This week I am thinking about music and history and wondering if you could share with all of us one song in particular that strikes you as relevant for what you feel like you are learning. Of course it doesn’t have to be related to the times exactly, but perhaps appropriate for the feelings, thoughts, and ideas you’ve generated as a result of what we have been studying. What song captures what you’re thinking about in relationship to history? Ideally I’d like to play each of your songs before we officially begin class – so find a way to make that happen. Make a hard copy of the song, post a link (for a youtube video or an mp3 track) as you comment – find a way.
In terms of what to write this week – I want you to write about your song. Tell us why you selected it and why it matters to you. Make connections to what you are learning. And, as usual, comment on someone else’s ideas.
Please don’t save this for the weekend. I’d like to see the majority of you do this before Friday. Let’s all get online at some point Thursday night so we have time to listen and respond thoughtfully.
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18 comments:
Here are the lyrics to the song I have chosen. I will bring in a hard copy to class tomorrow. The following song is Freedom by Paul McCartney
This is my right, a right given by God
To live a free life, to live in Freedom
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom
Anyone, who wants to take it away
Will have to answer, Cause this is my right
We talkin' about Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom, ah yeah, comon now...
You talkin' about Freedom
Were talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom
Everybody talkin' bout Freedom
Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
Paul McCartney sings about the desire to be free similarly to the desire of the patriots to be free from the British during the American Revolution. I think that this song relates really well to what we are currently studying because just as the patriots fought against the British and their overbearing rules, Paul McCartney's song talks about fighting for the right to be free. The colonies each believed that they deserved the right to be free from British oppression. Their desire to be free is what eventually led the colonies to fight against the British.
So I chose "I Want to Break Free" by Queen for my song. This song connects to the American revolution by the aggression and anxiousness that the Americans experienced when pushing for Independence. Their rebellion was encouraged by motivational writers such as Thomas Paine, who felt strongly about breaking free from British's rule and starting an independent nation. The supporters thought that the British King and Parliament had too much power over the colonies, and especially felt violated when trading taxes were imposed by the British on America. This song about a relationship can be compared to the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain because although the colonies have benefited from England (similar to the lyrics in the song "I can't get used to living without you by my side"), they will benefit much more as their own establishment ("God knows I got to make it on my own").
Here's the link to the song on youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KQBz1X7O_ZQ
i chose closer to fine by the indigo girls
i'll bring it in tommorow
lyrics:
I'm trying to tell you something about my life
maybe give me insight between black and white
and the best thing you've ever done for me
is to help me take my life less seriously
it's only life after all
yeah
well darkness has a hunger that's insatiable
and lightness has a call that's hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it
I'm crawling on your shores
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
there's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
and the less I seek my source for some definitive
(the less I seek my source)
the closer I am to fine
the closer I am to fine
and I went to see the doctor of philosophy
with a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee
he never did marry or see a b-grade movie
he graded my performance, he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind
got my paper and I was free
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
there's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
the less I seek my source for some definitive
(the less I seek my source)
the closer I am to fine
the closer I am to fine
I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
to seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
and I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
twice as cloudy as I'd been the night before
and I went in seeking clarity.
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
yeah we go to the doctor, we go to the mountains
we look to the children, we drink from the fountains
yeah we go to the bible, we go through the workout
we read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout
there's more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
the less I seek my source for some definitive
(the less I seek my source)
the closer I am to fine
the closer I am to fine
the closer I am to fine
the indigo girls use their music to express their personal experiences and ideas. while most of their songs relate to modern issues, they can also be related to a broader idea. closer to fine is one of my favorite songs. to me, what their talkiing about is the philisophical search. it's about how we're always looking for "the answer" but there is no one answer. we have to learn from different sources and keep our minds open. sometimes we have to take a break from searching and just live. this reminded me of american independance because the founding fathers had to do a signifigant amount of philisophical searching when they wrote the constitution. they were trying to develop ideas to base a nation on. an important part of that process was learning what worked in englan and what didn't, using ideas from history and the enlightenment... overall a huge mix of sources. i also feel this song relates because we need to accept that our constitution is not perfect. there are so many dimensions to people that a document can not adress every situation, it's not that black and white.
For my song I chose Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley. Even with the opening lines of this song, the theme of not giving up and standing up for your rights as both human beings and citizens are portrayed. Throughout the song, Marley references God, but if we relate this song to the American Revolution, we can think of God as Britain. He explains that not everything is about money ("It's not all that glitters is gold / Half the story has never been told") and that the main focus of standing up for yourself is because of the rights we want as human beings, or in relation to the Revolution, the American patriots. Because the patriots now "see the light," (the truth) they can stand up and fight for their rights. He talks about what life is really worth, and that its worth fighting for, and to the patriots life meant liberty and this was worth fighting for them. The main theme of this song is to get up and fight for ones rights and not give up on what they believe in, which was what the American Revolution was all about.
Oh, and here is a link to a youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVkV3AZqqI
I'll also bring in a CD because i think youtube is blocked at school
I'm kind of going in a different direction than everyone who has posted already, so I hope I make some sense. The song I chose was Jack Johnson's "Crying Shame," which I believe was actually written about the war in Iraq. The lyrics are as follows:
It's such a tired game
Will it ever stop
How will this all play out
Out of sight, out of mind
By now we should know
How to communicate instead of coming to blows
We're on a roll
And there ain't no stopping us now
We're burning under control
Isn't it strange how
We're all burning under the same sun
By now we say it's a war for peace
It's the same old game
But do we really want to play?
We could close our eyes it's still there
We could say it's us against them
We can try but nobody wins
Gravity has got a hold on us all
We try to put it out
But it's a growing flame
Using fear as fuel
Burning down our name
And it wont take too long
Cause words are burning same
And who we gunna blame now?
And oh, it's such a crying crying crying shame
It's such a crying crying crying shame
It's such a crying crying crying shame, shame, shame
By now
It's beginning to show
A number of people are numbers who aint coming home
I can close my eyes it's still there
Close my mind be alone
I can close my heart and not care
But gravity has got a hold on us all
It's a terrific price to pay
But in the true sense of the word
Are we using what we've learned?
In the true sense of the word
Are we losing what we were?
It's such a tired game
Will it ever stop?
Is not for me to say
And is it in our blood?
Or is it just our fate?
And how will this all play out
Out of sight, out of mind
And who we gunna blame?
On and on
It's such a crying crying crying shame
It's such a crying crying crying shame shame shame
This is what I imagine the colonists might have been thinking from around late 1777 to early 1781 (In our book: "The War Drags On" pages 150-151). There was a virtual stalemate: for every British victory there was an American victory to even the score. This must have been a frustrating time period for the colonists, and they may have debated the worth of starting the revolution. Also, the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge was dreadful and resulted in great despair. These factors probably led to the colonists thinking many of the same thoughts that Jack Johnson expresses. For example, "It's such a tired game/ Will it ever stop?" "We can try but nobody wins," "By now/ It's beginning to show/ A number of people are numbers who aint coming home," and of course the chorus, "It's such a crying, crying, crying shame." This is the perspective that I decided to look at the assignment, and I hope it was at least slightly coherent!
John Mayer, "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)"
No i'm not the man i used to be lately
see you met me at an interesting time
if my past is any sign of your future
you should be warned before i let you inside
hold on to whatever you find baby
hold on to whatever will get you through
hold on to whatever you find baby
i don't trust myself with loving you
i will beg my way into your garden
i will break my way out when it rains
just to get back to the place where i started
so i can watch you back all over again
hold on to whatever you find baby
hold on to whatever will get you through
hold on to whatever you find baby
i don't trust myself with loving you
who do you love?
who do you love?
me or the thought of me?
me or the thought of me?
hold on to whatever you find baby
hold on to whatever will get you through
hold on to whatever you find baby
i don't trust myself with loving you
hold on to whatever you find baby
hold on to whatever gets you through through
hold on to whatever you find baby
i don't trust myself with loving you
Although this song is about a romantic relationship, I really think it can also be a metaphor for the hypocrisy of early Americans (this might be a total stretch, but I actually think it applies). Although we based our entire revolution on the injustice of inequality and the necessity of freedom, we implement these very same injustices on some of our citizens. John Mayer says "Who do you love? Me or the thought of me?" What did we, as Americans, really aspire to? So-called "freedom", or the actual equality of all people in the United States? The chorus says to "hold on to whatever you find". We as Americans grasped on to the free ideals of our revolution, and yet when the opportunity came to exploit the racism and segregation of our nation, we did so with minor regrets. I think his song has an undertone of hypocrisy and betrayal, and we as early Americans in some ways epitomized those qualities. I feel like we betrayed our constitution and the pride of our revolution by maintaining unequal rights in our country.
I picked Land of Confusion. There is actually more than one version of the song, but I like how the Disturbed version of it sounds, so I guess I'll go with that.
I must have dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
They're moving into the street
Now, did you read the news today?
They say the danger has gone away
But I can see the fire's still alight
They're burning into the night
There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go around
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?
This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in
Oh, superman, where are you now?
When everything's gone wrong somehow?
The men of steel, these men of power
Are losing control by the hour
This is the time, this is the place
So we look for the future
But there's not much love to go around
Tell me why this is a land of confusion
This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth living in
I remember long ago
When the sun was shining
And all the stars were bright all through the night
In the wake of this madness, as I held you tight
So long ago
I won't be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know we'll never keep
There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go round
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?
Now, this is the world we live in
And these are the hands we're given
Use them and let's start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for
This is the world we live in
And these are the names we're given
Stand up and let's start showing
Just where our lives are going to
Maybe this is too literal since this song is about war anyway, but it just reminded me of the early American struggle. I think the part about making the world a place worth living in is really relevant. The founders of America had in mind a country with freedom to do almost anything, unlike when they were oppressed by the British government. I just like the song in general too.
youtube link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9KW8DRSvEoQ
My song is Mosh by Marshall Mathers III. Here are the lyrics:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible...
It feels so good to be back..
I scrutinize every word, memorize every line
I spit it once, refuel and re-energize and rewind
I give sight to the blind, my insight through the mind
I exercise my right to express when I feel it's time
It's just all in your mind, what you interpret it as
I say to fight, you take it as I'mma whip someone's ass
If you don't understand, don't even bother to ask
A father who has grown up with a fatherless past
Who has blown up now to rap phenomenon that has
Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task
And in juggling both perhaps mastered his craft
Slash entrepreneur who has held onto few more rap acts
Who's had a few obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his career typical manure moving past that
Mr. kisses ass crack, he's a class act
Rubber band man, yea he just snaps back
[Chorus:]
Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we gonna stomp, we gonna march
Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the marsh
Take us right through the doors (c'mon)
All the people up top on the side and the middle
Come together lets all bomb and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build from the front to the back
All you can see is a sea of people some white and some black
Don't matter what color, all that matters we gathered together
To celebrate for the same cause don't matter the weather
If it rains let it rain, yea the wetter the better
They ain't gonna stop us they can't, we stronger now more than ever
They tell us no we say yea, they tell us stop we say go
Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em know
Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our troops home (c'mon)
[Chorus]
Imagine it pouring, it's raining down on us
Mosh pits outside the oval office
Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
How could we allow something like this without pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour
Let me be the voice in your strength and your choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six...
Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero
Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
If I get sniped tonight you know why,
Cause I told you to fight.
[Chorus]
And as we proceed,
To Mosh through this desert storm,
In these closing statements, if they should argue
Let us beg to differ
As we set aside our differences
And assemble our own army
To disarm this Weapon of Mass Destruction
That we call our President, for the present
And Mosh for the future of our next generation
To speak and be heard
Mr. President, Mr. Senator
Do you guy's hear us...hear us...
I chose this song because Marshall talks about standing up to a higher authority for example this song was written for the war in iraq. But we can look at it differently in that Marshall wants freedom just like the American patriots when they fought for their land. They wanted to their voices to be heard and share their opinions on the war. They were tired of the war but pushed through the hard times.
These are the lyrics for the song "Gather the Horses" by Charlie Mars:
Gather the horses boy
Summon the men
Say your last goodbyes to the women and children
There is fighting here to be done
Houses of pleasure and houses of pain
Down here in the low they seem one and the same
And there is a battle here
To be won
You've got to ride on
Let the people say what they want
You've got to ride on
Let the people say what they want about you
Lock, stock, and barrel shot
One smoking gun
And enough anger in you to hurt someone
And there is a battle here to be won
You've got to ride on
Let the people say what they want
You've got to ride on
Let the people say what they want
It fits in with the propaganda before the war encouraging people to take up arms and fight for what they believed, even against everyone who didn't think the colonies had a chance. It's about their willingness to give up everything for their freedom. The song mentions "there's enough anger to hurt someone" which represents the colonists would not tolerate Britain's rule anymore.
I thought that Jacqueline's song was really interesting. When I was reading the lyrics, it was actually easier for me to relate them to the American Revolution by looking at each stanza out of the context of the rest of the song.
The first thing I noticed was the line, "But I can hear the marching feet/ They're moving into the street." The way I looked at it was that the "marching feet" in the street were the redcoats who were invading the colonials space.
The second stanza, "Now, did you read the news today?/ They say the danger has gone away/ But I can see the fire's still alight/ They're burning into the night," seems like a foreshadow of what would be to come after the Revolution was over: the Civil War. Even though it seemed as though everything was settled and the danger was gone, resentments were still brewing (although this time around, they were not resentments against Great Britain).
I looked at the stanza that says, "I won't be coming home tonight/ My generation will put it right/ We're not just making promises/ That we know we'll never keep" as the hypocrisy of the Americans. They were trying to make their world a better place (one without the rule of England), but then they continued the institution of slavery simply because it was convenient for them.
So, yeah, that's what I thought of the song. It has many different dimensions to it, so I thought it was a really good choice.
A billion people died on the news tonight
But not so many cried at the terrible sight
Well mama said
It's just make believe
You can't believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight
Who's the one to decide that it would be alright
To put the music behind the news tonight
Well mama said
You can't believe everything you hear
The diegetic world is so unclear
So baby close your ears
On the news tonight
To the news tonight
The unobtrusive tones on the news tonight
And mama said
Mmm
Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who die
At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes
Mama said
It's just make believe
You cant believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight
I chose this song "The News" by Jack Johnson because I think it really represents the immunity America has built up to the idea of violence. Our country was founded on the backs of slaves and servants, and all throughout our history, the educated elite have opressed the minorities. Now with the war in Iraq going on, people don't react when they hear about people dying. They have become so used to hearing all the tragic tales of soldiers dying and being tortured in Iraq, that they don't even skip a beat when they hear the news. Because the war in going on overseas, it doesn't affect the majority of the population, which leads to the feeling of safety. No one ever wakes up and realizes that we ARE at war. This song really describes how insensitive people have grown over the years.
First of all I'd like to add to my first post:
After re-reading the lyrics just now, I realize that John Mayer's song could also represent the point of view of the British during the time of the revolution. By this point, the parlaiment had begun to recognize the animosity brewing between them and America. "I don't trust myself loving you" is what I think the British might have thought about America. It was time to abolish salutary neglect and really crack down on America. They couldn't afford to give them any leeway or sympathy at all. "Who do you love me or the thought of me?" represents the resentment the British might have felt towards America for turning against them so wholly. The British have begun to finally recognize that America doesn't want to be a part of Britain anymore, and that they are no longer willing to be subservient. The second verse foreshadows what will happen at the end of the war (you can scroll up and read it). And yet despite this foreshadowing, Britain remains confident in their ability to defeat the Americans. "Hold on to whatever you find baby" sounds like a warning from the British to the Americans, telling them to "hold on to whatever will get you through". The British were confident and disdainful throughout most of the war, and I think that's reflected in these lyrics.
Ok so Allie I am so impressed/jealous that you thought of "Crying Shame" by Jack Johnson. Jack Johnson is one of my favorite artists, and I've definately listened to that song at least 50 times, but I never even thought of the lyrics that way until I read your blog! It was so cool for me to go through my iTunes library and realize that SO MANY songs have political connotations. It was really interesting to look at the lyrics in a new light, with the thought of the Revolution in mind. I found a song that had nothing to do with war and found the connection, and so did Coco and Sal (sal I loved your song, btw). I'm really excited to listen to everyone's songs in class!
Ok so I chose Elephant Gun by Beirut, which is kind of a stretch considering his lyrics tend not to really mean anything at all, but as a collection and paired with his music assume a meaning, so it will be better with the music.
If I was young, I'd flee this town
I'd bury my dreams underground
As did I, we drink to die, we drink tonight
Far from home, elephant gun
Let's take them down one by one
We'll lay it down, it's not been found, it's not around
Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on
Let the seasons begin - take the big king down
Let the seasons begin - it rolls right on
Let the seasons begin - take the big king down
And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
And it rips through the night
And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
And it rips through the silence, all that is left is all that I hide.
The words themselves make me think of a sort of cross-section of people's attitudes, starting with the lost young soul who would be overwhelmed by the state of his environment and simply leave, to the devoted revolutionaries' attitudes towards collapsing the hold of Britain on their society. The whole song speaks to a sort of slow moving will and desire end the war and unrest. More moving than the lyrics is the music in this song, which is difficult to explain until one listens to it. It reflects all of the attitudes expressed in the lyrics so well, with a rolling and seemingly hopeful melody that repeats and has a strong and basic percussion arrangement that pulls the lagging melody through. The melody is written in a minor key (Bb) and yet lacks the sort of melancholy feel generally found in minor songs; it's remarkably well-written. The interesting mix of instruments he plays adds to this: ukulele, accordion, trumpet, and a myriad of percussion instruments.
alexa after reading at what you said i was shocked. i couldnt agree more and was surprised really. i have to acknowledge that you are 100% correct that people are ignorant and dont even flinch at the word death when they hear about it, for example, the war in iraq. we wake up every morning and dont realize that we are at war andthis is history in the making. thank you for brinigng it to my attention.
I liked Jacqueline's song "Land of Confusion" because although its literal and connects directly to war, it could also be compared to the European countries settling in America and taking over the Indian territory. The stanza of the song saying, "There's too many men, too many people/Making too many problems/And there's not much love to go around/Can't you see this is a land of confusion?" illustrates the overpopulation when both the Indians and the colonists where inhabiting the American land. The lines, "Oh, superman, where are you now?/When everything's gone wrong somehow?/The men of steel, these men of power/Are losing control by the hour" could relate to the strong influence of the British, Spanish, and French over the Indians. I do agree, though, with Jacqueline's correlation of the song to the entire American revolution, but since this song has a pretty broad statement, I just thought I'd make an additional connection to something we could relate to.
Well I was going to choose Coco's song, because I thought that it fit in perfectly with this unit, and I'm a little jealous that she got to it first, but I definately agree that it is perfect for what we are learning. Also, I really do like Jacqueline's song also, but what really made the most sense to me was Alexa's choice. I feel like this song was a great choice, especially because of her explanation and her correlation between the War for Independence we are learning about now and our present day War in Iraq. The relationship between this modern war and the American Revolution is really brought out in this song, and I feel like Alexa made a good choice. I also didn't understand what Nora's song had to do with the Revolution until her explanation, but it may be a bit of a stretch...
Ok so since Charlie thought my song was too much of a stretch here's a better one:
"Nite Becomes Day" by Citizen Cope
Things have been getting real heavy these days
The media the system
the people chasing pay
Somebody's got a rifle he won't turn the other cheek
Now its his turn
Things have been getting real hectic these days
An eye for an eye
A spade is a spade
They're shooting him down and he's running away
That was their turn
I believe in
The same thing that makes the night become day
Tide and the water
Sons and the daughters
Can't hide it can't fight it
Love
I'm a say it again
It's the same thing that makes the moonlight
Meet up with the sunlight
Can't fight it can't buy it
Love... I'm a say it again
When cut deep the same blood we bleed
We're not immune to addiction or disease
Got violent deaths in our family trees
Now it's our turn
Things have been seeming real ready these days
From the North to the South to the East to the West
Happiness will you put it to your chest
When it's your turn
So this song definitely applies more to the revolution than my other one. During the time of the revolution, the lower class's main irritation was the presence of the redcoats. They desperately wanted to rid themselves of the provoking and obtrusive presence of British soldiers, as was demonstrated by the Boston Massacre. The Americans were ready for "an eye for an eye, a spade for a spade". And yet, also at the heart of their rebellion, was the desire for natural rights, as Citizen Cope talks about during the chorus of this song. He uses it to refer to love, but I think it could apply to a wider range of ideas. In the colonials' case, I think it's a combination of peace, respect and prosperity. Their aware of and prepared for the violent outer shell of the rebellion, but they still maintain the notion of those specific ideals.
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