Musc 291 Week 1

In week 1, one of the readings we covered was Thomas Turino's "Music and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States."

The article covered the notion of "Freedom Songs" that emerged from African Americans in the 1960s. Turino focused part of his attention in this article on the peaceful protest elements of certain songs. Some songs did  not necessarily possess calls to action as much as they delivered messages of optimism and hope. "We Shall Overcome" was a primary example. There were no war-like words sung in the words, but instead the lyrics provided encouragement. The words "we shall overcome" are repeated soothingly, and the hope that the lyrics convey are strengthened by the words "deep in my heart / I do believe." 

Artists would often use call and response techniques in these freedom songs in order to evoke feelings of unity from the listeners. When everybody repeated the same words together, of course that created a bond among those who sang the songs. They bonded in the belief that troubles would end and freedom would be attained. 

Yet--as Turino later describes--not everybody shared the same optimism. Towards the end of the 60s, artists moved away from peaceful songs into more fiery songs that conveyed the same message. For example, James Brown's "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" implemented an attitude that essentially said "I won't be a doormat" when it comes to civil rights. Brown did not believe that being pacifistic would lead to equality for his people. He did not want to remain inactive. "Say It Loud" was written to be an anthem during a time of oppression for African Americans. Brown's raspy voice gives the song the feel of a political rally where he serves as the passionate leader. He too employs call and response in the song, which lets the listener know he is not alone in his cause.

A newer version of "We Shall Overcome":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aor6-DkzBJ0