This Land is My Land: Music as Politics
American politics has a soundtrack – from Yankee Doodle Dandy to Proud to Be an American. Written on front porches, in juke joints, on factory floors, on battlefields, and in endless rows of cotton, the songs of America reflect the struggles, sorrows, hopes, aspirations, and pride of its people. The lyrics and in some cases, composition and structure, of the music reflect not only the experiences of the individual artists, but the moment in time they occupied. This session will examine the lyrics and composition of songs from a variety of genres of American popular music, place those songs into the proper historical context, and examine the underlying political and social tensions which led to their recording. Depending upon time constraints and available technologies, this class can be conducted in small groups at “listening stations” by genre module via iPads or similar device, with the instructor moving between groups for discussions, or as a class via PowerPoint presentation with musical accompaniment.
I've divided the music into genres, with sample songs from each. Song selections can vary as time permits.
Historic Songs
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1755 by Richard Shuckburgh)
Star Spangled Banner (1814 by Francis Scott Key)
Dixie (1850s by Daniel Decatur Emmett, although authorship is disputed)
Battle Hymn of the Republic (1861 by Julia Ward Howe)
Blues and Jazz
Bourgeois Blues (1938 by Leadbelly)
Strange Fruit (1939 by Abel Meeropol, performed by Billie Holiday)
The House I Live In (1943 by Abel Meeropol, performed by Josh White)
Black, Brown and Beige (1943, 1958 by Duke Ellington, featuring Mahalia Jackson)
Political Blues (2006 by World Saxophone Quartet)
Rock/R&B/Soul
Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (1968 by James Brown)
Ohio (1970 by Neil Young, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)
Ball of Confusion (1970 by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, performed by The Temptations)
Born in the USA (1984 by Bruce Springsteen)
Rambozo the Clown (1986 by Jello Biafra, performed by Dead Kennedys)
Rap and Hip Hop
The Message (1982 by Melle Mel (Mel Glover), performed Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five)
Fight the Power (1989 by Chuck D, performed by Public Enemy)
Banned In the USA (1990 by 2 Live Crew)
Otherside Of The Game (1997 by Erykah Badu)
Auditorium (2009 by Mos Def)
Folk/Country/Americana
This Land Is Your Land (1940 by Woody Guthrie)
Blowing in the Wind (1963 by Bob Dylan)
Okie From Muskogee (1969 by Merle Haggard, Eddie Burris, performed by Merle Haggard)
Man in Black (1971 by Johnny Cash)
The Pill (1975 by Lorene Allen, Don McHan, and T. D. Bayless, performed by Loretta Lynn)
Not Ready to Make Nice (by Martie Seidel; Emily Robison; Natalie Maines; Daniel Dodd Wilson, performed by the Dixie Chicks)
I've divided the music into genres, with sample songs from each. Song selections can vary as time permits.
Historic Songs
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1755 by Richard Shuckburgh)
Star Spangled Banner (1814 by Francis Scott Key)
Dixie (1850s by Daniel Decatur Emmett, although authorship is disputed)
Battle Hymn of the Republic (1861 by Julia Ward Howe)
Blues and Jazz
Bourgeois Blues (1938 by Leadbelly)
Strange Fruit (1939 by Abel Meeropol, performed by Billie Holiday)
The House I Live In (1943 by Abel Meeropol, performed by Josh White)
Black, Brown and Beige (1943, 1958 by Duke Ellington, featuring Mahalia Jackson)
Political Blues (2006 by World Saxophone Quartet)
Rock/R&B/Soul
Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (1968 by James Brown)
Ohio (1970 by Neil Young, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)
Ball of Confusion (1970 by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, performed by The Temptations)
Born in the USA (1984 by Bruce Springsteen)
Rambozo the Clown (1986 by Jello Biafra, performed by Dead Kennedys)
Rap and Hip Hop
The Message (1982 by Melle Mel (Mel Glover), performed Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five)
Fight the Power (1989 by Chuck D, performed by Public Enemy)
Banned In the USA (1990 by 2 Live Crew)
Otherside Of The Game (1997 by Erykah Badu)
Auditorium (2009 by Mos Def)
Folk/Country/Americana
This Land Is Your Land (1940 by Woody Guthrie)
Blowing in the Wind (1963 by Bob Dylan)
Okie From Muskogee (1969 by Merle Haggard, Eddie Burris, performed by Merle Haggard)
Man in Black (1971 by Johnny Cash)
The Pill (1975 by Lorene Allen, Don McHan, and T. D. Bayless, performed by Loretta Lynn)
Not Ready to Make Nice (by Martie Seidel; Emily Robison; Natalie Maines; Daniel Dodd Wilson, performed by the Dixie Chicks)