Protest Music And Social Protest

“We Shall Overcome” by Peter Seeger, many would describe to be the anthem for the Civil Rights Movement or 1960s Civil Rights Movement (sometimes referred to as the "African-American Civil Rights Movement" although the term "African American" was not widely used in the 1950s and 1960s). It encompasses social movements in the United States whose goals were to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and to secure legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights enumerated in the Constitution and federal law. During this period many folk and blues artistes’ music were protest songs, to speak out against the justice of Blacks and other unconstitutional acts. These music not only protested the injustice but it brought together people of all ethnicity/race, social class and regions, in solidarity to form a major campaigns of civil resistance. The conventional protest melodies in the United States goes way beyond the nineteen century and into the colonial period, the American Revolutionary War and the corollary. In the nineteenth century topical subjects for protest songs included abrogation, subjugation, destitution, and the Civil War among different subjects. In the twentieth century civil liberties, women 's rights, financial injustice, governmental issues and war were among the well-known subjects for protest songs. This paper will explore the protest song “We Shall Overcome” and its impact on the civil rights movement and the

The question this paper seeks to answer- Or rather – the topic this paper will attempt to flesh out is how “Rock and Roll Music” has affected, or been affected (by) Social Change or Social Movements. Perhaps the most notable examples of how music has been inextricably linked to the social-political climate of this country, would be The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

Even in 2015 we still see how protest music is being used in the Black Lives Matter Movement. As protests and anger against the police grew again like it did in the late 80’s and early 90’s “F- Tha Police” became the anthem for a new movement of civil rights protesters. In Ferguson, chants of “hands up, don’t shoot” turned to “F- Tha Police” as the protests turned to riots. In Denver, protesters dumped red paint over a police memorial and tagged the back of it “f- the police” during a Black Lives Matter protest. We still see how relevant the protest song is today even though it was released over 20 years ago. The protest rap just like protest music in the 1960’s resonates with people. The listener has this stimulated experience were they

Rhetoric of the protest songs has a very extensive history. The oldest protest song on record is "The Cutty Wren" from the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 against feudal oppression, nearly six hundred years ago (Songs of Work and Protest 9). Protest music has developed over the years and has made its presence in history. The protest music of Vietnam War is the concentration of this paper. The two main artists of focus are Bob Dylan and John Lennon. Their songs will be analyzed and criticized naritively.

The words “civil rights” trigger a sense in the human mind. One of remorse, passion, and hope in a cause worth fighting for. Those weathered by its raging storms refer to it as a turning point in American life after over a century under segregation that can only be described as a necessary silence that African Americans were forced to take on the matter. However, the human mind found itself a way to express those feelings that flowed from its veins. That expression of power and revolt was music. Music acted as the horses that pulled pearlescent chariots of liberty and freedom to the front doors of the White House through public protests, involvement of musical artists, and its impact on the lives and culture of those who were oppressed.

Throughout the history of America, protest music has been used in a wide variety of social causes such as civil rights, gender equality, anti-war, and environment. Through music, artists were able to reach a wide spectrum of people through aesthetic symbolism. As a result, creating a stimulated experience helped listeners connect to the music through lyrics and mental visuals. “Psychology suggests that as humans we have an inherent need to symbolize” (Hoppenstand, 2009). Thus, music, through its use of symbolism is a way in which humans can better understand the world.

Protest music in the United States dates back to the 19th century. This protest music focused around subjects that were topical for the time period. Among these topics were the Civil War. Another topic was slavery, and its abolition. A final topic was women’s suffrage.

After the actions of Freedom Riders, people realized that violence wasn’t a necessary way to announce a statement, therefore protest became the main way to compete with the violence in the Civil Rights movement. People are irrational; they always prefer a sense of empathy or touch rather than pure reasoning. Compares to speech or another form of protesting, music is the most appealing one. The rhythm of the song can manipulate the feeling of the listener easily, letting people emotionally easier to accept the point that being made in the song. The first man who realized this was the folk singer Bob Dylan, who later became one of the symbols of the US Civil Rights movement. After Dylan’s first protest song ‘The Death of Emmett Till’ was introduced to the public in 1962, which talks about a young black man who was killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1955 while visiting his family in the South, the song got extremely positive feedback. Since then, more and more musicians began to write songs about the Civil Rights movement, the fashion of music was led to political field eventually. The same things happened in Australia too in the 80s. Mandawuy Yunupingu is an Australian indigenous singer and civil rights activist who utilized music to transcend cultural borders and promote peace between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians. This global phenomenon proves the power of music and

In the early sixties the union of the civil rights movements and folk music on campuses lead to the rise of folk songs called “message songs” (Szatmary 1996). Songs like “Blowin in the wind” by Bob Dylan began opening up the minds of the youth to the social problems facing America such as the civil rights movement. The Rascals “People Everywhere Just want to be Free”, Joan Baez’s “We shall overcome”, and Dylan’s “The times they are a changin’” were message songs that helped start the firestorm of politically charged music that fueled a revolution and a generation (Baggelar, Milton 1976).

Music is a powerful apparatus that shapes generations. In the 1960’s, music was a force that affected the way people thought and behaved(Welch). During that period, people started composing their music in different ways. Many musicians wanted to share important messages or their opinions about situations on that time: Protest songs were born. For example, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie in their songs “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “This Machine Kills Fascists” were protesting against wars and conflicts. It was new and unique because most of the music composers were being very creative in songwriting. They wanted to reach people’s hearts and minds with peace, justice and anti-war messages(Protest).

Ingram’s journal focuses on songs of environmental protest. The piece discusses Pete Seeger's God Bless the Grass and how it was the first album entirely dedicated for the advocacy of the environment. During the sixties environmental protest started to change the ideologies of and corruptness of big business. They wanted advances in sewage treatment and the disposal of industrial wastes into the Hudson River. Therefore, protest songs like Seeger’s where fundamental in getting these advances and making the people of America more conscious of the environment. Finally, this source is important to my research since it discuss protest music around the environment. Most of my sources discuss how music changed the antiwar and civil rights movements

Whenever a person turns on the news, they can always find out that something bad has happened or is happening in the world. Issues such as racism, sexism, and police brutality are problems that has happened in the past and are still a big issue in today’s society. Imagine if a random person is getting attacked on the street but they are unable to scream for help because they have no voice. Most people in today’s society, feel that when they are getting attacked by somebody being racist, sexist, getting attacked by the police, etc. that they have no “voice” to speak up and make a change on a situation. Songwriters uses their songs to voice their opinions on issues that effects their lives or the people around them.

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.

Many have thought the entertainment world should be separate from the world of politics. Some celebrities go on to be involved in politics, such as Ronald Reagan and Sonny Bono, but rarely does an entertainer command a large sphere of influence in the world of entertainment and politics simultaneously. While entertainers can move the masses, their voice is usually discarded among politicians. In addition to this, many have highlighted the negative influence of the entertainment industry, and particularly rock music, on American culture. Often, it is seen as a corrupting force that leads people astray. For many people, rock and roll seems to highlight all that is wrong with American popular culture. These critics fail to take note of

“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.