ABSTRACT
The relation between rock and politics in the People’s Republic of Poland can be analyzed in at least three aspects. This chapter considers: (1) how national politics affected rock ‘n’ roll musicians, (2) whether rock affected national politics in return, and (3) how prevalent politics was in rock as a subject, theme, and object of interest of rock artists. The chapter questions several assumptions made in earlier studies of Polish rock, such as the notion that if someone played rock ‘n’ roll in the post-war Poland, it meant that they opposed the political system, or the belief that the communist regime was the only opponent of rock (while in reality “adult” society, heavily influenced by the Catholic tradition, would also protest against it).
