The Sounds of Lebanese Resistance

Lebanon is well known as the country of everlasting revolution, resisting oppression and overcoming national hurdles are part of who we are as a nation. Lebanese people have lived through countless wars, political upheavals, and economic collapses, yet we have always risen above it all as one nation.

This reality is deeply rooted in our history and is reflected in pop culture, from traditional dabke dance, which embodies patriotic strength and unity, performed not only during celebrations but also during public demonstrations. Similarly, many songs express love for the country and the enduring spirit of the Lebanese people. In this time of the nation’s revolution, it feels only right to remember them.

Against this patriotic backdrop, each revolution has its own hymn or songs, and the popular uprising that began on October 17, 2019, is no exception. Lebanon is a country that has inspired countless patriotic songs, so it is only natural that this protest movement has not settled on a single anthem, but rather carries an entire playlist of resistance.

Some songs have been played on loop since October 17 across public squares, streets, and gatherings. From Julia Boutrous, the wife of former Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab, to Fairuz’s iconic Li Beirut, these songs have become symbols of patriotism and hope.

Just yesterday, Lebanon saw attacks that have affected civilians across Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, with verified reports documenting casualties and destruction, but the spirit of the Lebanese people continues to endure through art and song.

Lebanon’s civil defense service said the strikes had killed at least 254 people and injured 1,165. Lebanon’s Health Ministry put the preliminary death toll from the new strikes at 203, heaping more casualties on the more than 1,500 in Lebanon already killed in the more than five-week-old Israeli invasion.

We’ve curated a playlist of Lebanese patriotic songs, celebrating the music that has fueled resilience and hope through decades of struggle:

Ya Watani (1970s)

Marcel Khalife