Protest Songs & The Catcher in the Rye
Henderson
J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been hailed as an “emblem of 1950s and ‘60s counterculture.” It seems that Holden’s anger and youthful defiance has struck a chord with succeeding generations.
Protest songs also capture this spirit and are associated with movements for social change. The songs can be broadly categorized as “magnetic” or “rhetorical”.
Magnetic songs: designed to attract people to a movement or cause and confirm commitment and group solidarity
Rhetorical songs: a more individualized, reflective approach; comments on the situation and seeks to change public opinion
Movements and genres:
This is an incomplete list of some of the topics covered by protest songs and some genres of music that actually emerged from social and political movements.
Abolition (many spirituals are seen as thinly veiled “magnetic songs”)
Women’s suffrage
Labor movement, workers’ rights
Anti-war movement (each war seems to have its own outpouring of protest songs)
Anti-nuclear movement
Civil Rights movement (many soul songs are associated with this)
Environmentalism, animal rights
Punk rock
Rap
“Fortunate Son”
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1969
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief",
oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no senator's son,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, no,
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, why don't they help themselves? oh.
But when the taxman come to the door,
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Yeh, some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give,
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no military son, SON, NO
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, NO NO
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no fortunate son, son son son
Song Analysis
Artist & Title: Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son”
Release date: 1969
Societal context & influences on the song:
At the time this song was released, the United States had been embroiled in combat in the Vietnam War for four years. President Nixon had been elected on the promise of achieving “peace with honor” in southeast Asia. However, he then began secret bombings of Cambodia. Impatience with the government and a general distrust of authority was rampant among the youth, especially because of the threat of selective service. (On December 1, 1969, the U.S. military instituted the lottery draft, with the birth date of every eligible young man printed onto ping pong balls.) One outcome of this unrest was the Columbia University protest, during which 300 anti-war students seized the administration building and locked themselves in.
Song represents the voice(s) of: a young, poor draftee who cannot buy his way out of the war
Key lyric: “And when the band plays ‘Hail to the Chief’, they point the cannon at you.”
Tone of the song: defiant, cynical, disadvantaged
Theme: The privileged few who make the wars never go off to fight in them; they leave the fighting, bleeding, and dying to the poor and working classes.
Magnetic or rhetorical song? Magnetic
Song Analysis
Artist & Title:______
Release date: ______
Societal context & influences on the song: ______
Song represents the voice(s) of: ______
Key lyric: ______
Tone of the song: ______
Theme: ______
Magnetic or rhetorical song? ______
------
Potential artists for research:
Arcade Fire
Billy Joel
Bob Dylan
Bob Marley
Bruce Springsteen
Green Day
James Weldon Johnson
Joan Baez
Kanye West
Leadbelly
Lenny Kravitz
Louis Armstrong
Marvin Gaye
NWA
Paul Robeson
Pete Seeger
Public Enemy
Sam Cooke
The Cranberries
The Doors
The Ramones
The Weavers
Woody Guthrie