Folk Songs That Contribute To The Nonviolent Movement

The hippie aesthetic implies a song has a message to convey to the listening audience by any means at their disposal (Covach & Flory, 2015). My interpretation of this would be exemplified in the song “War” by Edwin Starr released in 1970 on his album titled “War and Peace”. Written as a protest against the Vietnam War (War by Edwin Starr), the listener cannot misinterpret the intended message. Most songs are not as direct as to their meaning but are none the less passionate about the topic. “Silent Running” by Mike and the Mechanics is one such song. Other songs are not as ‘global’ in their message but take on a personal connotation and elicit the listener’s emotions, such as “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.

Popular folk artist gave their own opinions on war, racism civil rights, justice, and the “establishment” through their music (Holland107). The suggestion of rebellion interested the baby boom generation. Two of the top folk artists from the 1960s were Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Joan Baez was referred to as a political singer/activist and she was known as the “Queen of Folk music” (Joan Baez). Bob Dylan created plenty of politically based songs that directly warned specific areas of politics, like congressmen and senators, who wanted to stop the civil rights and peace movements (Holland 107-108).

In a broader context, protest musicians composed songs about student protests in which they firmly sided with the protesters, supporting their actions and condemning those trying to stop the protests. (OnlyEverArabella, n.d.). The ideas were expressed in music as it served as a form of publicity and promotion for the counterculture community during this era. The government continuously tried to prevent media coverage about these movements but their music simply spoke the

Social Justice is a huge topic in our society. Its touches on important subjects such as labor laws, environmental rights (racism), poverty, etc. These topics are things that many people have views on whether they agree or disagree. Many artist took note of this and made songs about this and voiced what they thought was right or how they saw the act.

All cultures following prehistory had a musical background, therefore everyone can connect more effectively with a music containing a message than a speech, therefore spreading the message more effectively. “The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle” (MLK). In the case of the Civil Rights Movement, it was the prominent method to give the group a voice, represent them, and highlight their determination for social change. When times were hard for the movement, they would also rely on songs to sustain morale:

Since the Constitution of the United States was written, Americans have practiced their right to freedom of speech as a way to express their point of view on issues facing the country. Over time, voicing one’s opinion went from outspoken newspaper articles to large rallies, and during the Vietnam War, music was a prevalent tool in aiding the protests. Allowing political messages to be shared nationally, the music had touched the lives of the younger generation. Author Jerome L. Rodnitzky explains in his journal, “The Sixties between the Microgrooves: Using Folk and Protest Music to Understand American History, 1963-1973”, how music was “trying to be all things

Through songs many people express their feelings of the world threw the words they have wrote. Many songs talk about civil rights of the people and how change should be an option. In the world we live in today we have social issues that people have to face such as: police brutality, racial profiling, discrimination etc. Through Kendrick Lamar, Public Enemy, The Game, Bebe Winans, and N.W.A they will use their voice as a weapon for change among all people. Music with a message thrives in a live setting, for obvious reasons, and many politically conscious musicians aim to channel the heightened emotions

In the song “Glory” sung by John Legend and Common is a powerful song inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. The theme of this song is that resistance enacts change. There are several literary devices that convey the importance and power of peaceful protest such as allusion, symbolism, and metaphors. These three literary devices help to illustrate the struggle, dedication, and triumphs of those involved in peaceful protest of the civil rights movement.

The 1960’s in America was often referred to as an age of protest because of not only the social protests that have taken place, but also for the upbringing of protest music, which became very popular during that era. The roots of protest music were largely from folk music of American musicians during 1950’. Folk musicians, such as Joe Hill, composed labor union protest songs and distributed song booklets, hoping to “fan the flames of discontent.” (Rodnitzky pg. 6) Symbolically, this meant that the songs, the fan, would reduce the uncontrollable social protests that the United States government caused with the misleading information that they did not keep their word on, or the flames of discontent. Other folk musicians, such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, traveled around the United States spreading their “message music” and becoming involved in political movements. Guthrie and Seeger were the pioneers of protest music, bringing their folk music to New York City and merging it with urban music. Woody’s songs were about the masses, often identifying problems and offering solutions. While Seeger was cautious about referring to his music as folk music, preferring the term “people’s music,” meaning that not everyone may had the same thoughts, but they all expressed it in their own unique musical sense. For both Woody and Seeger, folk music was a necessity in these protests, when the needs

Throughout history, protests have been proven to be the more effective methods of getting a message across, whether it’s to express disdain for the misdeeds of police officers, or to protest the U.S.’s involvement in war. This was seen especially during the Vietnam War, one of the more recent wars this country has been involved in. Many people around the country expressed their opinions about the idea of war, in several forms, including riots, protests, and draft dodging. Along with this form of expression and practicing of free speech, several music artists, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Marvin Gaye, and Edwin Starr, joined in the anti-war movement by conveying their own two cents about the matter through the lyrics of catchy, impassioned songs. In the song “War” by Edwin Starr, Starr attempts to portray his negative view on war, through the use of pathos to create a more intimate bond with his listeners, a very aggressive, yet passionate tone, and the song’s close resemblance of a protest, in auditory form.

Music allows an artist to give those whose voice may not be loud enough to be heard. Their music can cover any issue of poverty, discrimination, segregation, people of color, oppression, and etc. The lyrics are the key part to get any point across but also any footage that accompanies gives the viewer more of an insight into these issues. Many artist/bands like Bob Dylan, Fort Minor, Joyner Lucas, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Michael Jackson address many issues the class talked about and the point of view of those who are viewed as minorities. The music these artists and bands produce gives the listener an idea of what exactly is happening in the world and what has happened. Each song individually covers the importance that we, as humans, must change the way we think and act and listen to the problems others have and even if it does not affect us.

We as individuals have a chance to make a difference in the world, we have a chance to be a voice for others who don’t, and we definitely have the power to make and be the change we want to see. Although we have the power to do so, sometimes it’s difficult, but it does not mean that we have to give up. An example of someone making a change is the author of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The author, Wallace Willis, is believed to have written the song to bring awareness to slavery in the past. The song was sung by many and grasped the attention of people and helped bring awareness to the topic of slavery. There are also authors now, in the present who write protest songs to bring awareness to problems and situations that are happening everywhere in the world, situations that are affecting us now. The song “FDT,” is a song written about the current president, Donald Trump, and talks about his decisions in office and other things. These people use their voice to make a stand, they want to change the world for the better. Although, the way they make their voice heard is by using strategies that will catch everyone’s attention.

To understand the sixties counterculture, we must understand the important role of Bob Dylan. His lyrics fueled the rebellious youth in America. Songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times are A-Changin” made him favorable to anti-war demonstrators and supporters of the Civil Rights movement. He was commonly hailed as the spokesman for his generation. Dylan used lyrics to allow the youth to find their own form of counter-culture. The youth generation began to see the effects racism, war, etc. effect the society in America. To combat this, the youth created their own form of counter-culture to promote a peaceful change within society. Some of their actions include forming anti-war protests that opposed America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, and supporting African Americans/women get the rights they deserve through the Civil Rights Movement. Bob Dylan’s music appealed to the young generation because he openly expresses his disapproval of the establishment in order to influenced his audience to move in a direction for change. Counterculture youth rejected cultural norms of the previous generation and their values and lifestyles opposed the mainstream culture present in the 1950’s. The folk music revival of the early 1960s, as well as the counter-culture movement played an important role in advocating change. Bob Dylan wrote songs that influenced the Civil Rights Movement, New Left Movement, and Anti-War Movement.

While some Americans say that the certain protest chants that have existed for a long period of time are much more remembered in American history, protest songs have a much bigger impact on what has happened in history. During the Cold War, the form of protest songs became a gateway for the musicians that were concerned, a chance to be able to showcase their concerns on the war between world powers, the United States of America and the USSR. Due to this, the music that was created by musicians during the Cold War had a major impact on the outcome of the war because of how the people of America reacted to the music. During the time of the Cold War, many different artists performed songs that dealt with the war and protested it.

“Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger became a popular anti-war protest song during the 1960s. This song did not only protest against the Vietnam War but also made their generation more aware about the global problems. Songs like “Not Ready to Make Nice” by Dixie chicks about freedom of speech was written after they received death threats for singing against the Iraq war, protests against the violation of human rights. But music is not only used to protest, it is also used to give hope and optimism. “We Shall Overcome”, a song sung by Guy Carawan together with the Montgomery Gospel Trio and the Nashville Quartet, is perhaps the best known example of civil rights song. Instead of blaming the government, this song registered a feeling of hope and faith among African-Americans during the civil rights movement.