's hopping remix of the song I wrote about it earlier this month.

    New song: "What's Going on Here, Montreal?" #FreeYvesEngler

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025 3:09


    To the list of allegedly democratic, free countries where the police arrest journalists for writing in opposition to Israeli fascism, we may now add Canada.

    "The Richest Man in the World Says So" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 3:30


    A really lively remix of this song I wrote earlier this month (that Elon Musk earned every penny of), with an especially counterpunctual bass line, from Chet Gardiner's studio in Hawai'i.

    Punishment and Appeasement

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 21:49


    "The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and thus we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe."  Albert Einstein 

    Remembering Joan S. Livingston

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 9:02


    I learned belatedly that the wonderful and brilliant woman on the left of this photo, Joan S. Livingston, died last month, at the age of 70. This photo is from December 1st, 2024, last time I was in Boston, playing at the Community Church of Boston, where I had seen her so many times before.

    New song: "It's A Coup"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 2:54


    Another song for the ongoing DOGE coup d'etat.

    Discussion with Peter Phillips, author of Titans of Capital

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 38:52


    In a special episode of This Week with David Rovics, I had a discussion earlier today with Peter Phillips about his new book, Titans of Capital: How Concentrated Wealth Threatens Humanity. 

    Immigration: Myths and Realities, "The Economy," and What Happened in 2006

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 18:27


    With Trump's new round of immigration raids, detention centers, and protests against them, I'm remembering two decades ago.

    New song: "The Richest Man in the World Says So"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 3:46


    Finally, Elon gets his own song.

    "He's Copying Me": Making Sense of the Moment

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 15:01


    Will the real populist please stand up?

    "When the People United" REMIX

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 3:08


    A dreamy rendition of a song which is itself a dream.

    New song: "When the People United"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 3:20


    After the worldwide revolution, when the people united, we looked back at our accomplishments.

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