Instructions – APA Literary Analysis paper – American Protest Music
Students will use literary analysis techniques as described in Faigley “Rhetorical, Literary and Visual Analysis” to analyze one American protest song (using the list provided) and apply critical analytical techniques as discussed in class and in the textbook.
This paper is a formal critical analysis of a protest song chosen from the list supplied on Moodle.
The paper must use APA style and formatting; formal writing; a minimum of THREE sources and THREE in-text citations – but as many as are required by your quotes; every idea or fact that comes from a source other than yourself must be fully cited on the References page and have correct APA-style, in-text citations within
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Introduction — includes the definition statement of the full name of the song, the artist, the composer, the date it was recorded, where the version you analyzed was recorded, and other relevant song facts
2. Historical background — Research and discuss the creation of the song, why it was written, and most importantly, what historical event or situation the song responds to.
3. Aristotle’s Appeals — Discuss the song’s logos, pathos, and ethos separately (in subsections, if you wish); which of these is the most effective in the song, and stating why you think so. Remember, “why” is the big question in this paper – for every opinion you give, you must tell why you believe it.
4. Evaluation — Why did you choose it? Why is it good/bad? Why is it protest music? Research the background and history surrounding the song’s beginning: What is it about? What event or situation was the song written in protest of? Who wrote it? When? Include all the elements of Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How as well as Time, Date, and Place.
5. Literary Elements — Look at the song as a story; that are the main characters? What is the story? Describe that (give citations, of course). Include in your analysis the genre of music, themes, symbolism, metaphors, and/or extended metaphors (analogy), and other literary elements (read through the entire
Even though the speakers are identified as the authors, they can more accurately be described as characters based on themselves. We know that this type of lyric was most likely performed in front of an audience probably set to music. The public’s relationship to such work can be likened with dramatic performance of today such as a musical or a...
"Songs and the Civil Rights Movement." Songs and the Civil Rights Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
So that I don’t have to explain to them what it is about. Because I will not be describing nor will I explain what the artist meant from, when he was writing the song. I will be putting my own twist and thought about it. My main purpose is to make the audience think outside the box, and see how a totally different experience or event can relate somehow back to the song. That you can take something like “love you”, and somehow connect it back to a war or a celebration. The only limitation is your own
Phull, Hardeep. Story behind the Protest Song: A Reference Guide to the 50 Songs That Changed the 20th Century. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2008. Print.
...ly convey the shared experiences of unhappiness and helplessness. Cuiqiao’s performances of folksongs are often paralleled with visuals of the desolation of the land or the ambiguity of her singing. Much like the function of the Odes as a “didactic instrument,” while Cuiqiao is never depicted actually singing, the ambiguity creates a more relatable folksong that can move the masses and encourage a virtuous change (Nylan 75). The function of both the Odes and Cuiqiao’s folksongs work as expressions of intense emotions, which are interpreted in order to understand “human capacities and aspirations and how to motivate them” (Nylan 75). While the workings of the feudal system eventually prove too intolerable, the ending of Cuiqiao’s story is her final act of autonomy in search of personal liberation, empowered by the performance and promises of the Communist’s folksong.
Music is an art and a wonderful gift to human race. It soothes, stimulates and makes us feel happy. It affects our moods in many different ways from lullaby to war cry for changes in the society. Music is actually distinct to different people. Above all, it has a transformational importance that is captured in its art and nature. Music draws our emotions and it has an impact of bridging different cultures across the continents. Slave songs were very vital channels through which all kind of information was conveyed both positive and negative.
It’s interesting that you were given to me for this assignment because this book reminds me so much of you and I and our emotional stories somewhat related to music.
In this topical essay, I will be comparing and contrasting three popular and unique songs. These songs are Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd", Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", and Body Count's "Cop Killer.” Even though these songs are different in a number of ways, all of these songs musically illustrate a violent altercation between a citizen and representative of government/law enforcement. This is important to note as because each song evokes different emotions from the listener. The two things that make each of these songs different is that they are all from different genres and different time periods. They are all very similar because they tell a story either from either a first person perspective or a third person perspective.
...hy I chose to do my case study on Lila Downs is because she is a strong indigenous woman who has come to realize and appreciate her culture and her people. She doubted her blood once, but know she is proud of who she is. I admire her music; she keeps it traditional as her ancestors would once, and adds her own spice to it. The way that her music is, contributes to her listeners such in Oaxaca and other Latin American countries who listens to her. She is the voice for the indigenous people, as she writes song that advocate for their mistreatment. Also Lila Downs doesn’t compose songs as any other singer/composer would, she tries to make a connection with the diverse audiences. I appreciate the fact that Downs writes song about political and social justice and immigration not only that but I like how she implies her own dialects into her music and cultural background.
During the 1960’s, protest music had reached greater national popularity than ever before. In addition, radio and vinyl took protest music to a whole new level since it allowed the music to be distributed more widely than before. This emphasized its political effect. However, was the protest music caused by the politics of the time, or did protest music have its own effect in influencing and creating political events? This issue has been argued extensively both ways, although the dominant argument is that the politics caused protest music. However, one thing that is certain is that protest music is one of the most effective tools in exposing a negative system and creating massive public support for change not only in the 1960’s but other modern events such as the L.A. Riots and the Black Lives Matter
Music has been around for thousands of years. Music has progressed since that time and has slowly become what it is today. Though music has been around for such a long time, protest music just started to develop in the Vietnam Era, the year 1954. The war started the era of protest which, in turn, created a new form of music which incorporated a specific type of lyric that was a way of expressing protest through the song. Since music in this era was already a big thing, artists thought it would be a good idea to get their political viewpoints out there. They did it through something that affected everybody in that time and space. The artists view spread quickly through the country because of the catchy tune and the viewpoints that are listed. In the United States of America, it is a very common thing to conform to others in a group (Conformity…). Since conformity is such a common occurrence in a large group, all the artist has to do is find a couple of people in the group, group being an audience, who agree with the artist and the rest will unfold on its own. The artist will keep on performing while the word of him and his music will spread from person to person. Conformity will ultimately bring people together on the same viewpoint until eventually, there are thousands of people there with the artist to protest. These artists have grown over time along with the style of music that they bring along with them. Protest music still exists today and is one of the most effective forms of protest that we have.
“Music is uniquely wonderful. It is incapable of being touched yet it touches everyone who is capable of hear sounds. It can seemingly evoke any emotion; we instinctively respond to happy tunes, mournful songs, beautiful melodies, inspiring anthems, stirring hymns, and majestic orchestrations.” (Doolan, Robert. 1985) There is no question that music is great part of society; it has been at civilization’s side whether it be the lyres and flutes of the ancient Greeks or how it calms or excites emotions and keeps armies in order during battle. Within society, there has also been social unrest and the desire for change. Protesting is the expression of a society’s concerns on current events of which they feel affected by whether it be through public rallies, picketing, riots or even bombings. Protest through music is one powerful medium for engaging people. Amidst what life throws at individuals, music has comforted the soul, provoked individualistic thought and opinion, and music draws people together through groups alike who have the same attachment or concerns with their surroundings. Whether it be rock, jazz, blues, rap, hip hop, dance, spiritual, or world, music has inspired artists to spill out their expression and views of society. Music is a universally effective tool of protest in generating social change and unrest as it continues to unite those with like ideas.
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
Aristotle. "Poetics." In The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Ed. David H. Richter. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990.
For this assignment, I’ve chosen to research the album Bridge over Troubled Water. Released on January 26th 1970, this was the final album of the dynamic duo. Due to an unsteady relationship, and disagreements over the album, the duo decided to break up in 1970 (Unterberger, “Simon & Garfunkel”). At this time, the United States was well into the Vietnam War. With death tolls rising, the vast majority of US citizens opposed the war. Artists and music groups of the time portrayed this frustration with the war through their music. In particular, many music groups came together at the Woodstock Music Festival to promote peace and music. In fact, Simon & Garfunkel had to turn down an invite to Woodstock because they were working on the recording of Bridge over Troubled Water (Dimery, “Bridge over