Unit 4 English 310

What is American Music? Is it music made and performed by people born in the United States? Is it just music about the American experience? For that matter, what does it mean to be “American?” How does the American experience manifest and reveal itself through music? Think of songs you’ve heard that feel really “American” or deal with a situation Americans have experienced.

We are going to do the first step of analysis with some “American” songs, which are simply poems put to music; and then we are going to rank them, on a scale of 1-10, on how truly “American” they are. The first step in the analysis of songs or poetry is to consider the title. Read the title before you watch the video for each song, and then predict what the song is going to be about based on the title. Then after you watch the video you are going to rank the song on how “American” it is with 10 being the most American and 0 being not American at all.

Bruce Springsteen

Born down in a dead man's town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog that's been beat too much Till you spend half your life just covering up Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Got in a little hometown jam so they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land to go and kill the yellow man Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says "son if it was up to me" Went down to see my V.A. man He said "son don't you understand now" Had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there he's all gone He had a woman he loved in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now Down in the shadow of penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen: American Musician famous for writing about politics and the American experience. “Born in the USA” became an anthem for the poor and disenfranchised in the early 1980s

U2 and Green Day

There is a house in New Orleans They call The Rising Sun It's been the ruin of many a poor boy And God, I know I'm one I cried to my daddy on the telephone How long now? Until the clouds unroll and you come down The line went But the shadows still remain since your descent Your descent I cried to my daddy on the telephone How long now? Until the clouds unroll and you come home The line went But the shadows still remain since your descent Your descent The saints are coming, the saints are coming I say no matter how I try, I realize there's no reply A drowning sorrow floods the deepest grief How long now? Until the weather change condemns belief How long now? When the night watchman lets in the thief Whats wrong now? The saints are coming, the saints are coming I say no matter how I try, I realize there's no reply The saints are coming, the saints are coming I say no matter how I try, I realize there's no reply I say no matter how I try, I realize there's no reply I say no matter how I try, I realize there's no reply

Originally written by a Scottish punk band in 1979 This version was a cover created after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, performed by U2 (Irish) and Green Day (American) The government was heavily criticized for its failure to respond quickly to the aftermath of Katrina. Knowing that, look at the lyrics again…

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

1991 Used the instrumental music from Kool & the Gang’s song “Summer Madness” Used clips of a family reunion in Philadelphia

The Andrews Sisters

World War II song written in January 1941almost a year before the US entered the war. Has been “covered” 7 times Culturally significant song in the US. Its been referenced in films, cartoons, by other modern artists and is often used as a tribute song to troops.

He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way He had a boogie style that no one else could play He was the top man at his craft But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft He's in the army now, a-blowin' reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam It really brought him down because he couldn't jam The captain seemed to understand Because the next day the cap' went out and drafted a band And now the company jumps when he plays reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B A-toot, a-toot, a-toot-diddelyada-toot He blows it eight-to-the-bar, in boogie rhythm He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar is playin' with 'I'm He makes the company jump when he plays reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B He was some boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B And when he plays the boogie woogie bugle he was busy as a "bzzz" bee And when he plays he makes the company jump eight- to-the-bar He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B Toot toot toot-diddelyada, Toot-diddelyada, toot- toot He blows it eight-to-the-bar He can't blow a note if the bass and guitar isn't with 'I'm Ha-ha-hand the company jumps when he plays reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B (Instrumental) He puts the boys to sleep with boogie every night And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright They clap their hands and stamp their feet Because they know how he plays when someone gives him a beat He really breaks it up when he plays reveille He's boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B Dat-da da-do-do da-dup Dat-da da-do-do da-dup Dat-da da-do-do da-dup Dat-da da-do-do da-dup Ha-ha-hand the company jumps when he plays reveille He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

John Cougar Mellencamp

There's a black man with a black cat Livin' in a black neighborhood He's got an interstate Runnin' through his front yard You know he thinks that he's got it so good And there's a woman in the kitchen Cleanin' up the evenin' slop And he looks at her and says, hey darlin' I can remember when you could stop a clock Oh, but ain't that America For you and me Ain't that America Something to see, baby Ain't that America Home of the free, yeah Little pink houses For you and me Oooh, yeah For you and me Well, there's a young man in a t-shirt Listenin' to a rockin' rollin' station He's got greasy hair, greasy smile He says, Lord this must be my destination 'Cause they told me when I was younger Said boy, you're gonna be president But just like everything else Those old crazy dreams Just kinda came and went Oh, but ain't that America For you and me Ain't that America Something to see, baby Ain't that America Home of the free, yeah Little pink houses For you and me Oooh, little baby For you and me Well, there's people and more people What do they know, know, know Go to work in some high rise And vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico Ooh, yeah And there's winners and there's losers But they ain't no big deal 'Cause the simple man, baby Pays for thrills The bills the pills that kill Oh, but ain't that America For you and me Ain't that America Something to see, baby Ain't that America Home of the free, yeah Little pink houses For you and me Oooh Ooooh, yeah...

1983 Mellencamp said it was inspired by the following: “was driving along an overpass on the way home to Bloomington, Indiana from the Indianapolis airport. There was an old black man sitting outside his little pink shotgun house with his cat in his arms, completely unperturbed by the traffic speeding along the highway in his front yard. "He waved, and I waved back," Mellencamp said in an interview with Rolling Stone. "That's how 'Pink Houses' started.“ Has been used 3 different times in a political situation as either a campaign song or in celebration of a candidate or political issue.