Few of us like being around angry people. If someone regularly sings angry songs in an angry manner, there's basically three possible scenarios:

1. You agree with him, in which case you're either all sitting on your anger (and would probably rather not be reminded of it), or are rousing each other to action. Rabble-rousing angry songs do exist, on every side of any serious political issue.

2. You don't care about his issue, in which case the angry singing would get tedious pretty fast. You might find it amusing or guilt-producing, but neither would make you inclined to pay him a minstrel's fee or invite him back to your coffeehouse for next time.

3. You disagree with him. That makes him, from your point of view, an idiot, a jerk, or a dangerous malcontent. Not only are you not gonna pay him to sing this stuff (or invite him to your next barn-raising), but maybe you and the boys oughta meet him out back and persuade him to wise up.

I suppose one COULD sing angrily about things that have no current political status, like a Baron taxing the Chandlers' Guild or perhaps Equal Rights for Picts, but if you can maintain anger on those subjects for very long, your audience will be quietly calling the men in the white coats.

--Nonie