Protest Songs is the fourth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout (though the third recorded). It was recorded in 1985, but was not released until 1989; it's not clear whether, at the time of recording, the band had intended it as the main follow-up to their breakthrough album Steve McQueen, released earlier in 1985. The back cover of Protest Songs positions the album as a stage in their musical evolution, offering a middle ground between the sound and songwriting of Steve McQueen and that of From Langley Park to Memphis. The album's promotion was low-key and no singles were released from it at the time (though "Life of Surprises" was issued as a single three years later to promote the group's greatest hits album).