Popular Music Paper: “Over the Rainbow” The song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” originally appeared in the movie the Wizard of Oz in 1939. It was created to be a part of the movie’s soundtrack. Its original title is “Over the Rainbow”, but it is now more popularly known as “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. Judy Garland was the actress in the movie who performed this song. Edgar Yipsel Harburg wrote the lyrics for “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and Harold Arlen was the composer for this song. This song reflected the general attitude of most Americans at the time. Although not released until 1939, this song clearly encapsulates the hardships of the 30’s in America. Americans felt a deep need to get over the hardships of the era. New politics, the Depression, …show more content…
The Depression was the biggest economic crash America had ever experienced previously. Thousands of people lost their jobs, hundreds of businesses went bankrupt, and even some banks had to close their doors. It was a disaster. People lost everything, their savings were gone and their homes were foreclosed. Life for Americans was drastically changed. As if the Depression wasn’t bad enough, then the Dust Bowl happened. The Dust Bowl was the result of drought and erosion of the top soil of the land. Huge dust clouds swept through the Great Plains, suffocating its inhabitants (History.com). There were political efforts to better those two events, most of those efforts were enacted by the New Deal policies. FDR was the president at the time, and he created and pushed for the use of the New Deal policies. The New Deal encompassed the programs enacted to save homes from foreclosure, create jobs and many other helpful programs. All in all, the 30’s was an era of economic insecurity and general upheaval. By the late 30’s people were looking to the government to get the nation out of these national …show more content…
Edgar Harburg was the one who wrote the lyrics for this song and Harold Arlen was the composer. The reason it’s so easy to tie in the lyrics to this song to the problems of its era is mainly due to Harburg’s reputation. Harburg was effected by the Depression just as like most Americans. Before song writing, He started out as the Co-Owner of an electrical appliance business, but that business went bankrupt when the Depression started. In a sense, the Depression was a bit of a blessing to Harburg, as it encouraged him to pursue his career as a lyricist. Harburg was a very talented writer; he earned his fame through writing other popular songs like “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” and “April in Paris” in 1932 (Allmusic). Harburg drew his inspiration from America’s and his misfortune due to the Depression. His inspiration allowed him to write “Over the Rainbow”, with help from the composer. But Arlen reportedly had trouble composing the music for this song. He didn’t want to make the tune too fast because it wasn’t supposed to be an overly cheerful song. He also didn’t want it to be too slow because it wasn’t supposed to be depressing (Harold Arlen.com). Eventually, Harburg and he finally agreed to settle on the contemplative tune we know today. Given the points above, it is almost sacrilege to classify this song as anything other than an American classic. Even in today’s time people recognize
“Blue Skies” was one of the songs written by Irving Berlin months after the birth of his first child, daughter Mary Ellin, in 1926. This piece came during a time of transition in Berlin’s life, and the song itself has transcend many centuries, adapting to the style of each time. It is important to explore the differences between the periodical versions of “Blue Skies”; however, the underlying message of the song remains constant throughout time. The lyrics of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” plays with the contrasting meanings behind the word blue, along with switching tonalities, allowing the song to portray a hopeful outlook toward the future, while it’s depressing mood brings this hope back to reality. Lyrics Analysis
The America in the 1930s was drastically different from the luxurious 1920s. The stock market had crashed to an all time low, unemployment was the highest the country had ever seen, and all American citizens were affected by it in some way or another. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was effective in addressing the issues of The Great Depression in the sense that it provided immediate relief to US citizens by lowering unemployment, increasing trust in the banks, getting Americans out of debt, and preventing future economic crisis from taking place through reform. Despite these efforts The New Deal failed to end the depression. In order for America to get out of this economic
With every aspect of our lives we are making a point, arguing a belief, or refuting some other aspect of our existence. Aesthetic pieces, most avidly poems and songs, argue a message both in the lyrics and in the meaning posed between the lines. “American Pie,” in a multitude of ways, argues that American lives and memories are closely intertwined with the music of the time period. Not only does “American Pie” argue a message it also pulls many generations together. Today, thirty years after the initial release, “American Pie” still has an effect in our music and continues to be popular with all age groups. Don McLean accomplishes this task through using the context of the time period, placement of words, the words
The Great Depression was an economic downturn in America that lasted from 1929 until about 1939, making it the longest lasting depression ever experienced by the industrialized world. The stock market crash caused a chain reaction that involved problems such as unemployment, deflation, an increase in debt, and general poverty for lower class citizens. Attempts at escaping the depression weren’t altogether successful. In fact, most of the efforts resulted in high consumer debt as well as over optimistic loans given to the public by banks and business investors. The Depression caused severe political changes in the US as well as its obvious economic failures. After three years of the depression, Herbert Hoover lost the presidential election
The voice of the song is very serious. However, there is also a sad voice in there too. “In Thirty Three in Germany when Hitler came to play, Liberty was gradually eroded day by day. Till they gassed and shot deserters. While the decent people cowered, And thought the things they never dared to say.”
The 1930’s was a decade of extremely hard times, following the stock market crash and an extreme depression. In spite of the tremendous hardships in America during this decade, it also became a time of great music that is still remembered today. Jazz music was highly popular in this time, and Billie Holiday was a famous jazz performer. She stood out from many other musicians because of her intense and passionate performances. Jazz arose from “unacceptable” segments of society, but quickly grew like wildfire. We often think of the 1930’s as the decade that jazz became civilized, and famous throughout popular culture through the work of pioneering artists like Billie Holiday. People did not own televisions or cable, so radio was their main source of entertainment, and music during this decade was both up beat and a source of relaxation. “Strange Fruit” defied musical category because it was considered too artsy to be folk, and too explicitly political to fit into jazz. This is why “Strange Fruit” became such a powerful phenomenon. Many other artists later took on this song, changing the genre but still portraying the same message. Nina Simone dramatized “Strange Fruit” in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. More important artists like Jeff Buckley, Rene Marie, Labor Camp Orchestra, and many others made their own rendition on the song, still leaving all of their audiences moved by the powerful imagery of the lyrics.
and Willie Nelson. The song is an old southern anthem of the basic tale and fate of growing up. The song goes on to
The great depression left the United States in a horrendous position with it's economic standing. The American people looked for help from a president who could propose solutions to help rebuild the economy. This president was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who promised to ensure to improve the well being for all men for a comfortable living economically. This sounds great, a lot better than the depression, but his democratic supporters didn’t necessarily know or understand how he was going to achieve the tall order. FDR achieved this through the new deal which helped the economy a great deal and lifted the U.S. out of the depression. However, this deal left a large portion of his supporters angry.
“Traditionally, most blacks lived” in the South, but in the twenties, lot of African Americans “moved to the cities in the North.”(Blacks Set Out). They were in search for a better life and more opportunity. A lot of them got good jobs as factory workers or even business men. In fact, “On the eve of World War II, Ford employed more than 10,000 black workers,” which was “a far larger number and a far greater representation than at any other firm in the automobile industry”, since many other companies jus gave them the “menial positions”. (Employment segregation ). Reports have proved that “African American small businessmen enjoyed a measure of success in the 1920s economy” (Consumerism). A lot of African Americans became very wealthy, including Bessie Smith. When this song had come out, it was just a few weeks before the Great Depression hit.The Great Depression hit after the the stock market fell dramatically on October 1929, “which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors” and caused unemployment to skyrocket because of “failing companies” firing workers that they could not afford to keep ( The Great Depression). Once that hit, it made the song even more relatable because everyone had
The 1930s was one of the most challenging times in US history, where the Great Depression caused millions of Americans to suffer through hardships because of the economy. Many people were out of work and unemployed, and the government at the time, believed that the best option was to stay out of its affairs, leaving the struggling people hung out to dry. It was not until Franklin Roosevelt was elected president, that the state of the country began to change. And that was due to the creation of the New Deal; a plan to alleviate the state of the country, providing help through increased government spending and programs, that led to its eventual recovery after the second World War.
At the beginning of the 1930s the era known as the “Roaring Twenties” died and from it emerged one of the hardest times known to Americans. The 1930s were centered on the Great Depression and how to alleviate the millions of Americans who were affected by it. During this era the American government, lead by FDR, attempted to reform the American economy and the lives of American people. Contrary to Hoover’s “laissez faire” economics, FDR and his administration created the New Deal to aid the US economy by government intervention. Although FDR’s New Deal did not end the Great Depression, it eased the people's suffering and reformed many issues that contributed to the depression by providing relief and reform, while changing the role of the federal government by creating lasting programs, such as social security, satisfying the needs of many citizens and increasing the
The Great Depression was an economic and social blow to the American people, people were out of job, food, money and homes while society turned everyone against each other it was everyman for himself. President Franklin D. Roosevelt new deals were effect in providing jobs to the men of the families starting from the oldest to the youngest men in the family. The New Deal improved both the economic and social lives of the American people.
During the 1930’s, the United States of America was captivated by a economical, financial, and social depression as a result of the Stock Market crash in October of 1929. Many people were left with almost no money, no job, and great deal of debt. When elected in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took over the White House and implemented his “New Deal” policy that established many different legislations, administrations, and agencies in efforts to bring back American jobs, money, and prosperity.
The Great Depression was that the stock market crashed and the banks failed on October 29, 1929; plunging the country into a severe economic downturn. The two long-term causes of the Great Depression were that coal lost 50 percent to hydroelectric, natural gas, and oil and there were no loans and credit. Workers started to lose jobs and could not expand business. In 1928 Hoover was elected and believed in voluntary cooperation, rugged individualism, and the economy would cycle through this downturn. This prolonged the depression by the government not doing anything. In 1933 FDR was elected president and he came up with the New Deal which was aiming to restore some measure of dignity and prosperity to many Americans. The New Deal was a success
Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra is accordingly best shown through the lyric,”Hey there Mr. Blue/We're so pleased to be with you/Look around see what you do/Everybody smiles at you,” This lyric uses personification to show how Mr. Blue Sky should look around and see how cheerful he made everyone. Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” tells anyone who is in tough times to keep fighting and you will carry through, and to people who are in exceptional times, celebrate and do not take them for