Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sixties and Seventies Anti-War Songs
Feel free to comment with the names of any good songs from this period that you know. There are a lot them out there, and it's very likely I missed some of the best songs of the era, so if you have any ideas, let me know. Thanks
Barry Maguire's "Eve of Destruction"
America has long valued its system of personal rights and civil liberties. Arguably the most cherished, and at times, the most hotly controversial form of expression is freedom of speech. While the federal government has, at times, effectively hindered the common citizen’s right to an opinion, history has proven that the voice of the masses will find some outlet, and the complaints of the nation will be vocalized. In his song “Eve of Destruction,” Barry Maguire speaks from the perspective of the average American, using poetic devices to develop his criticism of the world at large.
Maguire begins the song with several contemporary allusions to set the time period and topic. He states, “The eastern world, it is exploding,” referring to the Vietnam War raging overseas. Directly disapproving of the federal voting policy, Maguire sings, “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,” with a heavy tone of sarcasm. He mocks the hypocrisy of the nation with a paradox: “You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’.” He also uses basic alliteration as a means of expressing his frustrations and worries, asking, “Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?” Alluding to the destructiveness of war, as well as nuclear proliferation, Maguire states that “If the button is pushed, then there’s no running away/ There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave.” This quote is also a prime example of assonance, which makes the didactic verse rhythmic and catchy.
Maguire continues with a series of critical allusions to the country’s moral shortcomings. In one stanza, he attacks the government, filled with “senators [who] don’t pass legislation,” and the prevailing racism of the time (“marches alone can’t bring integration/ When human respect is disintegratin’”). Maguire compares “all the hate there is in Red China” with the violence incurred by the civil rights marches of Selma, Alabama. He is censuring the prejudice of intolerant Americans as a whole with this one historical reference. Identifying once more the hypocritical stance of many citizens, he says, “Hate your…neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” which ironically, yet tragically, points out a widespread failure to practice the morality of one’s faith.
Maguire’s words still resonate with modern day issues in a very profound and applicable way. The world, it seems, is perpetually perched on the “eve of destruction,” swaying precariously between chaos and order. Thankfully, there are voices like that of Barry Maguire to tilt the globe onto the side of reason and sanity.
Maguire begins the song with several contemporary allusions to set the time period and topic. He states, “The eastern world, it is exploding,” referring to the Vietnam War raging overseas. Directly disapproving of the federal voting policy, Maguire sings, “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,” with a heavy tone of sarcasm. He mocks the hypocrisy of the nation with a paradox: “You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’.” He also uses basic alliteration as a means of expressing his frustrations and worries, asking, “Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?” Alluding to the destructiveness of war, as well as nuclear proliferation, Maguire states that “If the button is pushed, then there’s no running away/ There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave.” This quote is also a prime example of assonance, which makes the didactic verse rhythmic and catchy.
Maguire continues with a series of critical allusions to the country’s moral shortcomings. In one stanza, he attacks the government, filled with “senators [who] don’t pass legislation,” and the prevailing racism of the time (“marches alone can’t bring integration/ When human respect is disintegratin’”). Maguire compares “all the hate there is in Red China” with the violence incurred by the civil rights marches of Selma, Alabama. He is censuring the prejudice of intolerant Americans as a whole with this one historical reference. Identifying once more the hypocritical stance of many citizens, he says, “Hate your…neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” which ironically, yet tragically, points out a widespread failure to practice the morality of one’s faith.
Maguire’s words still resonate with modern day issues in a very profound and applicable way. The world, it seems, is perpetually perched on the “eve of destruction,” swaying precariously between chaos and order. Thankfully, there are voices like that of Barry Maguire to tilt the globe onto the side of reason and sanity.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Relection of Culture in Pop Music
Consider the subject matter, content and point of view of today's top songs and identify lines which contain poetic merit. What do these songs, as a whole, say about our modern American culture? In particular, what do these songs say about your generation as the greatest consumers of music media? How are gender roles represented in popular music? How is success measured?
The majority of today’s most popular songs feature the same themes that have been so often used in the past. Love and passion are always relevant ideas, and they continue to serve as the subject matter for modern songs, but in a much different way than they once did. Also, some of the most popular songs are sung by young singers, such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Lyrics that glorify the experience of young adulthood tend to create the most publicity, and many of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Hits concern partying and, in general, enjoying life. Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling,” and Drake’s “Forever” perfectly exemplify modern’s music attitude towards love, parties, and success, while still retaining varying degrees of poetic merit.
From a literary standpoint, much of today’s music is lacking the lyricism and eloquence of the songs from previous generations. For example, the song “I Gotta Feeling” accomplishes little in the field of poetic devices aside from basic alliteration, as in “tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” Also, the song features an element of humor, but it is largely just another song to dance and sing along with. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” on the other hand, uses a great deal of poetic devices. Her use of repetition effectively displays her emotions, as the subject matter is especially relatable and relevant to the high school demographic. Mixing alliteration (“typical Tuesday,” “short skirts,” “high heels”) with a masterfully sophisticated rhyme scheme, Swift catches the ear of the young listener with a poetic and realistic song. Drake’s song “Forever” portrays the stereotypical measure of success while using rhetoric. He brags about his wealth, metaphorically stating that he is “swimming in the money.” Also, he alludes to Malcolm X while referring to his skill and reputation as a rap artist: “Labels want my name beside the X like Malcolm/ Everybody got a deal, I did it without one.” Featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, the song contains a diverse style of rhyming. In one line, Lil Wayne combines a metaphor with assonance, saying, “My mind shines even when my thoughts seem dark.” The song “Forever” uses a wide range of poeticism to convey the theme of success.
Taking a step back, these songs illustrate that our society has turned away from slower paces to quicker beats and faster rhymes. It seems that a song’s ability to be danced to or song along with is the determining factor in its popularity, and, though many acclaimed albums are socially relevant and topical, the message of a song no longer appeals to the majority of Americans. Even if a song does have a traditional theme, as in Swift’s depiction of classic young love, there must be a minimum standard of modern musicality to it. Even if a song is about nothing in particular, it could still be a success if it can compete with the other up-tempo on the charts. Though music is now far more readily accessible than it was twenty, or even ten years ago, I believe that my generation consumes music media so much more than any other because music has become so ingrained in our cultural psyche. Hearing music on a daily basis is unavoidable, and since there is so very much music out there, at such handy and affordable outlets, that any given person would have absolutely no trouble finding something he/she likes.
Gender roles are one negative aspect of modern music. In many popular rap and hip-hop songs, women, especially young women, are made out to be subservient to men. Depicted frequently as prostitutes or the like, women are exploited for their sexuality, while men are glorified for these sexual conquests. This concept leads directly into the idea of being “successful” as shown in modern music. Many songs hint at, or even frankly state, that to have more women is to be a more accomplished person. Also, one must be affluent and well-known to have achieved anything in life. These inclinations are completely untrue and should not be perpetuated by the music industries. Although popular music has very much to offer the world, it should be cautious when exercising its powerful influence, especially in regard to the youth of the world.
The majority of today’s most popular songs feature the same themes that have been so often used in the past. Love and passion are always relevant ideas, and they continue to serve as the subject matter for modern songs, but in a much different way than they once did. Also, some of the most popular songs are sung by young singers, such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Lyrics that glorify the experience of young adulthood tend to create the most publicity, and many of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Hits concern partying and, in general, enjoying life. Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling,” and Drake’s “Forever” perfectly exemplify modern’s music attitude towards love, parties, and success, while still retaining varying degrees of poetic merit.
From a literary standpoint, much of today’s music is lacking the lyricism and eloquence of the songs from previous generations. For example, the song “I Gotta Feeling” accomplishes little in the field of poetic devices aside from basic alliteration, as in “tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” Also, the song features an element of humor, but it is largely just another song to dance and sing along with. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” on the other hand, uses a great deal of poetic devices. Her use of repetition effectively displays her emotions, as the subject matter is especially relatable and relevant to the high school demographic. Mixing alliteration (“typical Tuesday,” “short skirts,” “high heels”) with a masterfully sophisticated rhyme scheme, Swift catches the ear of the young listener with a poetic and realistic song. Drake’s song “Forever” portrays the stereotypical measure of success while using rhetoric. He brags about his wealth, metaphorically stating that he is “swimming in the money.” Also, he alludes to Malcolm X while referring to his skill and reputation as a rap artist: “Labels want my name beside the X like Malcolm/ Everybody got a deal, I did it without one.” Featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, the song contains a diverse style of rhyming. In one line, Lil Wayne combines a metaphor with assonance, saying, “My mind shines even when my thoughts seem dark.” The song “Forever” uses a wide range of poeticism to convey the theme of success.
Taking a step back, these songs illustrate that our society has turned away from slower paces to quicker beats and faster rhymes. It seems that a song’s ability to be danced to or song along with is the determining factor in its popularity, and, though many acclaimed albums are socially relevant and topical, the message of a song no longer appeals to the majority of Americans. Even if a song does have a traditional theme, as in Swift’s depiction of classic young love, there must be a minimum standard of modern musicality to it. Even if a song is about nothing in particular, it could still be a success if it can compete with the other up-tempo on the charts. Though music is now far more readily accessible than it was twenty, or even ten years ago, I believe that my generation consumes music media so much more than any other because music has become so ingrained in our cultural psyche. Hearing music on a daily basis is unavoidable, and since there is so very much music out there, at such handy and affordable outlets, that any given person would have absolutely no trouble finding something he/she likes.
Gender roles are one negative aspect of modern music. In many popular rap and hip-hop songs, women, especially young women, are made out to be subservient to men. Depicted frequently as prostitutes or the like, women are exploited for their sexuality, while men are glorified for these sexual conquests. This concept leads directly into the idea of being “successful” as shown in modern music. Many songs hint at, or even frankly state, that to have more women is to be a more accomplished person. Also, one must be affluent and well-known to have achieved anything in life. These inclinations are completely untrue and should not be perpetuated by the music industries. Although popular music has very much to offer the world, it should be cautious when exercising its powerful influence, especially in regard to the youth of the world.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Phil Och's "I Ain't Marching Anymore"
America has a long and complicated military history, wrought with emotional trauma, human indecency, and morally questionable exploits. A nation forged by gunpowder and the flowing blood of patriots, the United States has been involved in just about every armed conflict in recent history. Naturally, for a country to have such sweeping influence on the course of human events, the casualty count is massive. Millions of citizens have fought and died in America’s many wars, and, often, the public objects to the carnage of battle. In Phil Ochs’ Vietnam War protest song, “I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” he uses a great deal of historical allusions, as well as a unique and effective point of view, to defend his argument.
The song is sung from the perspective of a single soldier, one who claims to have participated in every single military venture in the history of America. He states, “I marched to the battle of New Orleans, at the end of the early British war,” which is an allusion to the famous skirmish between British and American forces during the War of 1812. He claims that “The young land started growing,” a reference to the inexperienced and budding American nation. The narrator also says that he has killed his “share of Indians In a thousand different fights…at Little Big Horn.” This is a direct connection to the slaughter and near annihilation of the Native American Indian, as well as a possible allusion to the earliest American conflict, the French and Indian War. The speaker has fought “in the bloody Civil War” and “stole California from the Mexican land”: both of these statements refer to more military campaigns. The American Civil War, where men “killed [their] brothers,” is the former reference, and the latter alludes to the Mexican War, at the end of which America claimed California. The “battles of the German trench” is code for World War 1, also known as “the war to end all wars,” and the “mighty mushroom roar” in “the Japanese sky” references the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the Second World War. The final stanza alludes to the “Cuban shore” and the closing of “the missile plants,” which translates into the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the world was almost brought to nuclear war.
The soldier who claims to have fought in all of these wars is an unrealistic, yet effective, narrator. The conflicts date back as early as the 1700s and continue until the 1960s, making the speaker almost 300 years old. Ignoring the biological impossibility of the soldier’s age, his perspective produces an invaluable effect on the song as a whole. By personifying all of the country’s service men and women in this one, all-encompassing voice, Ochs is criticizing America’s inclination to use warfare as a resolution. This ‘eternal soldier’ is a perfect literary tool: it provides the listener with a historical background, a living lesson of our country’s past. This frame of reference is an ideal platform for the song’s antiwar agenda: by illustrating all of the nation’s major conflicts in such an uncompromising and negative light, Ochs is putting his fans in the right state of mind. By vilifying other military campaigns, he is indirectly criticizing the then-current war overseas. Without even saying the word Vietnam, Ochs manages to oppose the fighting with unmatched efficacy.
Phil Ochs is known as one of the Vietnam era’s greatest protest songwriters, and with good reason. With a simple characterization and a knowledge of American history, he is able to voice the frustration and pain of an entire generation. Ochs is able to make such a relevant connection between history and modern life, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Phil Ochs
I Ain't Marching Anymore
Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying
I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore
chorus)
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brothers
And so many others
But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore
(chorus)
For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore
Now the labor leader's screamin' when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more,
No I ain't marchin' any more
The song is sung from the perspective of a single soldier, one who claims to have participated in every single military venture in the history of America. He states, “I marched to the battle of New Orleans, at the end of the early British war,” which is an allusion to the famous skirmish between British and American forces during the War of 1812. He claims that “The young land started growing,” a reference to the inexperienced and budding American nation. The narrator also says that he has killed his “share of Indians In a thousand different fights…at Little Big Horn.” This is a direct connection to the slaughter and near annihilation of the Native American Indian, as well as a possible allusion to the earliest American conflict, the French and Indian War. The speaker has fought “in the bloody Civil War” and “stole California from the Mexican land”: both of these statements refer to more military campaigns. The American Civil War, where men “killed [their] brothers,” is the former reference, and the latter alludes to the Mexican War, at the end of which America claimed California. The “battles of the German trench” is code for World War 1, also known as “the war to end all wars,” and the “mighty mushroom roar” in “the Japanese sky” references the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the Second World War. The final stanza alludes to the “Cuban shore” and the closing of “the missile plants,” which translates into the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the world was almost brought to nuclear war.
The soldier who claims to have fought in all of these wars is an unrealistic, yet effective, narrator. The conflicts date back as early as the 1700s and continue until the 1960s, making the speaker almost 300 years old. Ignoring the biological impossibility of the soldier’s age, his perspective produces an invaluable effect on the song as a whole. By personifying all of the country’s service men and women in this one, all-encompassing voice, Ochs is criticizing America’s inclination to use warfare as a resolution. This ‘eternal soldier’ is a perfect literary tool: it provides the listener with a historical background, a living lesson of our country’s past. This frame of reference is an ideal platform for the song’s antiwar agenda: by illustrating all of the nation’s major conflicts in such an uncompromising and negative light, Ochs is putting his fans in the right state of mind. By vilifying other military campaigns, he is indirectly criticizing the then-current war overseas. Without even saying the word Vietnam, Ochs manages to oppose the fighting with unmatched efficacy.
Phil Ochs is known as one of the Vietnam era’s greatest protest songwriters, and with good reason. With a simple characterization and a knowledge of American history, he is able to voice the frustration and pain of an entire generation. Ochs is able to make such a relevant connection between history and modern life, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Phil Ochs
I Ain't Marching Anymore
Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying
I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore
chorus)
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brothers
And so many others
But I ain't marchin' anymore
For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore
(chorus)
For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore
Now the labor leader's screamin' when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more,
No I ain't marchin' any more
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