The Protest Song By Charles Albert Tindley

Throughout all the anti-war protests and marches during the Vietnam War, it is interesting to note the changes in the music of that time. From the beginning of the war, where support and loyalty from Americans was present in songs, to the end of the war, where anger and distrust was evident in musical lyrics, American’s opinion changed about the war. This change in opinion was easily recognized by the altering of musical lyrics about the war when Americans grew tired of the constant sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. The growing dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War led to increasing levels of anger and hostility in the popular music of the time.

In their interview with the Civil Rights History Project, folksingers Guy and Candie Carawan sing the songs "Tree of Life," "Eyes on the Prize," and "We Shall Overcome." The Carawans worked at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, where activists from around the country came to be trained in nonviolent philosophy and learned the songs of the movement. She explains, “There were songs for every mood. You know, there were the very jubilant songs. There were the very sad songs when someone was killed. You know, there were the songs you used at parties. There was all the humor where you picked fun at people, the satire.”

During this call to action, people had different ideas on how to respond to the events surrounding the bombing on 16th street Baptist church. The response ranged from marching, protests, and most importantly, music. During the Civil Rights movement, music allowed artists to express their dissent through a medium in which their message could reach a plethora of peoples. Music during this time was also akin to the music effect of “work songs” sang during slavery as well as songs such as “we shall overcome” which draws parallels to songs sang as slaves attempted to escape to the north. Music also helped those involved in the civil

Meaning in music is derived from parenthetical analysis of several technical aspects including lyrics, form, historical context, emotional content, and personal connection. A hermeneutical approach to the Star-Spangled Banner can yield only interpretational results. Therefore, we must examine the more concrete details of the work, and how the music relates to the meaning of the protests as stated by Colin Kaepernick in August of 2016.

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.

Another impact was how the song caused news corporations to teach its listeners about Selma when referencing the song. Almost every major news outlet gave a historical background on Selma and voter suppression. The song has even had a large cultural impact according to John Legend in an interview with Variety, “One of the biggest inspirations for me is seeing people actually use the song in protests in New York on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and knowing so many young people look at the song as an anthem for them to march to,” (Setoodeh 2015). People using this song as an anthem, furthers this notion that the song, “Glory” has inspired many people to learn about Selma and voter suppression, and the civil rights movement as a

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.

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

Dylan’s most famous protest song is “Blown’ in the Wind”. It became the anthem for the civil rights movement in America during the 1960s, and as result Dylan was viewed as the spiritual leader of the civil rights movement. “Blown’ in the Wind” became very popular among the American people because the lyrics of the song could be applied to any situation as the lyrics were all about humanity learning from its mistakes and a call for freedom. “Only a Pawn in Their Game” was Dylan’s most offensive protest song that he wrote, and it was first performed at a civil rights rally in Greenwood, Mississippi. This song was about a civil rights activist who was murdered by “just a poor dumb

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.

“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.

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

However, Song’s narrative voice, the speaking voice of the oppressed is the voice that also emphasizes the oppression and negativity of

I’ve heard a lot about you these past couple of weeks; I bet you’re glad to hear that the allure of the anthem hasn’t died out yet… even though you’ve been dead for about 200 years. Time flies right? As a patriot and daughter of two veterans, your eloquent portrayal of the US as a resilient military victor, united under one star spangled banner, has always resonated with me. However, I recently learned about the unsung verses of your piece and thought it was my responsibility to enlighten you on some of the changes that have transpired in the past 173 years.

This song, “we shall overcome” comprises of idiomatic expressions that are deeply rooted in African American tradition that tells and make them brave to over every problem. It is widely used as one of the non-violent tools to protest even till date. Although the word ‘Overcome” may sound too strong or threatening, it does not invoke fear when not use to overcoming people. It ambiguous and suggest a rising above difficulty rather than violence.