Roots Bloody Roots: History of American Music Chapter II

Chapter II: Dont Tread on Me

So here we are for the second section of our tribute to some old traditional roots tunes and some classic American songs. In this segment we are going to look at 8 different things that have played a part in the development of American music, whether they are people, stylings, cultural phenomena, or specific songs. To give us a start we will look at one of the classic figureheads mentioned in our previous segment.

1.     

            1. Stephen Foster

This is the man that is considered the father of American music. As we have discussed, he wrote a lot of what are now considered classics and staples in our history. He was an originator and blended previous styles to create something unique for America. Of course there is also the more negative side of Mr. Foster. He was an influential figurehead in the 1800’s pre-civil war minstrel show scene. Minstrel shows were performances were musicians and actors would dress in blackface and create skits based on the mannerisms and stereotypes of African-americans. This unfortunately perpetuated a stereotype of African-Americans that many whites expected them to display, and lasted well into the civil rights era. While that sounds like a nasty aspect of his legacy, what Stephen Foster is more remembered for these days is his welding of different roots stylings, and popularizing a sound that was one of the first identified as an American sound.

2.        

      2. Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was a figure-head and inspirational figure in our early 1900’s music scene. He is the forefather of the folk revival of the 1960’s, and without him we may not have ever had the likes of Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Odetta, Pete Seeger, and many others. Country Joe MacDonald  stated a great line in his version of “This Land is Your Land”: Woody wanted to be the man that told you something you already knew. I think this is what characterizes Woody Guthrie, he was an every mans man. He was not just a musician, but a revolutionary, an advocate, and an activist. He spoke about issues most music stars would not dare touch, and provided a view from the workers whose backs this country was built off of. Woody was branded as a commie by our government, and was blacklisted but that never stopped his legacy. He was documented by Alan Lomax, and taught many other folk and roots musicians, who then passed on what they knew to the next generation. He fostered a scene for the people, and demonstrated the power of music and what it could be used for.

3.       3. Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is now considered a master bluesman, and has gone on to influence countless bluesman and rock musicians. What has made Robert Johnson a key figurehead in the blues history for myself is his legacy of the deal with the devil. As legend states, Robert Johnson met the devil down at the crossroads were he went on to tune Robert’s guitar and in the process gave him the skills he so desired. One thing about Johnson’s style that has carried on his legend was his ability to blend the many stylings of the time into something unique. He is a delta bluesman, but his style range beyond that touching on Chicago styles, minstrel and vaudeville shows, jazz and current pop tunes of the time. Blind Lemon Jefferson could be seen as the man behind Robert Johnson and deserves to be mentioned, as Johnson patterned his vocal styling after Jefferson. Robert’s ability to emulate while transforming it into something of his own is what has made him a lasting legend.

4.       4. Jeebus’

So we have already had a whole trilogy dedicated to Jesus’ influence on music, so we will just touch base on it here. Really, Christianity and spirituality as a whole is what this area is about because without it we would be missing a whole chapter in musical history. Spirituals, gospel tunes, early country music, and the blues all take an influence from the popular spirituality at the time. Faith was a common inspiration then, and still remains to this day. Growing up in a Christian household a lot of the early spirituals from the day were common in my childhood, and while my judgement may be skewed I feel probably for most others as well. “This little light of mine”. “He’s got the whole world in his hands”, “Amazing Grace”, “Kumbaya” are all songs that I remember being sung to me as a kid. I mean who the fuck does not know “Kumbaya”!

5.       5. Revolution

Woody Guthrie is a great example of this that has already been discussed, but revolution itself has had a powerful influence on the writing of American songs. Just look at the “Star Spangled Banner”, america’s theme song was written at the time of its fight for independence by someone witnessing a raging battle. During the civil war, both sides popularized songs and used music to inspire their troops to fight for what they believed in, whether for good or bad. The communist underground of the 1940’s and 50’s had Woody Guthrie as their musical figurehead, which eventually bled into the pacifist non-violent resistance of the 60’s. Music to this day is fueled by the politics of the time, and music remains a popular way to express ideas counter to the majority, and a way to spread change.

6.       6. Africa

So I put down Africa in general because pretty much most of what we know as modern music stems from African roots.  The cultural influence that was brought over by slaves trickles all the way down to our current state of music. It was the music of slaves that heavily influence the minstrel shows, Stephen Foster, and other early song writers emulating what they heard on the plantations.  African-American folk music was possibly the first identifiable American sound. Their music was then embraced through the general public through the minstrel shows, spirituals and slave songs. This continued into the years of the blues, jazz and eventually into rock n roll and hip hop. It was common practice since the time of Stephen Foster for whites to coopt the sounds of black musicians to then sell to the general public, as the middle class of the time felt the music more palatable coming from a white person. Country music, which is usually identified as a predominately white form of music, owes a lot of its roots to African music, as well as other non-white ethnic styles.

7.       7. Social Identity

In similar fashion to Africa, social identity has been an important part in the development in the different musical styles of America. Social class, race, gender, religion, region and ethnicity have all been factors that have helped to determine the sources of inspiration for lyrics and melodies. The struggle of the working class has been a common theme in music since always, and they did not change with the advent of American styles.

Predominately in American music the social identity has been dominated by the white male, with the black male being an equally important source without receiving the credit throughout history. Hispanic, Asian, and Middle-eastern ethnicities have helped to influence sounds of the Americas, but until recently (past 30 years or so) there has not been any major figureheads recognized by American media. Hip-hop, latin styles, and electronic music have all helped to open the gateway for a more diverse group of musicians in America.

8.       8. Political Climate

So politics has clearly affected music that Americans have written since the beginning, just look to the Star Spangled Banner, an anthem capturing the feeling of fighting for ones independence. This trend carries on throughout the decades, and century. The folk music of the mid 20^th century was a direct result of working men finding a means to use their voice. This is a tradition carried on into today with many popular artists using the political climate as inspiration, more so you will find consistency amongst punk rock and hip-hop artists as the perveyors of current political causes

Sorry this second part was a little rushed,  but have some new ones coming soon!

Link:  SFMTC Vol. 7b - Dont Tread on Me 

SFMTC Vol. 7b - Dont Tread on Me

01. Son House - this little light of mine

02. Vaughn Monroe - Ghost Riders in the Sky

03. Leftover Salmon - Rueben's Train

04. The Norman Luboff Choir - Shenandoah

05. Fiddlin' Joe Carson - Swanee River

06. Green on Red - we shall overcome

07. 103rd street gospel choir - kumbaya

08. Abner Jay - she'll be coming around the mountain

09. Roy Rogers - yellow rose of texas

10. Mavis Staples - nobody knows the trouble i've seen

11. Woody Guthrie - Take a Whiff on Me

12. Taj Mahal - Statesboro Blues

13. Leonard Nimoy - Gentle On My Mind

14. Bo Diddley - Yankee Doodle

15. Jerry Lee Lewis - crawdad song

16. Keb' Mo' - America The Beautiful

17. Webb Wilder - Streets Of Laredo (The Cowboy's Lament)

18. Afroman - Hush(somebodys callin my name)

19. David Grisman, John Hartford, and Mike Seeger - Rocky Top

20. Van Halen - Happy Trails