That the OP thinks protest songs "won't work" indicates he must have a narrow view of what a protest song "does." First reaction to the thread title was "welp, DT isn't likely to LISTEN to any of this," but that's not the entire point of protest songs, either.

How protest songs have functioned in the past has never been a cause/effect relationship, but as a tool for protesters in a variety of ways.
- for organization
- A general stating of point of view
- A response to a particular person
- A response to a specific attitude
- A response to a specific event
- Suggesting changes to attitudes, policy, platform
- Drawing attention to wrongs
- Illuminating specific parallels with similar events that were disasters.
- a rallying cry
- a way to focus on a particular issue
- a way to give ordered voice to turbulent emotions

I could list ways until next Tuesday, and not cover all the ways protest songs function for those singing them. Ineffective, poorly written songs don't help any movement, but as was noted, they'll not be what carries on. Humor, satire, well written, have always been a more direct way of hitting the target - and with 45, mockery gets through his thin skin where outright rage only encourages him. I also see a difficulty in diffusion of attention, because this administration is taking a shotgun approach to dismantling government, and it's hard to know which direction to look on any given day - EPA? Education? Healthcare? Economics? Corruption? International affairs? It's a full slate of issues!

Seeking out the songwriters with a solid history of effective songs for protest and peace, seeing what they have to bring to the job, this WILL work, but it's going to be skirmish by skirmish, and protest songs are the battle cry of people who are doing far more than singing about injustice. Pete Seeger singing about cleaning up the Hudson, Pat Humphries' song being sung by thousands in China, gospel songs by civil rights marchers... all "worked"

There's a larger picture here, the upswing in active bigotry needs voices saying "this is NOT right." I prefer to sing.

Joanne in Cleveland