The issue of race is something the world faces in almost every element of life. In todays society there are issues of racism in politics, crime and media. One form of media that can be looked into specifically is music. Kembrew addresses this in lecture by stating, “Music and culture flow across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic boundaries” (McLeod Week One). Recently a particular Brad Paisley song featuring LL Cool J has sparked some controversy for acknowledging racism in a country song. The song is titled “Accidental Racist” and is featured on Brad Paisley’s new album Wheelhouse. The song brings up racism in a genre that tends to avoid controversy and typical does not discuss race. The way this song is being viewed brings up many interesting cultural questions about todays country music and the history of the genre.
The song “Accidental Racist” uses many cultural symbols that tend to create controversy in todays society. For example one of the main symbols mentioned in the song is the confederate flag. The context of the symbol in the song, is that the white man walking into Starbucks does not want people to miss understand his shirt which features the flag. He would like people to know that the flag is only featured due to its connection with Skynyrd and him being a fan (McKay 2). The reason a confederate flag can be related to a Skynyrd shirt, dips into the genres audience and the history of country music.
Country music is typically associated with or discusses the conservative south. This is because country music of today and yesterday discusses rural southern living in its lyrics. Audiences also associate country music with the south because they believe all country artists are from the south. The cause of this logi...
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The lyrics of country music reflect people’s lives as times changed. According to "Poetry For The People: Country Music And American Social Change", published by Southern Quarterly in Ebsco Host, country music depicted “the white, Protestant and working-class Southerner”, “addressed their pain, their dreams struggles, beliefs and moral dilemma”.
For almost 90 years, The Grand Ole Opry has withstood the test of time to become one of the tried and true traditions in country music. From the show's humble beginnings as an obscure radio program, to it's renowned place today as one of the premiere stages for music, The Grand Ole Opry has had an extremely colorful and interesting existence. Over the 88 years that have passed since the show's inception, The Grand Ole Opry has featured many talented performers. Those performers, along with social changes and economics, have all contributed to the growth and success of The Grand Ole Opry.
At the end of the day, racism and prejudice will always exist in some form for whatever reason is most convenient. Additionally, it’s not as if fans of country music are all raging bigots who dream of segregation and a return to slavery-driven southern values. After all, there are plenty of ‘southern pride’ songs that don’t feature race, nativism, and are beloved by most without an ulterior message that is appreciated by Stormfront. After all, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama features anti-segregation lyrics. Charlie Daniels Band wrote and performed The Devil Went Down to Georgia, lyrically referencing the south as far as Georgia by name alone. Yet both of these are hailed as quintessentially southern pride songs, meaning that southern pride isn’t the same as white pride. The reason the comparison matters, then, is because there is a significant overlap between the two. It is certainly possible to enjoy country music without wishing for a return to Aryan values, and the majority of country music doesn’t advocate it. But enough popular songs feature nativism as a theme to the point that it shouldn’t be ignored. There is a tangible connection between Southern Pride and nativism through music, and a definite connection between nativism and the White Pride movement. Music connects people and spreads ideas; culturally relevant music tends to stay around for a lifetime. Music has power, and the power of hate music is not one that should be
Werner, Craig Hansen. 2006. A change is gonna come: music, race & the soul of America. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
The development of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the late 1940s and early 1950s by young African Americans coincided with a sensitive time in America. Civil rights movements were under way around the country as African Americans struggles to gain equal treatment and the same access to resources as their white neighbors. As courts began to vote in favor of integration, tensions between whites and blacks escalated. As the catchy rhythm of Rock ‘n’ Roll began to cross racial boundaries many whites began to feel threatened by the music, claiming its role in promoting integration. This became especially problematic as their youth became especially drawn to ...
Pecknold, Diane. 2007. The Selling Sound: The Rise of the Country Music Industry. Durham: Duke University Press.
Today’s mainstream country is similar to country rock during the 1970’s through the 1990’s. Today mainstream country artist like Carrie Underwood and Florida Georgia Line have similar classic country sound but also rock feel to their music. Country rock in the 1950’s appealed more to white males than any other race due to the lack of black country rock musicians, with the only exception being Ray Charles, who produced a successful country rock album in the 1960’s. Many rock artists in the late 1960’s and 1970’s became aware of country rock because of Gram Parsons who incorporated emotional lyrics that told a story with a guitar added to his music. Gram Parsons influences many country rock bands and artist like the Eagles, Neil Young, and Poco who were some of the popular rock country artists of the early
Before the war started, a wealthy white man by the name of John Hammond worked to integrate black and white music.1 Since his childhood, he enjoyed the music of numerous black artists, and he wanted to share his love with the rest of America. He used much of his inherited fortune to make this possible. He went against the general opinion of society and his parents, who despised black people. Hammond refused to ignore black artists’ musical abilities because of their color, “I did not revolt against the system, I simply refused to be a part of it.”2 He used his money to organize the most eclectic group of musicians ever assembled, for an integrated audience of his time. Hammond’s efforts made an indelible impact on the music industry. The musicians Hammond introduced in...
Thus, there is a dual message that entices listeners to be “woke” and that proudly portrays their southern heritage that, during the 90’s and early 2000’s, was just beginning to be
Country music has been an ever changing genre that evolves along with the lives of the people that listen and the artist that perform it. Today’s country music contains a wide variety of artists who have been influenced by the different subgenres that came before them. According to The Bedford Book of Genres “A genre is a composition’s kind, category, or sort. Genres give us a way to categorize or describe types of compositions”. (Braziller and Kleinfeld) Exactly what country music is today can be hard to define, but a look back at the history of the genre shows how it has adapted to the audience that listens to it and how current artist draw inspiration from it. There are two things we need to know
Percival Everett’s “The Appropriation of Cultures” (2004), demonstrates the power of a symbol and the meanings that it can carry. In the story, Daniel Barkley is a highly accomplished African American man who graduated from Brown and frequently plays guitar near the campus of The University of South Carolina. From the beginning of the story, Barkley exposes a distinct independent personality that isn’t afraid to break stereotypes or labels. The first scene describes an instance in a bar where white fraternity boys were challenging Barkley to play ‘Dixie’ for them. Instead of refusing, like most would have done, he instead begins to play and take ownership of the song. Later in the story, Barkley decides to purchase a truck with a giant confederate flag decal in the back. Despite the strange stares and confusion
According to The Nashville Sound, markers that include “rural origins, stylized sets, seemingly spontaneous performance, accessible performers, and heartfelt songs can characterize country music’s authenticity” (13). The foundations of what country music has originated from are incorporated within these markers and are used to separate the real from the fake. Early country music was a means of coping with a life of work and worries; it also brought communities of the impoverished together in fellowship. The establishment of these markers glimpses into the culture and realities of many country music artists before their fame. Take for instance a family sitting huddled together on a porch on a cool summer evening listening to a family member play the banjo while another sings along. Everyone is enjoying and living in that moment and all worries are far from mind. Country music made people feel at ease and comfortable, it brought people back to their memories of the good old days. This is the way country music sh...
The song “Accidental Racism:” by Brad Paisley describes what society thinks about one another and racism. The man comes into a coffee shop wearing a rebel flag shirt. He explains, how he is not racists only proud of his heritage, and homeland. The t-shirt to him represents his grandfathers and fathers before him of the sacrifices they made. The shirt does not represent the belief of racism. The writer precedes to explain how his belief is not the same as his forefathers, however he is proud of them for standing for their beliefs.
Country Music is everywhere. It may come blaring from a neighbor’s house, blasting the radio from a car or truck, or even playing quietly in a restaurant; but why exactly is Country Music so popular for people to listen to? When it comes to Country Music, the lyrics comes straight from the artist`s hearts where people can relate to them; the rhythm and beat are unique to the specific song, and the artist knows exactly how to tell a perfect story in the song.
Music and the relationships of music have changed drastically in our society. The course of studies and the evaluations of the applications of the technology of music, the making and the listening of music have changed in the way we listen to music, the styles of music in our society and in the media. The importance of the technology in music today, has, over the past century been charted through the study of musical examples and through viewing how human values are reflected in this century's timely music. There are very many different types of music that are listened to. There are readings, writings, lectures and discussions on all the different types of music.