Essay on American Songs that Record Culture and History

American Songs that Record Culture and History As has been said many times over, songs are a reflection of society. They give insight into feelings, moods, historical changes, and the overall atmosphere of the society. Our American society is diverse and so too is our music. There are many genres of music and there were many evolutions to create those genres. Further, what happens in society, the historical changes, also effect those changes. Sex, drugs, alcohol. They are influential substance/actions by all accounts. Love, hate, sadness, desire, fear. They are strong emotions. In songs played on the radio there are many songs with references to both the good and bad of the topics mentioned above. However,†¦show more content†¦It is safe to say that a majority of American youth find underage drinking okay. This song also seems to say that the youth find nothing wrong with casual sex. And after listening to just one night of the daily news, many would agree to the above ideas. Even the song â€Å"Doo Wop (That Thing)† by Lauryn Hill suggests that American youth are casually having sex and immaturely doing so. In her song she warns today’s youth to be careful and not get caught up in the game. â€Å"Giving it up so easy you ain’t even foolin’ him†¦Showing off your ass cause you thinking it’s a trend.† The lyrics hit hard, but Lauryn Hill is giving us a glim pse into the lives of a majority of our youth. Although we, or our children, may not be of the majority, this is the truth and it does hurt. One day our songs will be history. One day someone will look at those lyrics I have listed above and see references to our culture and how we lived our lives. But for today we look at yesterday’s songs and see history. We listen for hints into how people felt and what was going on. We look for songs like â€Å"Your Dog Loves My Dog†sang by the Nashville Quartet. This song demonstrates some of the frustrations of those living during the civil rights movement. Even though they lived across the street from one another, a traditional black family never knew their traditional white family neighbors. Not because they could not speak or could not walk over the way, but because it was not acceptable.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Song Crazy Blues 1172 Words   |  5 Pagescover of the song originally written by Perry Bradford. This timeless piece of history was first recorded on August 10th, 1920 by Mamie Smith and later released on as a vinyl record by Okeh Reco rds.3 Smith’s version of the song was wildly successful, selling 75,000 copies in the first month following its release. Within a year, the record had sold over a million copies, and in all, two million copies were purchased.4 After its incredible success, recording companies rushed to record other AfricanRead MoreMusic During The 1920 S1609 Words   |  7 Pagesmainstream radio and the conclusion of World War I. The 1920s was the decade that marked the beginning of the modern music era. 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