The Sixties, Popular Music, Protest
and Effective Messages:
Joan Baez.
In this, the last of three blogs,
instead of looking at the confused messages in sixties popular music and
protest, as before, the topic here is how music and protest could come together
to communicate effectively. Music and lyrics can make a connection between an
idea and a person’s emotions, often engaging with them more easily than the
spoken word. It can evoke shared feelings across a group of people, strengthening
understanding and bonds between them, national anthems are a good example of
this.
Joan Baez was born to Scottish and
Mexican parents, who, while she was very young, converted to Quakerism. Her
mixed parentage meant she became acutely aware of racial prejudice. The
conditions and philosophies were present for her to form her political views on
equal rights and social justice; music presented a way to fight for these
non-violently.[1]
Baez adopted a song based on spirituals and church hymns which had deep roots
in social struggles, particularly against racial injustice.[2] ‘We Shall Overcome’, was performed at the March on Washington, 28 August,
1963.
An article in 1963, under the headline ‘Capital Is
Occupied By a Gentle Army’, made mention of Joan Baez, it also talked about
performers singing hymns and folk music, and crowds joining in with them.[3] The
atmosphere of calmness was fostered by the style of music. The crowd, in
singing along to the lyrics of songs like ‘We Shall Overcome’, were helped to
feel strengthened and more unified, they were confirming to each other a common
goal.
Baez did not enjoy huge chart success with the song but it
had some success outside the US, reaching number 26 in the UK charts, 20 May,
1965.[4] Promotion of the song was pursued at rallies.
It was sung during many protests and demonstrations, including Selma. It was after events in
Selma, in an address on voting legislation by Lyndon B. Johnson, the full potency
of Baez’s choice of song became evident. The President twice used the words of
the song title, from what had become a ‘protest anthem’, most powerfully in
this part of his speech, “…it’s all of us, who must overcome the crippling
legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.”[5]
The song, like the
protests, had a character of dignified resolve. It mirrored Martin Luther
King’s form of activism, seeking not to approach protest aggressively, while still conveying an unmistakable, persistent and easily understood message. It was not
specifically designed for short term success in the charts, targeting instead
the masses at rallies. In this way it became a ‘protest anthem’ and became an
important part of a movement to end divisive systems and ways of thinking. This
is what some people remember the sixties for, a feeling of moving to a new,
happier, forward thinking age. This has not, unfortunately, been fully realised.
The Civil Rights Movement and Joan Baez showed the way things can be changed.
Paul Wilson.
Paul Wilson.
[1] Marcus Jaeger, Popular
is Not Enough: The Political Voice of Joan Baez (Stuttgart: Ibidem, 2014), p. 46.
[2] Ethan J. Kytle and Blain Roberts, ‘Birth of a Freedom
Anthem’, The New York Times, 14 March,
2015, nytimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/birth-of-a-freedom-anthem.html?_r=0 (accessed 24/10/2016).
[3] Russell Baker, ‘Capital Is Occupied By a Gentle Army’, The New York Times, 29 August, 1963, p.
1 and 17, timesmachine.nytimes.com http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1963/08/29/issue.html (accessed 24/10/2016).
[4] Official Singles Chart Top 50, 20 May 1965-26 May 1965,
officialcharts.com http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19650520/7501/ (accessed 24/10/2016).
[5] Lyndon Baines Johnson, Address to a Joint Session of Congress on
Voting Legislation (15 March, 1965), americanrhetoric.com http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lbjweshallovercome.htm (accessed 25/10/2016).
No comments:
Post a Comment