The song that I choose to do this assignment on is Fight the Power by Public Enemy. Fight the Power was written in 1989 and quickly became a street anthem for millions of youths. It reflects with issues dealing with both the Civil Rights Movement and to remind everyone that they too have Constitutional Rights. This particular song is about empowerment but also fighting the abuse of power that is given to the law enforcement agencies. It gave citizens of the U.S a more modern outlook on the many struggles that not only the African American community is up against but the other minority groups as well. The song’s message was eventually supposed to bring people together and make the world a better place, even though some teens saw it as a way …show more content…
Another controversial but strong lyric that was written was “Elvis was hero to most but he never meant shit to me”. I believe this was said because to most of Elvis hit songs where during the 1960’s Rock N Roll era. This means that he was a hero and icon to most who lived through that era. Now, come the 1980’s and the public the same way does not look at many African American Hip Hop Artists like the group Public Enemy. They are not looked at as artist or even icons, they are simply said to be a bunch of “thugs” who are troubled and should go back to where they came from. My artist from the 1960’s was Bobby Darin, his Simple Song of Freedom lyrics can relate to the 1980’s Public Enemy Fight the Power song. They both send the message to others about Civil Rights and the importance of equality among all regardless of race, gender etc. The 1960’s generation was fighting the Vietnam War which most of the United States popular was against. The 1980’s generation was also fighting a war but it was geared toward corrupt Government Officials but most importantly being able to speak up for what you believe
During the 1960s and the early 1970s, music reflected the political and social changes that America was undergoing at the time. Some of these major changes included the African-American civil rights movement and the conflict over America’s role in the Vietnam War. During these hard times, people turned to music for hope, peace, happiness and answers.
A notoriously known singer, Elvis Presley, sang the song Jailhouse Rock in 1957. Elvis was born on January 8th 1935 and died August 16th 1977. Naturally, he was known for his singing, acting and songwriting. Presley was also known as “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” However, he did not compose Jailhouse Rock. The single, Jailhouse Rock was originally released in September of 1957 and reached # 1 on October 21st, 1957. Mike Stoller composed the song and was writing partners with Jerry Leiber. Stoller was born in Belle Harbor, Long Island. He was dedicated to writing songs mainly for genres, such as R&B and the Blues. Clearly, the music speaks of dancing and jamming to music in jail. Around this time, the song Jailhouse Rock was created to be used in an Elvis Presley movie. Elvis was to play a prisoner who becomes a star after he gets out of prison. Solely, the song was meant to better illustrate a movie Elvis was in at the time and the song also inspired the name for the film. As this song was released, America was going through the Civil war. During this month, the news reported federal troops escorting nine Black students into an all-white school.
To the persistent individual, though, there is a body of music in existence that merits regard. It is powerful music written by the youth of America, youngsters who did have a stake in the Vietnam War. There can be little question about the origins of the power which American protest music conveyed: those who wrote such music lived each day with the real knowledge that they were losing friends in, and could possibly be forced themselves to go to, Vietnam. One such group, Creedence Clearwater Revival, made its contribution to this genre near the end of the Vietnam War.
Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” In the 1950’s the South was heavily racially segregated. Elvis Presley unintentionally put himself in the position to become a valuable instrument in the battle against segregation. “Without casting himself as a fighter for racial equality, Elvis became a subversive standard bearer for cultural desegregation at a time when the codified racism of the South was under increasing pressure.” How did an uneducated white hillbilly from the south influence both black and white teenagers against segregation? It was quite simple, for Elvis Presley had a unique talent of combining traditional black music; such as the blues and jazz, with the traditional white music; like country and white gospel. This unique style of blending different types of music, gave Elvis the edge on the musical racial barriers America was facing; and open the path for both sides to enjoy the music together and therefore desegregated.
Music has always inspired people to think for themselves and find meanings within deep and confusing lyrics, giving them new perspective. Back during the times when the fight for civil rights was in full swing, music played an even bigger role. Some musicians used personal experience as inspiration for their work; it made their songs more relatable to the listeners and added a bit of personality to the music. The songs they wrote stimulated people to gather together and demand change. The bravery of the artists who spoke out against the way the country was headed allowed them to create these songs and get people together.
Elvis was the only solo person to be inducted into rock and roll, country, and gospel hall of fames another is he featured in 31 films. He was obviously very influential in this hard time for America, bringing blacks and whites closer also showing that not only can anyone serve in the army, but even stars go and serve too, also that it is nice to give back what you get and he for sure did that by all his donations to his charities. Not only was he influential, he was also very successful, he lived the American dream serving his country not only in the army but also emotionally and spiritually through his very uplifting music. Elvis Presley was unarguably one of the top 100 most influential people in America with these points and many others can just be the proof of that. Elvis Presley not only was influential to the people during that time but now he also changed the music culture and made it the amazing music we have in the modern
The 1960’s was one of the most controversial decades in American history because of not only the Vietnam War, but there was an outbreak of protests involving civil and social conditions all across college campuses. These protests have been taken to the extent where people either have died or have been seriously injured. However, during the 1960’s, America saw a popular form of art known as protest music, which responded to the social turmoil of that era, from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. A veritable pantheon of musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan sang their songs to encourage union organizers to protest the inequities of their time, creating a diverse variety of popular protest music, which has reached out to the youthful generations everywhere demanding for a revolutionary change. The protest music took the children of the 1960’s to a completely new different level. Musicians of this generation were not going to sit and do nothing while the government lied to the people about what was going on in Vietnam. Instead, they took their guitar-strumming troubadours from the coffee houses, plugged them in, and sent the music and the message into the college dorm rooms and the homes of the youth of America. However, as decades went by, protest music does not have much of an impact as it use to because of the way things have changed over the years. Through the analysis of the music during the 1960’s, there shall be an understanding on how the different genres of protest music has affected social protesters based on how musicians have become the collective conscience of that generation through their lyrics and music and the main factors that contributed to the lack of popula...
The first sign of music changing in society can be seen in the differences between songs protesting the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1952, America was in the heat of the Korean war, and the music in the background was folky and simple such as Pete Seeger’s “This Land is Your Land.” At that time, only one man, Ernest Tubb, dared protest this war. Even when Tubb wrote songs protesting the war, his lyrics had a softer tone than later rock and roll protest songs. “Dear Mom, was the way that it started / I miss you so much, / It went on Mom, I didn't know, that I loved you so / But I'll prove it when this war is won” (Tubb). Writing to his mother makes this song much softer and sweeter than songs of the later era. Word choices such as “I miss you so much” and the framing of the song as a letter make this song more of a simple and peaceful protest song. These songs could be seen as sweet and simple, but the artists and lyric writers of the next decade would see these songs as emotionless, and ignorant of the real problems going on around them.
Bob Dylan was considered one of the greatest influences on popular culture of all time, and though influential, Bob Dylan’s rise to idol status in popular culture was more brought about by historical factors, his life was affected by many historical events including, The Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War, the Kennedy assassination and the civil rights movement, to name a few. His songs became known as protest songs, despite Bob Dylan’s apparent lack of understanding for the meanings the public attached to his writing.
When someone thinks of Elvis Presley, they may think of the line “I’m all shook up,” his signature white flamboyant jumpsuit, or his stereotypical movies. However, Elvis was so much more than a singer, he was an influencer and an inspiration that paved the way for a new era of music as well as an age of acceptance. He can be considered one of the greatest musicians of all time not only because he won countless awards and honors, but because he also helped to merge African and Caucasian America, represented the American dream, and inspired many other successful musicians.
2. For example, the song “When Our Army And Our Navy Overtake the enemy” disseminated patriotism during the WWII, “Vietnam Blues” reflected that a majority of American opposed to the Vietnam War, and “Man In Black” protested racism in 1970s.
...-worshippers may think the reason I don't care for Elvis may be the times in which I grew up. I highly doubt that, as I have never put anyone on a pedestal and glorified him or her as so many have done with Elvis.
The music in the 1960s reflected what was going on in the real world. Things such as President Kennedy's assassination, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War had a big impact on music and what was being sung about during this time. Bob Dylan is commonly known for the songs he wrote that protested the war, like “Masters of War”, “With God on our Side”, and “Blowin’ in the
Nowhere and at no time was statement ever truer than at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. Music preserved the history of the movement, was movement biggest advocate, largest supporter, and greatest leader. Music embodied the movement likewise to how Martin Luther King did. But of the countless protest and songs, some did this especially well. Songs like “We Shall Overcome”, “We shall not be moved”, and “Go, tell it on the Mountain”.
The song I chose to do my project on is “Money” by Pink Floyd from their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. I chose this song because I grew up listening to Pink Floyd on the old record player with my father and this song was one of his many favorites. He used to tell me about this song and how it was relevant in the 70’s and to this day the old cash register noise always brings back memories. The song itself was Pink Floyd’s first hit in the US. The song represents the American dream of getting more money and the thought of money solving all the problems. People spend a great amount of their life trying to gain more money, whether it is investing their money, purchasing lottery tickets, spending it in casinos, working for it, or even stealing it. This song is about the bad things money can bring. Overall, I picked this