Subjects in civilization

Now that I have your attention…

Music plays a large part in our lives, sometimes larger than we realize.

Music matters, and music has salience. Many artists speak not only their own minds but attempt to connect with their fans. Lady Gaga, for example, wrote the wildly popular Telephone, in which she (and Houston’s own Beyonce Knowles) tell off their respective significant others for bothering them while they are dancing.

The song, taken at face value, has no substance. But the issue of cell phones and the ability to be in near constant contact with anyone at any time has forced many youths to feel trapped. They feel they are always at the beck and call of their boyfriends/girlfriends, and this song has given them an anthem. Whether they realized it right away, haven’t realized it yet or are just beginning to, Gaga and Beyonce  have done their part.

Similarly, music has always had a point. Throughout generations, it has had a recurring theme: politics.

–Nine Inch Nails (Survivalism)

The above video, written and directed by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails singer and songwriter), is a social commentary of what the Patriotic Act means to him and could mean to the rest of America. In it, he (and countless others including a lonely man and a gay couple) by what is assumed to be Big Brother (the government).

Coupled with the lyrics (“I’ve got my propaganda, I’ve got revisionism, I’ve got my violence in hi-def ultra-realism, I’m a part of this great nation, I got my fist, I got my plan, I got survivalism”), the song is blatantly political.

–Flobots (White Flag Warrior)

“We’d rather make our children martyrs than murders. We’d rather make our children white flag warriors. This is love, this is not treason.”

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In the 19th century (and a little of the 20th), Romantic music reigned. Romantic music refers to a particular period, theory, compositional practice andcanon in European music history.

The increasing importance of nationalism as a political force in the 19th century was mirrored in music and in other arts. Many composers expressed their nationalism by incorporating elements unique to their native cultures, such as folk song, dances and legendary histories. In addition to these exterior elements, there was an increasing diversification of musical language, as composers used elements of rhythm, melody and modality characteristic of their respective nations.

Late in the 19th century, Jean Sibelius wrote music based on the Finnish epic, the Kalevala, and his piece ‘Finlandia’ became a symbol of Finnish nationalism.

Chopin wrote in forms like the polonaise and mazurka, that were derived from Polish folk music. Many Russian composers (such as Balakirev, Cui, Borodin and Rimsky-Korsakov) shared a common dream to write music that was inspired by Russian folk music. Here is some of Chopin’s music:

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During the Civil War era, songs by Stephen Collins Foster, George Frederick Root and Henry Clay Work were among the most popular. Much of the music from that time period has transcended time (and context, for that matter) and is now enjoyed by people all over the world.

And let’s not forget the Battle Hymn of the Republic…

Some of these songs were used to rally troops, while others (like most country music today) instill a sense of patriotism in their singers and listeners alike.

In World War I, some popular songs were Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag, Keep The Home Fires Burning, It’s A Long Way To Tipperary, If You Were The Only Girl In The World, Oh! It’s A Lovely War, Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty, I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now, The Rose Of No Man’s Land, Lorraine, My Beautiful, Roses Of Picardy, Lloyd George’s Beer, Hello, Who’s Your Lady Friend?, They Didn’t Believe Me, Over There, For Me And My Girl, Send Me Away With A Smile, But For Gawd’s Sake Don’t Send Me, Daisy Bell, The Girl I Left Behind Me, Goodbye-ee and Are We Downhearted?.

Oh! It’s A Lovely War can be interpreted two ways. Taken at face value, the song is pro-war to a fault

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There is a long history of the connection between music and politics, particularly political expression in music. This expression can use anti-establishment or protest themes, including anti-war songs, although pro-establishment ideas are also used, for example in national anthems, patriotic songs and political campaigns.

Many of these types of songs could be described as topical songs. Unlike many other types of music, political music is not usually ambiguous and is used to portray a specific political message. While the political message in political music is apparent, it is usually in the political context of the time it was made, which makes understanding the historical events and time that inspired the music essential to fully understanding the message in the music.

Since political music is meant to be heard by the people, it is often meant to be popular.

Politically-driven music, as of late, has been mostly critical of the GOP. But you’ll occasionally run across a conservative, patriotic, right-wing band (though it’s rare outside of the country genre).

–Avenged Sevenfold (Critical Acclaim)

Rock the Vote, for example, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan (or so it claims) organization founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by Jeff Ayeroff for the purposes of political advocacy. Rock the Vote works to engage youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities. Rock the Vote’s stated mission is to “build the political clout and engagement of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country.”

Some rock groups, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Living Colour, Rage Against the Machine,Manic Street Preachers, Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, Anti-Flag, Scars on Broadway, and System of a Down have openly political messages in their music.

–System of a Down (Sad Statue)

Below are a few examples of political dissent in (relatively) current American rock music. The first song is a cover of John Lennon’s Imagine.

–A Perfect Circle (Imagine)

–Marilyn Manson (The Beautiful People)

–Green Day (21 Guns)

These songs are the type of political music most people hear in the 21st century (these are the songs that receive radio plays), however some songs are designed specifically for union workers to support the middle class (the blue collar workers).

As you can hear, there is a bit of a country twang.

But sometimes, the line between radio-friendly, fan-approved political music and music for the working class are blurred.

–Dropkick Murphys (I’m Shipping Off To Boston)

This band has made a name for itself and built a following as a result of its members’ non-stop touring all over the world and their St. Patrick’s Day weekend shows, which are held in and around Boston. The group is also worldwide famous for their patronage of the Boston Red Sox and Bruins.

The Dropkick Murphys have been known for supporting working class and union causes, and have a strong relationship with the AFL-CIO. The band has said that they are all Democrats, and during the 2004 United States presidential election were part of Punkvoter, a political activist group dedicated to defeating George W. Bush. That year they also appeared on the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation contributing the song “We Got the Power.”

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And then, of course, there is the Playing for Change movement, a multimedia music project created by producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to bring together musicians from around the world. Playing For Change also created a separate non-profit organization called the Playing For Change Foundation which builds music schools for children around the world.

Periods of European art music
Early
Medieval	(500–1400)
Renaissance	(1400–1600)
Baroque	(1600–1760)
Common practice
Baroque	(1600–1760)
Classical	(1730–1820)
Romantic	(1815–1910)
Modern and contemporary
20th-century	(1900–2000)
Contemporary	(1975–present)
21st-century	(2000–present)

[rough draft]

MK