government relations
From Woodstock to Wisconsin When Music and Politics Meet in America Julie Brown, WMEA State Chair, Government Relations
Regardless of your political beliefs – or whether you are even interested in politics – there is no mistaking the power of music when large groups gather to sup- port or oppose politi- cal events. Rally and
protest songs have been a mainstay of our culture for centuries. Though the messages of these songs can be as different as the people who perform them – spontaneously or deliberately, solo or en masse – they all are meant to stir up emotion both in those listening and those performing.
The Origins of Patriotic Standards Some of the earliest rally songs in our country have become patriotic standards. “The Liberty Song” was written in 1768 and is considered by many to be the oldest patriotic song written in America. In it is the line “by uniting we stand, by dividing we fall” which is the first recorded use of the statement. The most popular song to come out of the Revolutionary war was, and still remains, “Yankee Doodle.” The American Civil War gave us “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” “God Bless America” came along just after the end of the First World War in 1918. All of these songs, and many more, are still popular today
and are performed widely for holidays and other special occasions honoring our country.
Protest Songs That Shaped Our Nation Though often more controversial than rally songs, protest songs have also had a powerful impact on our musical culture. Some have even entered into the realm of musical standards. “One Tin Soldier” was first recorded in 1969 as an anti-Vietnam anthem. Another song that became popu- lar during the Vietnam War era was Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” recorded in 1963 on his album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. John Lennon’s 1971 clas- sic asked us all to “Imagine” a world of religious freedoms, no need for war and no boundaries, hunger or pain. These are just three examples of some of the protest songs that have worked their way into not only the standard musical repertoire, but also into many of our nation’s music programs’ curricula.
More Protest Songs
Because protest songs tend to be more brazen than rally songs simply by their very definition and nature, there have been a wide variety of protest songs that, while culturally relevant, will probably not enter an elementary school music program anytime soon. Literally hundreds of pro- test songs were born out of the Vietnam War era. Marvin Gaye recorded an entire concept album, What’s Going On, in 1971. The songs are told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning from the war and seeing nothing but injustice and hatred. Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” is a call to basically fight oppression of any form and was recorded in 1973. In the 1980s, the hair band Twisted Sister recorded “We’re Not Gonna Take It” in an act of defiance against any and all powers-that-be. More recently, artists like Green Day, who recorded “Minority” to
26 April 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68