How Does Protest Music Affect The Civil Rights Movement?
Music is an indispensable part of human life. Like the other arts, with a powerful expression, music shows with all that pertains to human life: joy and sorrow, struggle and survival, aspiration and dreams of happiness, ethnic pride and the desire to find the rights. And no exception for protest music, it was constituted at the time when people cannot give their views about some things that affect their benefits. In the article Protest Music, Cohen R. states that protest music is created to challenge the status quo, such as civil rights, communism, peace and justice, women rights, or gay rights (2007). In other words, “the music has evolved over the years as new voices have found the right to share their thought” (Hill, 2016). Protest songs
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may be boring, but they just speak truth (Tillet, 2015).
Protest songs are written not for sale, they are composed depend on invidials' speeches that about peace, avoiding violence, wars, or protecting the environment (Brook, 2010). There is not only anti-war protest songs, many protest songs about other issues are also written. In his article, Hill states that the scope and style of protest music has changed since the United States’ inception (2016). Although all protest songs have same purposes, protesting, many studies have analyzed specific knowledge about differences of lyrical power and effects of songs in Civil right movement, anti-war movement, and evironmental movement.
Some researchers defines protest music in Civil rights movement as the language that focused people's energy to against racism and xenophobia with freedom way to have an equal future and better life.
During Civil right movement, protest songs are called "Freedom song" that is "the type of music you could expect to hear at the civil rights movement’s mass meetings and protest rallies" (Paul, 2013). Paul also points out that freedom songs reflected exactly what activists were confronting (2013). Moreover, Gross said in civil right movement, music is an important part that used as entertainment and joy when negative occurs (2012). In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther Jr. also gave a speech "if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music. The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle" (Morrison, 2010). In a result, writers wrote songs with their emotion and life events by the optimistic and hopeful rhythm. Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir wrote a song "This Little Light of Mine", and the song became protest song when Reagon sang it in jail with other protesters after a mass arrest following a demonstration (Crawford, …show more content…
2013).
" This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine"
"The conflicts and tensions boiling just beneath the surface sprang up through song. Sometimes artists addressed issues explicitly, in an attempt to change minds and hearts" (Trammel). Musician wrote lyrics by all their heart and emotion to attract others and hope listener may see the same ideas. There are many famous freedom songs that mirror the hope and frustration behind the struggles of the movement such as "Get Your Rights Jack", và "A Change is Gonna Come" (Gross, 2012). The symbol of song in the civil rights movement was “We Shall Overcome.” that is as a promise that people can overcome everything to have an equal someday, and everybody can live together (Adams, 2010).
"Deep in my heart I do believe
We shall overcome some day
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
Some day
We'll walk hand in hand
Some day
We shall live in peace
Some day
We are not afraid
Today
The whole wide world around
Some day".
Freedom songs give people new encourage and energy to come over, and unity of sense of thinking about alive a faith, a radiant hope, in the future, particularly in our most trying hours (Shelton, 1962). “Singing together in a group helps to, I think remind people that they are not alone", and it connects people to people direct to the same target ( Paul, 2013). Moreover, a Freedom song is a " harm weapon" that minorities used in the civil rights movement practiced non-violence (Gross, 2012). Everything can change, but people's voice cannot disappear when they still keep singing. Reagon recalled "Most of the time we sang. Sometime there would be a prayer. But singing was the constant." (Crawford, 2013). Agree with Crawford, Gross points out music could not be beatten, killed and destroy; in other word, "music was invincible, and it as the motivation towards achieving a certain goal called “equal.”" (2012). Consequently, the World have changed in posible way because of influence of freedom songs(Gross, 2012). Trammell clarifies in his article that "Original Faubus Fables"was a thorough satire of Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, so the governor had sent the National Guard to Little Rock Central High School in order to prevent integration in 1959; and most controversially (at the time), the song accused Faubus, the new Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller, and President Dwight Eisenhower of being "sick and ridiculous," brainwashing and "teaching hate." (2013). I agree with these researchers that freedom songs were "harm weapons" and brought strong strength to people to overcome to achieve an equal life during civil right movement. Moreover, music is alive forever if people keep singing, and singing together makes a song more powerful. Others researchers focus on analyzing protest music in the anti-war movement.
The protest music developed significant popularity in the ’60s and ’70s because of Vietnam war with estimates ranging from one to three million total deaths (Hill, 2016). There were many people died during the Vietnam war, so these songs attracted many agreements when they published. In a result, people wnat to end the war, so most of the songs' lyrics were about peace and through patriotism or homesickness to say people do not want to hold a weapon to fight anymore (Hill, 2016). For example, 'the song “Lorena” may have been primarily about a Union soldier’s longing to be with his lover, but also reflected a desire for the fighting to end" (Hill, 2016). Similar to freedom songs, peace songs also reflect real situaion that people were confronting, but peace song is seen as a fire to help people stand to protest for war ending (Schifferes, 2005). For example " Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind - had as its last verse "how many years can a people exist before they're allowed to be free." and "Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows. That too many people have died?" ( Schifferes, 2005). Also, many famous anti songs were sung and spread quickly such as “Give Peace a Chance”, "For What It's Worth", or "War (What it good for?)" (Ten Top Anti-War, 2010). Consequently, most of popular songs in that time were for appealing to a wide audience that was against the war (Hopkins, 2012). Also, musical
festival that called The Woodstock Music was organized, attracted a lot of people to come, and would bring together a generation of Peace-lovers. More than that, over 400,000 people showed up to the festival, so it meant music had in serious and important impact to protest, peaceful protest (The Vietnam War, n.d). As Candaele states "What anti-war music did do, as all protest music has done throughout American history, was to raise spirits while doing battle, help define the identities of activists, and turn passive consumption into an active, vibrant, and sometimes liberating culture" (n.d), protest music achieved the goal that they protest for , War ending. It is true when we say protest music gained quickly and strongly during anti-war movement. The songs helped people comeover the movement peacfully. Another groups of commentators said that Environmental songs are arguably more ubiquitous than ever before today. Nowaday, when number of wars is decreased and civil rights is limited, environmentalism becomes an issue that many scholars, researchers, and artists concern. Environmental activism was used as a material for writing a song from 19th centery, and "“Woodman! Spare that Tree!” by George Morris and Henry Russell is generallyconsidered the first of its kind." (Kahn, n.d).
"WOODMAN, spare that tree! Touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me, And I ’ll protect it now."
The environmental songs are sung and expression by many famous singers all whole the World such as by Scandanavia’s Bjork, SouthAfrica’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Senegal’s Yousou N’Dour, Mexico’s Maná, Brazil’s PauloLara, Japan’s Mr. Children, and Australia’s Midnight Oil (Kahn, n.d). Moreover, some concerts that about environmental awakening are organized to brought musical acts around the world and were broadcast to a mass global audience through television, radio and the Internet together (Washington Times, 2008). The two most popular topic of the kind of song are climate and warming global. The climate changed songs are used to highlight that climate change should be viewed as an ethical issues (Baker, 2016). Some famous songs about this topic are "The Shadows" that is as a "response to the greatest environmental threat of our age" or "Save Our Planet Earth" which lyrics hightlight how our actions will impact future generations (Baker, 2016). Environmental songs reflect clearly polluted situation and call peope's help to protect environment, so most the songs use evironment symbols to express their purpose, such as "Global Warming Song" uses nature phenomena to present its meaning (Rovics, n.d).
"Yess, the weather's getting crazy
And it's a good time to be alive
If you really like tornadoes
Or watching hurricanes arrive
'Cause the storms are multiplying
And the winds are blowing faster
While are leaders are lamenting
Another "natural" disaster"
In addition, the kind of songs also played on role in children' music, and it is neccessary because the music can shape children's minds that they have to protect environment to have a good life (Kahn, n.d). Also, in his article, Kahn states that "today, many artists concentrate on makingmusic for children specifically" because children are the young generations and need to be educated early. Consquently, Environmental songs primarily inform information and call people awareness of protecting environment. I have the same opinion with the researchers that environmental songs should improve and give to children because they should be educated about protecting environment. In conclusion, depend on what kind of protest music, lyrics include different contents and effects. Freedom songs are written to allied peope's agreement to have more encourage and negery to comeover obsticle in order to achieve an equal life. Peace songs are created to petition ending war and stop fighting to save people' lives. Environmental songs suggest people to protect their environment. Although these songs are protest songs, they still have different contents, effects, and purposes. Are they related to each others? We still need more research to answer this question.
may be boring, but they just speak truth (Tillet, 2015).
Protest songs are written not for sale, they are composed depend on invidials' speeches that about peace, avoiding violence, wars, or protecting the environment (Brook, 2010). There is not only anti-war protest songs, many protest songs about other issues are also written. In his article, Hill states that the scope and style of protest music has changed since the United States’ inception (2016). Although all protest songs have same purposes, protesting, many studies have analyzed specific knowledge about differences of lyrical power and effects of songs in Civil right movement, anti-war movement, and evironmental movement.
Some researchers defines protest music in Civil rights movement as the language that focused people's energy to against racism and xenophobia with freedom way to have an equal future and better life.
During Civil right movement, protest songs are called "Freedom song" that is "the type of music you could expect to hear at the civil rights movement’s mass meetings and protest rallies" (Paul, 2013). Paul also points out that freedom songs reflected exactly what activists were confronting (2013). Moreover, Gross said in civil right movement, music is an important part that used as entertainment and joy when negative occurs (2012). In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther Jr. also gave a speech "if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music. The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle" (Morrison, 2010). In a result, writers wrote songs with their emotion and life events by the optimistic and hopeful rhythm. Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir wrote a song "This Little Light of Mine", and the song became protest song when Reagon sang it in jail with other protesters after a mass arrest following a demonstration (Crawford, …show more content…
2013).
" This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine"
"The conflicts and tensions boiling just beneath the surface sprang up through song. Sometimes artists addressed issues explicitly, in an attempt to change minds and hearts" (Trammel). Musician wrote lyrics by all their heart and emotion to attract others and hope listener may see the same ideas. There are many famous freedom songs that mirror the hope and frustration behind the struggles of the movement such as "Get Your Rights Jack", và "A Change is Gonna Come" (Gross, 2012). The symbol of song in the civil rights movement was “We Shall Overcome.” that is as a promise that people can overcome everything to have an equal someday, and everybody can live together (Adams, 2010).
"Deep in my heart I do believe
We shall overcome some day
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
Some day
We'll walk hand in hand
Some day
We shall live in peace
Some day
We are not afraid
Today
The whole wide world around
Some day".
Freedom songs give people new encourage and energy to come over, and unity of sense of thinking about alive a faith, a radiant hope, in the future, particularly in our most trying hours (Shelton, 1962). “Singing together in a group helps to, I think remind people that they are not alone", and it connects people to people direct to the same target ( Paul, 2013). Moreover, a Freedom song is a " harm weapon" that minorities used in the civil rights movement practiced non-violence (Gross, 2012). Everything can change, but people's voice cannot disappear when they still keep singing. Reagon recalled "Most of the time we sang. Sometime there would be a prayer. But singing was the constant." (Crawford, 2013). Agree with Crawford, Gross points out music could not be beatten, killed and destroy; in other word, "music was invincible, and it as the motivation towards achieving a certain goal called “equal.”" (2012). Consequently, the World have changed in posible way because of influence of freedom songs(Gross, 2012). Trammell clarifies in his article that "Original Faubus Fables"was a thorough satire of Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, so the governor had sent the National Guard to Little Rock Central High School in order to prevent integration in 1959; and most controversially (at the time), the song accused Faubus, the new Arkansas governor Winthrop Rockefeller, and President Dwight Eisenhower of being "sick and ridiculous," brainwashing and "teaching hate." (2013). I agree with these researchers that freedom songs were "harm weapons" and brought strong strength to people to overcome to achieve an equal life during civil right movement. Moreover, music is alive forever if people keep singing, and singing together makes a song more powerful. Others researchers focus on analyzing protest music in the anti-war movement.
The protest music developed significant popularity in the ’60s and ’70s because of Vietnam war with estimates ranging from one to three million total deaths (Hill, 2016). There were many people died during the Vietnam war, so these songs attracted many agreements when they published. In a result, people wnat to end the war, so most of the songs' lyrics were about peace and through patriotism or homesickness to say people do not want to hold a weapon to fight anymore (Hill, 2016). For example, 'the song “Lorena” may have been primarily about a Union soldier’s longing to be with his lover, but also reflected a desire for the fighting to end" (Hill, 2016). Similar to freedom songs, peace songs also reflect real situaion that people were confronting, but peace song is seen as a fire to help people stand to protest for war ending (Schifferes, 2005). For example " Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind - had as its last verse "how many years can a people exist before they're allowed to be free." and "Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows. That too many people have died?" ( Schifferes, 2005). Also, many famous anti songs were sung and spread quickly such as “Give Peace a Chance”, "For What It's Worth", or "War (What it good for?)" (Ten Top Anti-War, 2010). Consequently, most of popular songs in that time were for appealing to a wide audience that was against the war (Hopkins, 2012). Also, musical
festival that called The Woodstock Music was organized, attracted a lot of people to come, and would bring together a generation of Peace-lovers. More than that, over 400,000 people showed up to the festival, so it meant music had in serious and important impact to protest, peaceful protest (The Vietnam War, n.d). As Candaele states "What anti-war music did do, as all protest music has done throughout American history, was to raise spirits while doing battle, help define the identities of activists, and turn passive consumption into an active, vibrant, and sometimes liberating culture" (n.d), protest music achieved the goal that they protest for , War ending. It is true when we say protest music gained quickly and strongly during anti-war movement. The songs helped people comeover the movement peacfully. Another groups of commentators said that Environmental songs are arguably more ubiquitous than ever before today. Nowaday, when number of wars is decreased and civil rights is limited, environmentalism becomes an issue that many scholars, researchers, and artists concern. Environmental activism was used as a material for writing a song from 19th centery, and "“Woodman! Spare that Tree!” by George Morris and Henry Russell is generallyconsidered the first of its kind." (Kahn, n.d).
"WOODMAN, spare that tree! Touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me, And I ’ll protect it now."
The environmental songs are sung and expression by many famous singers all whole the World such as by Scandanavia’s Bjork, SouthAfrica’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Senegal’s Yousou N’Dour, Mexico’s Maná, Brazil’s PauloLara, Japan’s Mr. Children, and Australia’s Midnight Oil (Kahn, n.d). Moreover, some concerts that about environmental awakening are organized to brought musical acts around the world and were broadcast to a mass global audience through television, radio and the Internet together (Washington Times, 2008). The two most popular topic of the kind of song are climate and warming global. The climate changed songs are used to highlight that climate change should be viewed as an ethical issues (Baker, 2016). Some famous songs about this topic are "The Shadows" that is as a "response to the greatest environmental threat of our age" or "Save Our Planet Earth" which lyrics hightlight how our actions will impact future generations (Baker, 2016). Environmental songs reflect clearly polluted situation and call peope's help to protect environment, so most the songs use evironment symbols to express their purpose, such as "Global Warming Song" uses nature phenomena to present its meaning (Rovics, n.d).
"Yess, the weather's getting crazy
And it's a good time to be alive
If you really like tornadoes
Or watching hurricanes arrive
'Cause the storms are multiplying
And the winds are blowing faster
While are leaders are lamenting
Another "natural" disaster"
In addition, the kind of songs also played on role in children' music, and it is neccessary because the music can shape children's minds that they have to protect environment to have a good life (Kahn, n.d). Also, in his article, Kahn states that "today, many artists concentrate on makingmusic for children specifically" because children are the young generations and need to be educated early. Consquently, Environmental songs primarily inform information and call people awareness of protecting environment. I have the same opinion with the researchers that environmental songs should improve and give to children because they should be educated about protecting environment. In conclusion, depend on what kind of protest music, lyrics include different contents and effects. Freedom songs are written to allied peope's agreement to have more encourage and negery to comeover obsticle in order to achieve an equal life. Peace songs are created to petition ending war and stop fighting to save people' lives. Environmental songs suggest people to protect their environment. Although these songs are protest songs, they still have different contents, effects, and purposes. Are they related to each others? We still need more research to answer this question.