Protest Through Song
Sunday, July 26, 2026
Hosted by Alison Ward with special guest Robin & Amelia
Playlist
[01:27]
Finish the Fight
— Suffs
(opening)
[06:48]
I Know Where I've Been
— Hairspray
[11:59]
Do You Hear the People Sing
— Les Miserables
[20:46]
The World Will Know
— Newsies
[15:26]
Speechless
— Aladdin
[21:56]
Revolting Children
— Matilda
[31:44]
Found/Tonight
(Ben Platt & Lin-Manuel Miranda)
[31:41]
They Don't Care About Us
— MJ the Musical
[38:00]
Remember Me (Lullaby)
— Coco
[47:35]
Make Them Hear You
— Ragtime
[40:56]
Maybe This Time
— Cabaret
[46:54]
I Was Here
— Suffs
[48:30]
Defying Gravity
— Wicked
(movie soundtrack)
Transcript
[00:55]
Crumbs from a country that doesn't care what I say
[01:01]
I don't wanna follow in old footsteps
[01:03]
I don't wanna be a meek little pawn
[01:09]
I'm marching the street
[01:11]
I wanna get on the line
[01:13]
And stand with my sisters to stir up a strike
[01:18]
I wanna cut through the noise
[01:20]
And make a fire ignite
[01:22]
Jim has made
[01:27]
Yes, I wanna finish the fight
[01:34]
You won't live to see the future that you fight for
[01:47]
Maybe no one gets to reach that perfect day
[01:51]
If the work is never out, do you keep marching anyway?
[01:59]
Do you carry your banner as far as you can?
[02:05]
Rewriting the world with your imperfect pen
[02:09]
Till the next stubborn girl picks it up
[02:12]
In a piggy line over and over again
[02:16]
And you join in the chorus of centuries
[02:20]
Chanting to her
[02:22]
The path will be twisted and risky and slow
[02:26]
But keep more, keep more
[02:31]
Will you fail or prevail?
[02:33]
May never, but keep more
[02:36]
Marching cries
[02:40]
Your ancestors are all that progress is pros
[02:46]
Not giving tea
[02:49]
Marching demons
[02:55]
You merely want every gentleman
[03:22]
In justice and neither
[03:27]
And Happy Sunday!
[05:27]
You are listening to Better Living Through Showtoons
[05:30]
here on WORT 89.9 FM Madison
[05:35]
I'm your host for today, Alison Ward
[05:38]
And we kicked off today's show with the last two songs from Sufs
[05:46]
So finish the fight where we see old and new generations
[05:54]
still fighting for the same things
[05:58]
and the reminder to keep marching
[06:03]
It's been a hard week
[06:09]
and that's an understatement
[06:11]
And I think that as we
[06:16]
keep marching, as we keep fighting, as we keep
[06:19]
requesting justice
[06:22]
we have to remember that
[06:25]
there is a foundation
[06:28]
that was set for us ahead of time
[06:31]
and that we need to continue
[06:33]
marching on with
[06:35]
And so today's show is a day of protest,
[06:37]
is a day of peace, is a day of love,
[06:39]
is a day of strength
[06:42]
and being in solidarity with one another
[06:45]
And so up next we are going to hear
[06:48]
I Know Where I've Been
[06:50]
from Hairspray
[11:29]
The beating of your heart echoes
[11:32]
The beating of the drums
[11:34]
There is a life about to start
[11:37]
when tomorrow comes
[11:41]
Will you join in our crusade
[11:44]
Who will be strong and stand with me
[11:47]
Beyond the barricade
[11:50]
Is there a world too long to see
[11:53]
Then join in the fight
[11:55]
That will give you the right to be free
[11:59]
Do you hear the people sing
[12:02]
Singing the song of angry death
[12:05]
It is the music of our people
[12:09]
Be slaves again
[12:11]
When the beating throws the beating
[12:15]
On the terrace of life
[12:23]
Will you give all you can give
[12:25]
So that our hearts
[12:29]
Some will fall and some will live
[12:31]
Will you stand and take your chance
[12:34]
The blood of the martyrs
[12:36]
The marches will march
[12:37]
At the meadows of God
[12:39]
They're in hearse
[13:13]
They think we're nothing
[13:14]
Are we nothing
[13:15]
Bullets are in hearse
[13:17]
They think they got us
[13:18]
Do they got us
[13:19]
No
[13:21]
Even though we ain't got hats or badges
[13:24]
We're a union
[13:25]
Just by saying so
[13:28]
Whatcha gonna take to stop the wagons
[13:35]
Are we ready?
[13:36]
Yeah
[13:37]
Whatcha gonna take to stop the scabbas
[13:41]
Can we do it?
[13:42]
Yeah
[13:43]
We'll do what we gotta do
[13:45]
Until break the will of might
[13:47]
Bill and Joe
[13:49]
Mr. Hurston pull it to rap
[14:23]
When the circulation bell starts ringing
[14:25]
We'll hear it
[14:27]
No
[14:29]
Then the Delanceys come out swinging
[14:31]
Will we hear it?
[14:32]
Moises singing
[14:35]
Mr. Me on the whack to whip
[15:24]
But he won't whip
[15:25]
Buns are in
[15:26]
Speechless from the Aladdin motion picture
[20:46]
Before that we heard the world will know
[20:50]
I'm from Newsies
[20:54]
And do you hear the people sing from Les Mis?
[20:58]
If you can't already hear them in the background
[21:01]
I have two kiddos on the mic today
[21:04]
And so both of them wanted to get a chance to say hi
[21:07]
And so here are my kiddos
[21:10]
Hi
[21:11]
What's your name?
[21:12]
Robin
[21:13]
Alright, where's the other?
[21:15]
She's hiding
[21:16]
Our mic is falling
[21:19]
Hello
[21:20]
And what's your name?
[21:21]
Amelia
[21:22]
You're the magic of the garden
[21:25]
Garden magic
[21:26]
No, we're gonna sing a little bit
[21:28]
Okay, now we're gonna let mama do some talking
[21:31]
Okay
[21:33]
But we have
[21:37]
We're gonna continue
[21:39]
Our peaceful protest through song
[21:43]
We're going to continue to
[21:48]
Listen to that motivation
[21:50]
Find love
[21:51]
Find community
[21:52]
And what better thing to bring us together than music
[21:56]
So up next we are going to hear revolting children
[22:00]
From Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
[25:27]
Have you ever felt, ever felt forgotten?
[25:37]
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
[25:44]
They tell you
[26:25]
Tomorrow there'll be more
[26:34]
I'll be often to carry you
[27:01]
When you're broken on the ground
[27:04]
Let the sun come streaming in
[27:09]
Reach up and you'll rise again
[27:11]
No matter what they tell you
[27:32]
Tomorrow there'll be more of us
[27:35]
Telling story after story
[28:56]
Everybody alligator in the sun
[28:58]
All the news
[28:59]
Everybody dog food
[29:00]
Bang bang shot day
[29:01]
Everybody combat
[29:02]
All I wanna say is that
[29:03]
They don't even ever break me
[29:15]
Will me
[29:17]
You can never kill me
[29:18]
Beat, mash me
[29:19]
You can never trash me
[29:20]
Hit, mic me
[29:21]
Throw your back off
[31:41]
Song They Don't Care About Us from MJ the Musical
[31:44]
Before that we heard Found Tonight
[31:48]
sung by Ben Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda
[31:52]
And again before that we heard
[31:54]
Revolting Children from Matilda the Musical
[31:57]
The motion picture soundtrack
[32:05]
Being a parent in all of this
[32:10]
And in trying to find my own piece
[32:17]
Trying to continue to move forward
[32:19]
While also grieving with our community
[32:23]
And just imagining how it would feel
[32:28]
In so many other spaces
[32:32]
It's hard
[32:34]
And as my girls are crawling around the radio station right now
[32:41]
I am forever grateful for this community radio
[32:45]
To be here for each other
[32:48]
To be here for you the listener
[32:50]
And to be able to continue to stand together
[32:55]
And again use music as a way of healing
[33:00]
And telling stories
[33:02]
And so like I had said before
[33:05]
We are able to use music as a way of protest
[33:09]
But also as a way of healing
[33:11]
And so up next we're going to listen to Love Heels
[33:15]
Which was a bonus track for Rent
[33:18]
The original motion picture soundtrack
[33:21]
So here is Love Heels
[33:23]
Like a prayer
[33:45]
Like the flicker
[33:47]
And the flare
[33:49]
Like a sky reveal
[33:52]
Like a rock
[33:56]
That you want
[34:07]
Like the ocean
[38:00]
Is Remember Me
[38:01]
Next up is Remember Me
[38:03]
Remember me
[38:11]
To say goodbye
[38:15]
Remember me
[38:17]
Don't let it make you cry
[38:22]
For even if I'm far away
[38:25]
I hold you in my heart
[38:27]
I sing a secret song to you
[38:30]
Each night we are apart
[38:34]
Remember me
[38:37]
Though I have to travel far
[38:40]
Remember me
[38:43]
Each time you hear a sad guitar
[38:47]
Know that I'm with you
[38:49]
The only way that I can be
[38:53]
Until your arms
[38:58]
Make them heal
[39:54]
Make them heal
[39:56]
And say to they must
[40:00]
For the way we chose to fight
[40:03]
That sometime there are battles
[40:06]
That are more than black
[40:08]
Or red and my sword
[40:15]
Make them heal
[40:19]
Tell our story
[40:24]
To your daughters and your sons
[40:27]
Make them heal
[40:29]
Egg them in
[40:31]
Tell them in our struggle
[40:35]
Not the only ones
[40:38]
Make them heal
[40:40]
Raise his voice and my brothers
[40:56]
Maybe this time I'll be lucky
[42:03]
Maybe this time you'll stay
[42:12]
This time for the fun
[42:55]
Love me
[45:11]
Hello speaking
[45:12]
It's Mary here with Phyllis in Nashville
[45:14]
And
[45:16]
Mary what happened?
[45:18]
It passed
[45:21]
They did it
[45:22]
We did it
[45:26]
Go on now
[45:30]
Tell me how much easier this all would have been without my trouble making
[45:35]
Not this time
[45:37]
I bet all the white ladies were crying rivers, huh?
[45:41]
Oh, they sure were
[45:43]
But me and mama we danced our way right out the state house, didn't we?
[45:48]
Your mama dancin'
[45:51]
Now I would like to see that
[45:55]
Dance, okay?
[45:59]
They'll still stop our women from voting
[46:12]
Same as they do to our men
[46:16]
I know, but I'm so tired of fightin'
[46:21]
And so
[46:26]
Lifting as we climb
[46:29]
Onward and upward we go
[46:33]
Say it mama
[46:35]
And so
[46:38]
Lifting as we climb
[46:41]
Onward and upward we go
[46:44]
And so
[46:46]
Lifting as we climb
[46:48]
Onward and upward we go
[46:52]
I want my mother to know
[46:54]
I was here
[46:55]
I want my sisters to know
[46:57]
I was
[46:58]
Great granddaughter to know
[47:03]
Was he
[47:14]
Great granddaughter to know
[47:25]
That was
[47:26]
I Was Here
[47:27]
From Sufts
[47:28]
Before that we heard
[47:30]
Maybe This Time
[47:31]
From Cabaret
[47:33]
And before that we also heard
[47:35]
Make Them Hear You
[47:36]
And if you didn't get a chance to hear the girls introducing
[47:39]
Remember me
[47:41]
The Lullaby
[47:42]
From
[47:43]
Coco
[47:44]
I think that
[47:49]
One of the biggest things to remember
[47:53]
One, take care of yourselves
[47:55]
Know your rights
[47:57]
And as you
[47:58]
Keep marching
[47:59]
As you
[48:01]
Keep
[48:03]
You know, moving forward in justice
[48:05]
And
[48:06]
Again, take care of yourselves
[48:11]
Take care of each other
[48:12]
Take care of our community
[48:14]
Thank you so much for listening
[48:16]
To Better Living Through Showtoons here on
[48:18]
WORT 89.9 FM Madison
[48:24]
I will fully admit that my playlist
[48:26]
Ends a little bit earlier than I was anticipating it to
[48:29]
But
[48:30]
Up next we are going to listen to Defying Gravity
[48:33]
And then
[48:35]
I'm going to be picking
[48:37]
A final song
[48:39]
But again, thank you so much for being with me today
[48:44]
Embracing the chaos that is my twins
[48:47]
And again, marching on with me
[48:51]
So here is
[48:53]
Defying Gravity from
[48:55]
The Wicked
[48:57]
Soundtrack
[48:59]
Movie Soundtrack
[49:20]
How you would grovel in submission
[49:22]
To feed your own ambition
[49:24]
So though I can't imagine how
[49:28]
Right
[49:37]
Please listen to me
[49:43]
Just say you're sorry
[49:45]
You can still be with the wizard
[49:50]
What you for?
[49:51]
You can have all you ever
[49:59]
Don't want it
[50:07]
I can't think has
[50:29]
Just within the else's gaze
[50:49]
For second guessing
[50:53]
To go back to sleep
[50:58]
It's time to trust my instincts
[51:03]
Close my eyes
[51:05]
And leave
[51:17]
I think I
[51:18]
And you can't be done
[51:25]
You're having delusions of grandeur
[51:31]
All limits
[51:34]
Cause someone says they're so
[51:37]
Dumb things I cannot change
[51:39]
What if what we could do?
[52:22]
Meted
[52:23]
Together we're meted
[52:28]
Together we'll be
[52:36]
The way we planned them
[52:38]
If we work in tandem
[52:41]
There's no fight we cannot
[52:44]
Us
[53:02]
Dump
[53:03]
You're happy
[53:26]
Hope it brings you
[53:35]
I really hope you get it
[53:37]
And you don't live to regret it
[53:40]
The Atwood Music Hall presents
[59:33]
Chuck Prophet on Saturday, August 1st
[59:36]
Over the last decade, Madison audiences have had many opportunities to dig Chuck Prophet.
[59:41]
The singer-songwriter played at the Sessions at McPike Park and Headline Orton Park Festival.
[59:46]
After spending some downtime recovering from cancer, Chuck returned in 2024 with Wake the Dead,
[59:52]
backed by the cumbia sounds of the band Kiansabe.
[59:55]
Chuck describes his current tour as a cool little four-piece acoustic country rock road band.
[60:01]
No backing tracks, just the sound of wood, wire, skin, and air moving around a room,
[60:06]
with backing from his wife Stephanie on piano
[60:09]
and longtime collaborators Mike Anderson and Shawn Nelson on bass and snare.
[60:14]
More information about this show can be found at theatwoodmusical.com
[60:18]
Chuck Prophet brings his stripped-down acoustic show to the Atwood Music Hall on Saturday, August 1st.
[60:25]
You are listening to WORT 89.9 FM Madison and WORT FM.org
[60:32]
You are listening to WORT Madison, Wisconsin 89.9 FM
[60:39]
Your community supported listener-sponsored radio station
[60:43]
My name is Ford Blackwell. The program is on the horizon
[60:48]
And we'll have world music for you for the next couple of hours