Senior Project Paper
Senior Project Paper
Senior Project Paper
In the year 2020, the Recording Academy introduced a new category for its world famous
Grammy Awards. New awards are often added when genres of music are innovated, or to
recognize a new part of the industry, but this time, something entirely different was added to the
list. The award introduced was “Best Song for Social Change”. In subsequent ceremonies, social
change will be recognized alongside the year’s top albums and artists. This category focuses on
songs addressing a “timely social issue” promoting “understanding, peacebuilding and empathy”
(Strauss). While few were likely surprised by this forward thinking inclusion into a popular
event, it represented a long overdue acknowledgement: social change is a key part of all art. The
sociological context of music is often a major point of discussion, and there is no reason it would
not be considered just as songwriting, packaging, and recording are. In many cases, the social
and political messages of music often can outshine discourse concerning the music itself. For
these reasons, it’s natural to assume music and social change have had tied connections
throughout American history. This assumption leads to an essential question: How does popular
The history of music in America is as extensive and far reaching as the history of the
country itself. The American revolution is tied to the history of “Yankee Doodle”, a now famous
children's song with a deeper historical background. Created by British soldiers to mock
American revolutionaries, the song was sung by Americans with an ironic tone to show pride in
their movement (Henwood). This is an extremely early and simple example of political messages
behind American music, but the ideas behind this story run deeply through a now famous type of
composition: the protest song. Songs like these are designed to promote concepts that are
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otherwise controversial, and they tend to reach maximum influence during times of major social
unrest. Later in the still early stages of American history is another classic example of protest
music, “John Brown’s Body”, a song from the Civil War era. At what was quite literally
America’s most divided moment, the ideology and goals of the northern armies were represented
through song. This simple tune is much like other protest songs of the time, memorable and
clear. As Bridgett Henwood of Vox News notices, early protest songs such as these are “simple
and repetitive, and therefore easy to learn and share with others” (Henwood). Songs like this
spread a distinct message across a wide group, while also functioning as a way to rally and
inspire the tireless efforts of soldiers. Before a proper recording of music could be carried with
people at war, it was necessary to spread these songs through in-person performance.
Although European settlers brought the majority of American music during initial
colonization, as a unique American culture began to form, so too did uniquely American music.
As a result of this cultural expansion, serious and academic study of American music became
common during the early stages of the 20th century. Besides the few aforementioned traditional
pieces, this was the time political messages became integral to the music of certain groups,
specifically becoming popular with labor workers. As a writer from Indiana University East
points out, “because most laborers at the time were illiterate and many spoke languages other
than English, music became a unifying force for all of them” (“American protest music: a brief
history”). Again, music became an experience that could be shared among numerous and diverse
hypocrisy, and more. This trend of issue-driven music continued to expand, especially in the
genres of folk, jazz, and blues. Soon, as these genres gained influence with major and
mainstream music labels, popular protest music was born. Finally, this music was being bought
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and sold in mass, and no longer had to be shared primarily through oral tradition. (Henwood).
This is when the era of popular music truly began, the time most essential to understanding the
The early 1900’s era of recorded music is chalked full of some of the most celebrated
socially progressive music. One example known worldwide is Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is
Your Land”. Having been sung throughout the country, at schools and rallies, “This Land” is now
economically by the Great Depression, unnuanced patriotism as seen in the then-popular “God
Bless America” by Irving Berlin was a frustration for many Americans. Guthrie responded with
his take on the state of his country. The original writing Guthrie penned is filled with left-wing
ideology. This is an example of how politics can influence both the writing and use of a piece of
music. Although written as a clear critique of many aspects of American society, the
interpretation of “This Land” has varied greatly. The widely known renditions of this song lack
many of its original lyrics. The era of McCarthyism, unfounded accusations of anti-American
activities and behavior, that followed shortly after the writing of this song is often cited as a
reason its original messages had to be masked (Spitzer). Many choose to perform the verses that
are more agreeable for a large audience, or even the ones they themselves agree with. Music, like
all art, can be interpreted entirely independently of its creator's intentions. When mass social and
political themes are involved, this interpretation and recreation may naturally censor an artist’s
“Strange Fruit”, one of the most popular songs associated with the civil rights movement. Using
an interpretation of Abel Meeropol’s 1937 poem “Bitter Fruit”, Holiday’s recording in 1939 uses
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sickening metaphors to depict the horrors of lynchings occuring in America’s south. Many
southern radio stations refused to play the song, but its message and power eventually led to
huge popularity and sales (Fields). A song with such violent and tragic themes would typically
have trouble receiving huge recognition, especially in a market where simple love songs
dominated, but “Strange Fruit” denied common trends. A prime example of how audiences
respond when a piece focuses so heavily on a topic many are passionate about, it also shows a
direct influence into the political world resulting from its release. During a conservative filibuster
in the U.S. senate concerning antiracist policy, copies of the song were sent to each senator after
its release (Blackburn). In this story, “Strange Fruit” became both an artful reflection and a
supreme call to action for its movement. Although the original poem had local influence, as well
as attention in the world of poetry, the song became synonymous with activism at the time, and
can now be considered historically as a document with similar importance to some of the most
seminal orations in American history. It appears that the simple act of applying words to music
can change the way it is perceived on a wide scale, and help promote a message in an accessible,
The trends of protest music only expanded as social unrest became prominent during the
era of the Vietnam War. Massive protests captured America's attention as political matters,
especially in the middle class, became more emotionally charged than ever. Chapters of the
Students for a Democratic Society, one of the most notable protest groups of the time, expanded
from 11 to over 300 throughout the 1960’s (Cooper). As radicalism and anti-government
sentiment rose in popularity, so did music with these themes. The 1960’s saw some of the most
scathing criticisms of government in popular music. Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” of 1962
included “as venomous, and self-righteous an indictment of militarism as popular music had
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seen” (Candaele). This is a clear response to the further extremism of the time. In situations such
as this, social unrest creates a demand for music that reflects these feelings, and this same music
likely spreads the messages of a movement further. Music such as Dylan’s is known to push
boundaries, but the existing movements of the time allowed for its reach. This song also
demonstrates a noticeable limit to the influence of many of these songs. Although known widely
today for their influence, songs like “Masters of War” did not appeal to the standards of
radio-friendly pop hits of the time. Instead, these songs were listened to and performed primarily
by those in more niche groups of college students and activist organizations. As Kerry Candaele
of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History puts it, “Songs by popular musicians were
written for the radio and often with a popular audience in mind” (Candaele). As with many other
mediums, artistic intention has to be curbed in some form due to the pressure of financial
success. Themes dissecting the darkness of current events could not be played to an audience that
Of course, there are some notable exceptions to this trend. Certain songs have managed to
achieve the success of topping pop radio charts, while still maintaining their more serious social
themes. However, sacrifice is still made once one of these songs reaches its large audience.
Clearwater Revival carries many of the same ideas that populated anti-war protest music of the
1960’s and 70’s, but through the performance of a catchy rock tune, reached mass appeal. The
result of this mass popularity is a scattered use and interpretation of the work. In television and
film, the song is often used to simply remind the audience of the Vietnam era, without
necessarily confronting its themes. In a more surprising case, John Fogerty, the writer of
Trump, who had used the songs at his rallies. John Fogerty believed that Trump’s politics
completely conflicted with his message in the song, and that Trump has been playing it because
to him, “It’s like a scene out of all the Vietnam War movies” (Brown). At first, it might be hard
to see how a massive political figure could play a song that stands against their primary values,
but this is likely a result of a song’s massive popularity. At some point, its existence as a radio hit
On the opposite end of the spectrum, music can individually change the social landscape
through individuals' experience with the medium. Gina Gailmard, a long-time educator with a
background in music, has written extensively on the connection between music and education. In
an interview, she made the point that “When you’re talking about social change, we can look at it
from a global, big generational shift… When you look at it from a smaller, micro viewpoint, in
kids growing up, the importance of music and artists is their growth.” Exploring music as a part
of an individual's development is an idea that she believes has been underutilized. An artistic
form like music, she believes, can have a universal effect on people of all ages. She noticed how
many youth are passionate about certain ideas, and how music has always been a way of
expressing it. “No matter the decade I was teaching,” Gailmard said, “music was a passion of my
students, it spoke to whatever was going on in the social zeitgeist.” She saw how each generation
of students used music to express themselves, despite the obvious changes in what was popular
The emotional performance of a song also contributes to its influence. Some of the most
famously influential performers are known for their lively attitudes that allowed for memorable
and anthemic music. During the riots of late 1960’s urban America, Arethra Franklin topped the
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charts with the iconic “Respect”. This, and many of her other hits, made the focal point the
electric delivery of Franklin’s voice. As James Haskins writes in his book on Black American
music, “Whatever she was thinking, she sang that song like it was the soul declaration of
independence” (157). Songs like this became anthems because they were written in a style where
the impact comes from the sound rather than the specific lyrics. A similar example of pure
performative energy is James Brown, who is known for holding a similarly high standard of
energy. Haskins describes how “He would scream into the mike, prance all over the stage, fall to
his knees, then jump up, spin around, and finally crash to the floor in a split” (143-145). These
extreme antics on stage attracted the attention necessary to spread the messages Brown had
concerning the civil rights movement. His pride and swagger allowed his presence to be felt
The personal connection one has with the musical world can be monumental for their life,
for good or for worse. Mary Fettig, a veteran of the California Bay Area jazz scene, touched on
this idea in an interview. “Music touches our soul.” She wrote, “Sometimes the lyrics take a
while to take hold as it's often the groove or melody that captures the attention. I certainly
remember that as a kid. The listener will ultimately arrive at the intention of the artist.” Mary has
been involved in well known music groups for many years. Starting out as the first female
member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, she was introduced to the controversies of social politics
in music from the start. Fettig described how “It made for a lot of media interest which I was
bombarded with at a time I just wanted to play music.” Examples like these show how social
pressures overtake the artistic side of working for some musicians. The music scene is often seen
as the forefront of progressive thinking and new ideas. But in some situations, like Fettig’s,
people in the industry must endure the possibly unwanted media attention that comes along with
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something others see as controversial. It is through this, the effects of the sociological world on
To further the exploration of music’s specific ability to bring movement, one must further
understand its emotional appeal. As arguments are made for a new idea or concept, music can
provide an emotionally rhetorical perspective that something like an opinion piece may not.
Some specific examples demonstrate this concept perfectly. When writing his scathing depiction
of a Vietnam soldier returning home, “What’s Going On?”, Marvin Gaye took note of creating a
picture that connected on a heartful level, one that is not simply argumentative. Opening the song
with what sounds like a celebration, Gaye’s tearful lyrics interrupt good times with a confused
disillusionment. Tom Moon, writing for National Public Radio, wrote how the track “started as a
party but became something else, something much closer to a prayer” (Moon). Instead of angry
or accusatory claims against those in power, the song depicts the feelings associated with the
troubled times Gaye observed. In this way, as Moon writes in the same article, “It wasn't protest
music in the strictest sense” (Moon). Yet, the song has gone down as one of the most memorable
pieces of its era, its album even going on to rank at the top of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “500
Greatest Albums of All Time” list (McCabe). The track is a perfect example of socially
progressive music connecting to people in ways that few other methods can.
To the listener, music often creates emotional effects that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
This might be the primary reason such a massive connection is seen throughout American
history. Although often limited by mass misunderstanding or censorship, music has the innate
memorability, emotional appeal, and personal feeling that can spread ideas and social movements
rapidly. Every major event in American history can be related to the artistic works of Americans
from its time, and music is never an exception. Artists can depict topics with passion, and use
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their creative skills to promote their ideas effectively. They can use their writings as a response,
rather than a mere outlet. As people listen, personal connections are made in unique ways,
influencing the lives of both individuals and eventually a group of many. A song can be funny,
emotional, heartful, bitter, and passionate. It can create feelings through both words and music,
and stick to a listener's memory like a sight or scent. It can be one person's voice, or the anthem
of a generation. It can represent a time, place, or feeling. Because of this, it is no wonder why
Works Cited
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2021,
https://www.iue.edu/blogs/library/2021/01/11/american-protest-music-a-brief-history/.
https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/St
Brown, August. “John Fogerty on why Donald Trump plays "Fortunate Son."” Los Angeles
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-10-30/john-fogerty-trump-
Candaele, Kerry. “The Sixties and Protest Music | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/sixties-and-protest-music.
Cooper, Lauren. “April 15, 1967: Massive Anti-Vietnam War Demonstrations.” Zinn Education
Project, https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/massive-anti-war-demonstrations/.
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2021,
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https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/the-story-behind-billie-holidays-strange-fruit/
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March 2023.
Strauss, Matthew. “Recording Academy Adds New Awards for 2023 Grammys: Songwriter of
the Year, Best Song for Social Change, and More.” Pitchfork, 9 June 2022,
https://pitchfork.com/news/recording-academy-adds-new-awards-for-2023-grammys-son