Music moves us. It motivates, it inspires. Here is a quick overview of the anthems that have helped to launch people-powered movements. (And isn't it usually the masses, the everyday folk, who lead the movements and who are always a step ahead of the politicians?)
During the years of slavery, spirituals were both subtle and subversive and helped to keep the yearning for freedom alive.
Go down, Moses, way down to Egypt land,
Tell ole Pharoah to let my people go!
During the Civil War the Union soldiers sang a song that kept the memory of John Brown alive. (He was the abolitionist who led a slave revolt and was then executed for treason against a state.)
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave,
But his soul goes marching on.
Julia Ward Howe fell asleep while hearing soldiers tramping past her window singing "John Brown's Body." When she awoke, she still heard the tune in her head and penned the words to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
One of the most lyrical of the songs from the women's suffrage movement is "Bread and Roses."
As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for -- but we fight for roses, too!
The most moving song protesting lynching has to be "Strange Fruit." Both sad and bitter.
Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant south,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.
Here is Billie Holiday singing it:
The movements to unionize workers spawned many protest songs. This one is my favorite--"Joe Hill":
The 1960's arrived: the Civil Rights movement, the Peace movement and there are songs that arose from that era that are too numerous to list. But I would be remiss not to mention two that seem to epitomize those crusades:
"We Shall Overcome"
"Universal Soldier"
I'm something of an oldster and I'd like to know what current protest songs are swirling around the pop atmosphere these days.
Tell us your favorites--old or new.
Peace.