“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” Victor Hugo, the French poet and human rights campaigner, once said. History repeats itself as music again proved its importance to human rights campaigners during the Civil Rights Era. The Civil Rights Era was a movement in the 1950’s and 60’s of African Americans for basic privileges and rights of U.S. citizenship as well as a time period rich with influential songs. The songs of the Civil Rights Era symbolize and discuss the struggles faced by African Americans during the time period. First off, the singer-songwriter Pete Seeger released the Civil Rights songs If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus in 1963, which mainly sings about the Montgomery Boycott. …show more content…
These lines explore the many African American’s who faced difficulty when protesting for their rights via picket lines because they were jailed. Finally, the song goes back to victory in later lines that mention “if …show more content…
The song opens recognizing the recently assassinated civil rights activist, Medgar Evers, with the lines “a bullet from the back of the bush took Medgar Evers’s blood”. The songs opens, as well as closes, with lines of Evers’ death in remembrance of the activist and to emphasize his unfortunate loss as he was important to the Civil Rights Movement. Next, the second verse goes on to explain the central message of the song when it voices that “a South politician preaches to the poor white man ‘you got more than the blacks, don’t complain. You’re better than them, you been born with white skin,’”. The verse expressing that Southerners use the African American’s to distract poor Whites from their oppression, only fueling the African oppression as these Southerners create the African’s struggles to lazily solve their own problems. Finally, the song stresses the blacks oppression again when it states “he’s taught how to walk in a pack, shoot in the back, with his fist in a clinch, to hang and to lynch, to hide beneath the hood”. These lines emphasize that White’s do not only oppress Africans but are raised up and taught to shoot and hang them cowardly hidden away as KKK member, truely a major struggle faced by African Americans. Only a Pawn in Their Game is full of powerful content describing the everyday trials faced by Africans and the horrible truth behind the cause
The verses each deliver a message of equality and the chorus is repeated with the intention of the audience considering their input towards reconciliation. The chorus is repeated 3 times, which is usually done to reinforce the central idea within a song. There are two separate verses, one that starts with the words “black fella white fella” and the other, which starts with “all the people of different races”. This format is repeated to help emphasise the idea that equality is important, regardless of your skin colour. The text structure is ordered in a way that tells a story about equal opportunity, and the way it is formatted is important in communicating this
There is a belief that since America is unsegregated everyone is now equal and it is possible to achieve the American Dream. However, the passing of civil rights laws does not make up for the lost time during discrimination and segregation. Claudia Rankine clearly demonstrates that the black community continues to face discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudice. Additionally, she states that minor incidents are actually a part of the societal and political problem that needs to change. There are two messages Rankine sends. The first “It wasn’t a match, I say. It was a lesson.” Meaning that the purpose of the lyric is for the reader to gain insight into what it means to be black. The second message feels almost hopeless: “I don't know how to end what doesn't have an ending,” demonstrating that it has been decades of these events occurring, because there is no solution and questioning if there ever will
The tone of the lyrics perfectly exemplifies Louis’ contemplation or his inner dilemma as a black man. In his lyrics, Louis examines his identity as a black man and declares that his only sin was his skin. The strong statement behind Louis’ lyrics served to
The African-American civil rights movement was a cruel time for the African American race to endure due to the harsh discrimination and segregation that they faced. This movement fought for the rights and the equality of African Americans in the United States. With all that was going on, African Americans turned to music for motivation, courage, inspiration and strength to overcome the difficult obstacles that they would soon face. “Non-violence marchers faced beating, hosing, burning, shooting, or jail with no defense other than their courage and songs” (Hast 45). “It's been a long, a long time coming/ But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will” (Cooke, Sam. A Change Is Gonna Come). Music was their greatest hope for change in the near future and is the thing that kept them fighting for what they deserved. They came together with each other due to the lyrics of many different songs that kept the civil rights movement alive and known. Music painted a vision that they could picture and look forward to; it was a dream that they could fight for. “Music empowered African Americans to hold tight to their dream of racial equality” (Jeske). A genre of music that bought society together during this movement was folk.
Kid cudi trying to argue about how difficult things are growing up with being Oppressed and growing up being black. Songs are one way of expressing feelings and emotion, many artist do this constantly in their music. To some it is why they make music. There are endless signs and verses that hint at many things such as problems, politics, living in racist era’s also places. I chose to focus on one main rapper and his music only.
"Songs and the Civil Rights Movement." Songs and the Civil Rights Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
Artists write about what they know; they pull feelings from their heart and their songs relay what the artists’ emotions, whether it be of their hometown, their high school crush, or their experiences. Many artists that came to fame during the twentieth century have a fair share of experiences they share with us in the form of their songs. The twentieth century is comprised of the institution of slavery and its effects, war, gender norms, discrimination based on nationality, sex, race, etc., and countless events that sparked protests and uproars in the United States. Music at this time was a phenomenon, and artists could use it to their advantage. Artists used their music to spread awareness about their cause, influence their listeners, and
During the Civil Rights Movement, Bob Dylan used his talent of music as his tool to help the movement sweep through the nation. Dylan had very big ambitions for not only his life alone, but for the world. Dylan had a massive influence on people’s minds, hearts, and souls. Dylan had a message to share. He was looking for a change, and it would come along if he had anything to do with it.
Though dealing with the situation is difficult, the poem goes on to express that going through this ordeal has only strengthened the resolve of the African American community. Lines 4-9 of this poem speak to toughness and resolve of the African American community in the fight to gain equality. McKay even goes as far ...
The 1960’s was one of the most controversial decades in American history because of not only the Vietnam War, but there was an outbreak of protests involving civil and social conditions all across college campuses. These protests have been taken to the extent where people either have died or have been seriously injured. However, during the 1960’s, America saw a popular form of art known as protest music, which responded to the social turmoil of that era, from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. A veritable pantheon of musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan sang their songs to encourage union organizers to protest the inequities of their time, creating a diverse variety of popular protest music, which has reached out to the youthful generations everywhere demanding for a revolutionary change. The protest music took the children of the 1960’s to a completely new different level. Musicians of this generation were not going to sit and do nothing while the government lied to the people about what was going on in Vietnam. Instead, they took their guitar-strumming troubadours from the coffee houses, plugged them in, and sent the music and the message into the college dorm rooms and the homes of the youth of America. However, as decades went by, protest music does not have much of an impact as it use to because of the way things have changed over the years. Through the analysis of the music during the 1960’s, there shall be an understanding on how the different genres of protest music has affected social protesters based on how musicians have become the collective conscience of that generation through their lyrics and music and the main factors that contributed to the lack of popula...
The infectious nature of African American music, which has appeared in a variety of styles, most notably jazz, soul, rap, rhythm and blues, spread through the American public quickly and broke the barriers from where they originated. Beginning in the seventeenth century music was critical in the organization of early slave uprisings. When brought to the United States, drums were used as a means of communication: spreading messages in a rhythmic language undeciphered by white people. They were used to orchestrate resistance and revolts. After a ban was placed on slave drumming, they retaliated by preserving those rhythms through adaptation to new instruments. Following the American Civil War, the blues reflected the disheartening realization that, although emancipation was granted, equality for African Americans wasn’t guaranteed. Blues vocals communicated disappointment and melancholia. They were reminiscent of African griots, singers, and storytellers. The blues mirrored American race relations, documenting the struggle and conflict on the one hand, but also suggesting a future based on cooperation and understanding. Jazz was initially considered a lesser form of music or not music at all. Many notable 20th century composers, Aaron Copland, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky, embraced jazz as a powerful music genre. Sam Cooke is the first great figure in soul. His music marked a change from emotional to social and political issues, as evident in the song “A Change is Gonna Come.” From the 1960’s up until the 1970’s, soul had moved to songs of political awareness and protest, p...
" Sing for freedom : the story of the Civil Rights Movement through its songs. Montgomery, Ala.: NewSouth Books. Kirk, J. (2007). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement: Controversies and Debates. Basingstoke, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
This song intends to bring awareness, so it hinders White Supremacy (Jude). The lyrics,“tell me what has become of my rights...your proclamation promised me free liberty...they're throwing me in a class with a bad name” relate to White Supremacy because they represent the “marginalized” group, non-whites, rebelling against the oppression of the “dominant group”, White Supremacists (They). On the contrary, the media has harshly criticised the song, labeling it anti-semitic (Jude). The media fails to acknowledge White Supremacy.
My artist from the 1960’s was Bobby Darin, his Simple Song of Freedom lyrics can relate to the 1980’s Public Enemy Fight the Power song. They both send the message to others about Civil Rights and the importance of equality among all regardless of race, gender etc. The 1960’s generation was fighting the Vietnam War which most of the United States popular was against. The 1980’s generation was also fighting a war but it was geared toward corrupt Government Officials but most importantly being able to speak up for what you believe
The folk movement had an important effect on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s as it exposed middle class white suburban kids from around the country to the struggles of the African Americans particularly in the southern region of the United States. While students and youth were able to hear about and learn about the Civil Rights Movement through the music of the folk movement. The feeling that the folk music was in the right morally drew these fans to both the folk movement and the Civil Rights Movement. Using the music to stand up for Civil Rights for African Americans was certainly a way for the folk moments fans to separate themselves from their parent’s generations. They all began to believe like Seeger had all along that folk music had the power to shape and form people into wanting to support Civil Rights Causes.