History and Music

Singing under the American Flag

 Recently I read a book written jointly by historian Jon Meacham and musician Tim Mcgraw.  They defined their purpose as "History isn't just something to read; it's also something to hear."  I have blogged about how music has changed in my lifetime, but their book included in its eight chapters music from the beginning of our nation. It is a wonderfully unique perspective that introduced me to music I had never heard, as well as music that has remained a part of American life over the years, to a more insightful notion of music I knew very well but had neglected the significance of that music on the times in which it was written.

Music is not just about lullabies and love songs, although they seem to endure through every generation.  The book's title makes that clear.  "Songs of America:  Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation."  Frances Scott Key, watching the battle with the British for Fort Henry, was inspired to write "What so Proudly we Hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming," and his words were put to music.  Decades later, George W. Bush adopted Brooks & Dunn's song 'Only in America,'' as a campaign song.  Music has been a part of our national events from our beginnings and continues to be.

The Civil War had music that expressed emotions on all sides, Abraham Lincoln calling for the playing of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," Black slaves expressing their feelings in spirituals like "Go Down, Moses" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and Southerners singing "I Wish I was in the Land of Dixie."

There are too many songs explained in the book to name all of them, but a few are "America the Beautiful," "This Land is Your land," "You'll Never Know," a favorite of American soldiers in WW II, "We Shall Overcome," and "The Ballad of the Green Berets."  

Our songs have been intended to bring us together and also to rebel against the actions and opinions of others. Meacham and Mcgraw closed their book with an example of that friction.  On June 14, 1965, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson hosted a Festival of the Arts.  It was a time, as it too often seems to be in America, when there was great disagreement.  President Johnson was unhappy about the open discord among the several hundred invited guests.  

When he spoke, this is what he said:  "Your art is not a political weapon.  Yet much of what you do is profoundly political.  For you seek out the common pleasures and visions, the terrors and the cruelties, of man's day on this planet.  And I would hope that you would help resolve the barriers of hatred and ignorance which are the source of so much of our pain and danger.  In this way you work toward peace which liberates man to reach for the finest fulfillment of his spirit."

I bought their book because I admire the gifts of both Meacham and Mcgraw.  I didn't know exactly what the book was about, but I hoped I would enjoy reading it, and I did.  For those of you who enjoy history but don't have any particular interest in music, I believe you would enjoy reading this book.  For those of you who love music, but are not particularly interested in history, I believe you would enjoy reading this book too.  It opened my eyes to something I had never fully recognized although it was right in front of me. 

 Meacham was right!  "History isn't just something to read; it's also something to hear."