How Santa Fe’s Raging Grannies Turned a Folk Tune into Political Protest

Before the Santa Fe Raging Grannies sing a word, the costumes have already set a scene. There are shawls, flowered aprons and extravagant hats, all drawing on an image of the kindly grandmother.

The group uses that image to catch people off guard. Its songs bring humor to political protest, and the gap between how the performers look and what they sing has helped their videos travel well beyond Santa Fe.

For ‘House of the Epstein Crimes,’ the Grannies use the melody of ‘The House of the Rising Sun.’ The parody directs attention to allegations surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch.

The words move the story to New Mexico. Images of polished floors and chandeliers convey wealth, while the lyrics also invoke secrecy and fear.

A listener can recognize the melody before working out where the new words are going. That brief delay gives the change in subject much of its force.

Watch the performance

The clothes create a similar effect. They invite people to expect something cozy, leaving the political lines that follow to alter the mood.

The name Raging Grannies contains the same joke in two words. It makes room for older women to be outspoken on their own terms.

Here, the old folk melody also carries something somber. Its familiar shape keeps the piece accessible as the lyrics take on a serious subject.

Details like sage and pinyon pines give the writing a local geography. New Mexico comes through as a specific place in the song.

The strongest moments come through in the pictures the lyrics create. The comfortable rooms they describe make the darker lines that follow more unsettling.

The group’s videos are easy to share because both the costumes and the familiar tunes are readable at a glance. Listeners can discover the political point as the performance develops.

That progression from recognition to surprise helps explain the appeal online. A short piece can begin with an outfit or tune people know and leave them thinking about the words.

The same approach runs through songs on other subjects, including immigration policy. An existing melody gives the group a structure it can put to work for a new argument.

Performing together matters to the effect. Several voices deliver a message collectively, and the audience can follow it without first learning an unfamiliar tune.

‘House of the Epstein Crimes’ shows how folk material can be recast for an immediate political purpose. Much of the performance’s weight comes from the tension between the old melody and the new narrative.

It also puts the performers’ age and appearance at the center of the work. The group turns the assumptions attached to those things into part of its delivery.

The same method is audible in the two videos below. The tunes change, but the Grannies still use an easily recognized musical opening to set up a pointed lyric.

Two more performances to explore

Battle Hymn of the Donald

In one companion video, the group sets its satire to the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ The familiar march gives a different frame to the contemporary political commentary.

Hit the Road, ICE!

The other clip takes the hook of ‘Hit the Road Jack’ and uses it in a criticism of immigration enforcement. Its rhythmic bounce makes for a different kind of parody.