Protest Songs Essay Essay, Research Paper
Protest Songs Essay
Over the years, there have always been songs, and things to protest about. And what do you get when you put them together? You get…Protest Songs!! Protest songs have been around for almost for ever, song artists used and still use their music to voice their opinion against things, therefore making it a form of protest. I am going to compare and contrast a poem from the Great Depression by Langston Hughes, and a modern song by Cake.
Let me start by describing the protest poem by Langston Hughes. This poem is about the great depression that was going on in the time that it was written, it compares and contrasts opposites; The joy and happiness of Christmas, which the anger, hatred, and sadness of war. It describes how the war not only effects the U.S., but also the whole world. It brings up places ranging from China and India to Cuba and Haiti (first half of poem.) The poem is trying to bring to your attention about these things like war, and bad economic laws, (paragraph six) but in a subtle way, it s asking you to change these things for the better.
The song You Turn The Screws is also a similar protest song. This song was written and performed by Cake. The song is subtle in it s point, by giving it a clam facade. It describes a government official, confronting him. And about how he turns the screws of the U.S. ( Red White and Blue, ) and does it regularly. That it s the persons job to run everyone s life. Cake paints the picture of an upper middle class working man, with a perfect life, who twists the knife , and takes control, and his decisions affect the whole country. And then he just goes home, to kiss his wife, just like an average American. When the song says you break up the band, flimsy as it is, it s open-mic punk rock , it is saying that you and the rest of the democratic government doesn t believe in rebellious ideas like punk rock etc. That you just break up the ones that don t follow the rules. But how can you be happy when you turn the screws?. In this part of the song, the lead singer, is asking him, how can someone like you who is so hated for his actions, and is really just following old fashioned orders of democratic government; to keep the good ones happy, and to get rid of the bad ones, and the non-believers.
Both song bring up important and controversial issues. The songwriters were some of the only people who would speak up and out for and against issues. The piece- Merry Christmas, by Langston Hughes brings up the issues of economics, the great depression, and the hope for peace. You Turn the Screws brings up the topic of the government s actions, the government officials and followers, and just the government in general. (For example, when it says in Merry Christmas about the down-and-outers, it blames it on the economic laws made by the government,) Both are against the government for making faulty decisions, laws, and acts, and just the way the government does things. For example, in Merry Christmas, when it says And to you down-and-outers, ( Due to economic laws ) it is saying that many people are poor, and down on their luck without jobs etc. due to the bad and faulty laws made by the government that were supposed to help the U.S. In You Turn the Screws, you tear down the bridge, flimsy as it is, it s business like, means that the government just destroys instead of building a stronger nation, even while we re still flimsy after these years. That it s just their (the government s,) job/business to do so.
The poem, Merry Christmas and the song, You Turn The Screws have very different feelings. The feeling of Merry Christmas is anger, sarcasm, hope, hatred even. While You Turn the Screws has the feeling of calmness, and subtlety. The lyrics of the song have great importance, but the song also brings up the point that you can get a point through by being subtle, and not yelling. The song specifically relates to the U.S. and it s dysfunctional democratic government.
In the end, protest songs/poems like Merry Christmas, and You Turn the Screws have a great affect on the past, and future generations to come. They bring us hope, and fear, but always ending in getting something done. Where would we be without them? In conclusion, protest songs and poems effect everyone in the world, and thanks to them, look where we are now! But there have definitely always been protest songs, and there always will be.
32e
Другие работы по теме:
Student Protest Essay Research Paper For years
Student Protest Essay, Research Paper For years it has been a hot topic. What can students do and what can they not do? What is considered going to far? For many this is a question that has no true and legal answer. To many students, that is. In fact I happen to be one of the many. Now it would be wrong for me to write this paper and not put in my ?two sense?.
Base Details Essay Research Paper The poem
Base Details Essay, Research Paper The poem ?Base Details? by Siegfried Sassoon is a sarcastic attack against the army generals who view the war as a game similar to checkers. It is therefore evidence of why Siegfried Sassoon is known as the ?voice of protest?. The first noticeable thing about the text is the title.
Burn The Flag Essay Research Paper
Our right to protest can be conducted in many methods. By speech, by petition, by billboards, by sending letters, by holding up signs and walking around in circles, by televising concerns, by going on
Indian Persecutions Essay Research Paper The text
Indian Persecutions Essay, Research Paper The text we have studied relates to the integration problem between teh white and Indian population of United States : Indians are called Native-Americans because they have lived there for centuries.
Napster Controversy Essay Research Paper NapsterWhat is
Napster Controversy Essay, Research Paper Napster What is the big deal with the whole napster controversy? All it is is a network, which allows millions of people to share files, which are already available on the Internet.
Deaf President Now Essay Research Paper ASL
Deaf President Now Essay, Research Paper ASL 1 4 October 2000 Deaf President Now Protest #2 First of all?I had no clue of how large of an issue The Deaf President Now Protest was. It surprised me that it had not been talked about in my past history classes. The Deaf President Now Protest was so symbolic to that of the Woman?s Rights Movement and Civil Rights Movement.
Old Testament 4 Essay Research Paper Amos
Old Testament 4 Essay, Research Paper Amos, disgusted with the beautiful ivories, the luxurious summer and winter homes, the impressive fortifications, and the teeming marketplaces, proclaimed that Yahweh too loathed the whole spectacle. (Anderson, pg. 258) The Lord God demanded obedience to him through the law that the people of Israel were ignorant to.
How Important Was The My Lai Massacre
In Generating Support For The Peace Protest Movement? Essay, Research Paper The Peace Protest Movement was a time in the Vietnam war when people disagreed with it. This was because of a number of things. The amount of money it was costing, The amount of people killed, but it originated largely from the massacre at My Lai.
Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper PurposeEssentially
Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper Purpose Essentially, The Grapes of Wrath is a novel of social protest. It was designed to inform the public of the migrant’s plight. It is a plea for the land owners of California and the banks in the dust bowl states to be more tolerant. It shows how the migrants were made to starve by the California land owners and banks just so they could turn a profit.
Lucy Stone Essay Research Paper Equality for
Lucy Stone Essay, Research Paper Equality for Woman Lucy Stone was one of the most important workers for suffrage and other women’s rights. Born in 1818 on a farm in Massachusetts, Lucy grew up with an overbearing father that ruled the house and her mother “by divine right.” She was disquieted by her mother’s lowly role in the family.
Vietnam America
’s First Rock-And-Roll War Essay, Research Paper Vietnam: America?s First Rock-and-Roll War The Vietnam War could not compare to any other war the United States had seen
Tiananmen Square And How It Relates To
The Good Earth Essay, Research Paper The Tiananmen Square Protest (and how the themes relate with The Good Earth) The Chinese government at the time of the Tiananmen Square protest was a communist dictatorship that was beginning to adopt capitalist economics. The government ruled by fear. Many of their politicians were corrupt.
Medea Vs Lysistrata Essay Research Paper Medea
Medea Vs. Lysistrata Essay, Research Paper Medea vs. Lysistrata ? Contrasting two strong Greek females Both Medea by Euripides and Lysistrata by Aristophanes illustrate the injustices that women suffered. Each author uses strong-willed characters to protest social situations.
Mohandas K Ghandi Essay Research Paper Mohandas
Mohandas K. Ghandi Essay, Research Paper Mohandas Ghandi was the source of many changes throughout, India, Britain, and the world. With all that Ghandi has done in our world it becomes overwhelming when I think about his life. What Ghandi did in terms of opening the minds of the people of India is almost analogous to what Christ did to open the minds of the people around him.
Euro Essay Research Paper Tax breaks promised
Euro Essay, Research Paper Tax breaks promised by France and Italy to lorry drivers who mounted fuel price protest blockades in the summer looked to set to cause controversy among EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels today (19 January). The concessions are illegal under EU competition law and upset some of the countries? EU partners who were angry that the French and Italian governments gave in to the protesters.
Flag Burning Unconstitutional Essay Research Paper Flag
Flag Burning Unconstitutional Essay, Research Paper Flag burning is absolutely not a valid form of political expression under the first amendment. Though the Supreme Court, in the case of Gregory Johnson, ruled that it was in fact constitutional to allow people to burn the flag, the evidence against this ruling is overwhelming.
Protest Essay Research Paper The need to
Protest Essay, Research Paper The need to protest has increasingly risen over the past few decades. Activism has mushroomed in all parts of the world, concerning a wide range of issues. Many people are discontent with the growing trend of globalization associated with the corporate world and governments.
Life Essay Research Paper Both violent and
Life Essay, Research Paper Both violent and non-violent resistance are major themes in the movie The Mission. Even tough the Jesuits are peaceful of God they used both violent and non-violent resistance in this story to stand for what they believe in. Violent protest is aggressive and commanding while non-violent resistance is truly standing up for something.
Civil Disobedience Essay Research Paper Thoreau was
Civil Disobedience Essay, Research Paper Thoreau was once sent to jail for refusing to pay his taxes and I support this episode of civil disobedience as justified. Thoreau did not pay his taxes because he objected the use of the revenue to finance the Mexican War and enforcement of slavery laws. He did not request for his money to be used for the enforcement of slavery laws, therefore felt he had the right to protest and act out civil disobedience.
Womans Sufferage Essay Research Paper Women Suffrage
Womans Sufferage Essay, Research Paper Women Suffrage in Seneca Falls continued In the 1870 Anthony campaigned for women s suffrage for in the West. Anthony and her three sisters and another woman was arrested in Rochester in 1872 for voting. Anthony refused to pay her cab fare to the police station because she was “traveling under protest at the expense of the government.” She refused to pay bail and applied for habeas corpus, but her lawyer paid the bail, keeping the case from the supreme court.
Thoreau Essay Research Paper Thoreau
Thoreau Essay, Research Paper Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience emphasizes the need to prioritize one’s conscience over the dictates of laws. It criticizes American social institutions and policies, mostly slavery and the Mexican American war.
Washington Dc In Opposition Of Imf And
World Bank Essay, Research Paper On Saturday, April 15, protesters gathered in Washington DC in opposition of the IMF and World Bank. The two institutions were to have their spring meeting this weekend and the approximately ten thousand protesters, whose main point is the elimination of poverty, paraded down the streets of DC The protesters feel that what the IMF and World Bank do not see the short term effects of their proposals for economic growth, which include unemployment and increased poverty.
Moral Force Protesting Essay Research Paper Moral
Moral Force Protesting Essay, Research Paper Moral Force Protesting Moral force protest has a greater chance to succeed that physical force protest. Discuss in relation to our contemporary world.
Mandella Essay Research Paper Nelson Mandela has
Mandella Essay, Research Paper Nelson Mandela has played an important and controversial role in the history of South Africa and establishing South Africa as a Democratic country. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was
Should Canada And The Us Trade Essay
, Research Paper Should Canada and the US trade with China? With all the civil rights abused in China, should the Canada and the US be trading with them? In the view of one side, we should not trade with China because of these abused rights. It is thought that if we stop all trade with them, we will have an impact on their economy and they will at least cut down on their civil rights abuses in order to regain our trade and economy.
Country Music Essay Research Paper Country MusicToday
Country Music Essay, Research Paper Country Music Today, many people in the United States listen to country music. People have almost always listen to this type of music, from early rebels, to the families of today. The topic of true country music usually remains the same in all songs. The country atmosphere is more family oriented and provides children and all people with good role models.
Wto Summary Essay Research Paper The courage
Wto Summary Essay, Research Paper The courage and dedication that was displayed by the protestors in the video was what I took to heart. It was something else to see a group of people come together to protest something that they believed so strongly despite being pepper sprayed, shot at with rubber bullets, and thrown into jail…..But why would anyone go to these lengths to protest against an organization?
WTO Speakers Written Response Essay Research Paper
Speakers Written Response I thought the speech was very hard to understand. For one, the man who talked had a strong accent and it was a lot of information to take in at one time. They gave me the idea that the WTO is bad but I do not know what to think. All that they said makes me want to get involved but I am not just about to protest when I am not fully educated about it.
Environmental Racism Essay Research Paper There is
Environmental Racism? Essay, Research Paper There is a political theory of justice that was created by John Rawls that states, that all rational members of society in the original position should make decisions. Rawls called this method as a ?veil of ignorance.?
VIOLENCE IN SPORTS Essay Research Paper Violence
VIOLENCE IN SPORTS Essay, Research Paper Violence in sports To: Mrs. Woods From: Jean-Philippe Do you think there?s a connection between sports and violence? If you do, do you think it should be banned? I too think that it?s connected but, unlike most people, don?t think it should be banned. I have many reasons to believe so and I will state them in my essay.
The Fairfax Resolves Essay Research Paper We
The Fairfax Resolves Essay, Research Paper We “can not be considered as a conquered Country” because we are “Descendants not of the Conquered, but of the Conquerors.” With this implied threat of military action, the Fairfax County Resolves challenged the unconstitutional actions of the British government.