From Janus Head, ©2000 by Donald W. Gillette
With the advent of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" and its subsequent success in healing the economic problems of the United States in the 1940's, socially critical music or music which expressed dissatisfaction with the government began a rapid decline. Socially conscious musicians like Woody Guthrie no longer had significant audiences for their lamentations simply because American society had, for the most part, found relative affluence. In short, there were no tangible evils in the culture worthy of the effort; all the dragons had been banished. The nation moved through the next decade enjoying the fruits of a post-war economy, trusting its politicians and settling into middle class complacency. American society was concerned with the pursuit of the "good life" and conditions in the country were such that nothing hampered this pursuit.
In the early 1960's, social commentary began to move slowly back into the mainstream of contemporary music in the United States, fueled by such socially relevant issues as the threat of nuclear holocaust, the conflict in Southeast Asia, and intensification of a "Cold War” with the USSR. In 1965, when United States ground and air troops were committed to South Vietnam in number, social comment in the form of "protest" music inundated American society as it never had before and this particular style of music, modified to a degree, has been an integral part of American culture since.
Socially conscious music appears to revolve around a single entity: the government. Whether commenting on war, nuclear armament, economic conditions, or life in general, the lyrics allude to politics as a cause and, ultimately, as a cure.
As a prelude to the performance of "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, Jeffrey Shurtleff, accompanied by Joan Baez, spoke at length about the draft resistance movement in the United States and dedicated the song to the Governor of California, Ronald Reagan (a stout supporter of the Vietnam War) referring to Mr. Reagan as "Ronald Ray-Gun ... Zap!” With his tongue-in-cheek dedication, Shurtleff set the stage for comparisons to follow. The character in the song "don't like resistance I know/And he said it last night on a big TV show./He's got him a medal that he won in the war/Weighs five hundred pounds and it sleeps by the door." Clearly, the conflict that existed was between the government and the people, between the draft resistance movement and the politicians, between the draft resister and Ronald Reagan. "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" is a "folk song" in that it was performed by two singers accompanied by acoustic guitars; however, the conflicts addressed in the song were not solely the purview of folk singers. The "hard rock” band, Steppenwolf, expressed much the same sentiments in 1969 with a song entitled "Draft Resister" which appeared in an album entitled Monster (the monster being the government) dedicated entirely to social criticism. The song relates not only the story of an Army deserter, but also makes pointed comments about the "evil threat and awesome power/Of the mighty Pentagon" and its effect on society. The draft resisters are the heroes of the song; they are men "who will fight for sanity/As they march them off to prison/In this land of liberty." Allegory is forsaken for irony in "Draft Resister" but the ideal remains the same.
Certainly, public sentiment was partially responsible for bringing about the end of the Vietnam War and the music and lyrics of the era were reflective of public sentiment. Those musicians who dealt with important social issues voiced the feelings and attitudes of an esoteric group in search of common ideals and gave credence to the anti-war movement. But the end of the Vietnam War did not serve to heal the wounds suffered by the government of the United States or improve the credibility of its politicians. Rather, it generated a new awareness of the impact society could have on situations it had heretofore considered beyond reach.
The Byrds, a socially conscious group popular in the 1970's voiced the public's lingering mistrust of politicians in their song, "I Wanna Grow Up To Be a Politician" by making reference to several common generalizations made about public officials and also mentioning a few of the myriad government financed programs in America. The singer claims he wants to "grow up to be a politician/And take over this beautiful land/I'll work in the towns/Or conservate the prairies/And you can believe/The future's ahead.” The song is rampant with those statements the public has come to expect from politicians and government officials and includes several instances of double talk; it ridicules the government but also ridicules society for allowing the situation to exist.
Social awareness as a theme in contemporary music takes many forms, but perhaps the most effective compositions concern themselves with people and their position within American culture. Impersonal songs have an effect on the listener, but songs dealing with individual struggle against a force as large and seemingly uncaring as government appear to "hit home" with greater impact. The suggestion of anger, sadness, or confusion in music about people is able to bring the listener closer to a sense of kinship or dialogue with the performer and his subject. Gordon Lightfoot's song, "Circle of Steel," about an alcoholic welfare mother and her child is patterned much the same as a short story. It uses powerful, repetitive description and makes touching use of imagery to describe the conditions and hardships that befall persons in the mother's situation. The song eludes the placing of blame on the government directly and uses instead another authoritarian figure, a doctor "found on his welfare round/And he comes and he leaves on the dollar.” Indirectly, the doctor replaces the politician and is there to help only if money is available, if there is something in it for him. The song, "Pink Houses,” by John Mellencamp tells the story of a "black man with a black cat/Living in a black neighborhood/ He's got an interstate running through his front yard/You know he think's he's got it so good." In reality, the black man does not have it good. He is forced to live in a black neighborhood by the economic circumstances thrust upon him by a government that would put an interstate highway through his yard. The irony in this song is even more apparent in its chorus. While extolling the virtues of America, Cougar submits that the American dream is "little pink houses for you and me," a sad commentary at the least.
Socially critical music has a definite place in American culture. It exposes truths, beliefs, wrongs, and attitudes and also serves to unite persons with similar views under one banner. Although its effectiveness in changing society cannot be proved, neither can it be disproved. The popularity of such music cements the concept of the need for constant change within the United States to allow the wishes of the citizens a clear avenue to government.
WORKS CITED
"Circle of Steel." Gordon Lightfoot. c. 1972.
"Draft Resister." John Kay, Goldie McJohn, and Larry Byrum. c. 1969. "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man." R. McGuinn and G. Parson. c. 1968.
"I Wanna Grow Up To Be a Politician.” R. McGuinn and J. Levy. c. 1972.
"Pink Houses." John Cougar Mellencamp. c. 1985.
CIRCLE OF STEEL
by Gordon Lightfoot
Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel.
High windows flickering down through the snow; a time you know.
Sights and sound of the people going round…
Everybody's in step with the season.
A child is born to a welfare case
Where the rats run around like they own the place.
The room is chilly, the building is old…
That's how it goes.
The doctor's found on his welfare rounds
And he comes and he leaves on the dollar.
“Deck the Halls" was the song they played
In the flat next door where they shout all day.
She tips her gin bottle back 'till it's gone…
The child is strong.
A week, a day, they will take it away
For they know about all her bad habits.
Christmas dawns and the snow lets up
And the sun hits the handle of her rear room cot.
She hides her face in her hands for a while,
Says, "Look here child,
Your father's pride was his means to provide
And he’s serving three years for that reason."
Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel.
High windows flickering down through the snow; a time you know.
Sights and sounds of the people going round
Everybody's in step with the season.
DRAFT RESISTER
by John Kay
(as performed by Steppenwolf)
He was talking about the Army
While he passed his pipe around,
An American deserter who found peace on Swedish ground.
He had joined to seek adventure and to prove himself a man,
But they tried to crush his spirit
'Till his conscience ruined the plan.
And with all the throes to suffer
For the sake of honesty,
All those who refuse to follow, traitors to humanity.
Here's to all the draft resisters,
Who will fight for sanity,
When they march them off to prison
In this land of liberty.
Evil threats and awesome power
Of the mighty Pentagon,
Which is wasting precious millions
On the toys of Washington.
Don't forget the draft resisters
In the silent, lonely plea.
When they march them off to prison,
They will go for you and me.
Shame, disgrace and now dishonor
Wrongly placed upon their heads,
Will not rob them of the courage,
Which betrays the innocent.
DRUG STORE TRUCK DRIVIN' MAN
by James Roger McGuinn and Graham Parsons
(as performed by Joan Baez and Jeffrey Shurtleff at Woodstock)
"Hello to all the friends of the draft resistance revolution in America. Good evening. I hope it stops raining. One thing about the draft resistance that's different from other movements and revolutions in this country is that we have no enemies, and that's one of the beautiful things about it. And to show that our hearts are in the right place, we'd like to sing a song for the governor of California, Ronald Ray-Gun…Zap!"
He's a drug store truck drivin' man,
And he's the head of the Ku Klux Klan.
When summer comes rolling around,
We'll be lucky to get out of town.
He's been like a father to me,
He's like the only dee-jay you can hear after three.
And I’m an all night singer in a country band
And if he don't like me, he don’t understand.
He's a drug store truck drivin' man,
And he's the head of the Ku Klux Klan.
When summer comes rolling around,
We'll be lucky to get out of town.
He's got him a house on the hill,
And he can play country records till you've had your fill.
And he's a lawman's friend, he's an all night dee-jay,
Sure don't think much like the records he plays.
He's a drug store truck drivin' man,
And he's the head of the Ku Klux Klan.
When summer comes rolling around,
We'll be lucky to get out of town.
He don't like resistance I know,
And he said it last night on a big TV show.
He's got him a medal that he won in the war,
Weighs five hundred pounds and it sleeps by the door.
He’s a drug store truck drivin' man,
And he's the head of the Ku Klux Klan.
When summer comes rolling around,
We'll be lucky to get out of town.
We'll be lucky to get out of town.
I WANT TO BE A POLITICIAN
by The Byrds
I want to grow up to be a politician
And take over this beautiful land.
I want to grow up to be a politician
And be the old U.S. of A.'s number one man.
I'll always be tough, but I'll never be scary,
I want to shoot guns or butter my bread,
I'll work in the towns or conservate the prairies
And you can believe the future's ahead.
I'll give the young the right to vote as soon as they mature,
But spare the rod and spoil the child; I'll help them feel secure.
And if I win election day I might give you a job,
Also I'll even help the poor to show I'm not a snob.
I'll open my door and charge them no admission
And you can be sure I'll give you my hand.
I want to grow up to be a politician
And take over this beautiful land.
I'll make you glad you got me in everything I do,
And 1111 defend, until the end, the old red, white, and blue.
I want to grow up to be a politician
And take over this beautiful land,
And take over this beautiful land,
And take over this beautiful land.
PINK HOUSES
by John Mellencamp
There's a black man with a black cat
Living in a black neighborhood,
He's got an interstate running through his front yard
You know he thinks he's got it so good.
And there's a woman in the kitchen
Cleaning up the evening slop,
And he looks at her and says,
"Darling I can remember when you could stop a clock."
But ain't that America for you and me,
Ain't that America something to see,
Ain't that America, home of the free,
Little pink houses for you and me.
Built for you and me.
Well there's a young man in a tee shirt
Listening to a rock and rolling station,
He's got greasy hair and a greasy smile
He says, "Lord this must be my destination.
'Cause they told me when I was younger, 'Boy, you're going to be President. '"
And just like everything else, those old crazy dreams finally came and went.
And ain't that American for you and me,
Ain't that America something to see,
Ain't that America, home of the free,
Little pink houses for you and me
For you and me.
Well there's people and more people
What do they know?
Go to work and then somehow rise
And vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico
And there's winners and there's losers
That ain't no big deal
'Cause the simple man, baby, pays the bills for the thrills
And the pills that kill.
I said America, for you and me
Ain't that America something to see
Ain't that America, home of the free
Little pink houses for you and me
Oh, for you and me.