Soul Music As A Vehicle Of Social

Expression Essay, Research Paper

Music is the most powerful vehicle of human expression. As the embodiment of love, disapproval, happiness, experience life, music speaks to us, because it comes from us. Each people, in each paradine of the human experience instinctively and systematically change the music of the past to represent the realities of the present. In this century, black music, more specifically Soul music, has been that music that has brought to plain view that which evidences our humanity hope, hurt, joy and passion in such a way that the world has no other choice than to feel its power and marvel in its brilliance. When one discusses the relationship between Soul music and the civil rights movement, it becomes a dialouge very akin to that of the chicken and the egg. The period of Classic Soul is that period primarily, but not exclusively referenced as the 1950 s, 60 s and 70 s (Stephenson 186). This is the time frame of the American Civil Rights Movement, and the impact of the massive changes going on, are reflected in the music and the culture. So one would be correct in both assuming that the Civil Rights Movement gave rise to Soul music, as much Soul music contributed to the success of the campaign for civil rights. Soul music during its heyday, did more than simply entertain. For a race of people it served as a source of motivation, strength and education, for a people immersed in turmoil and tragedy. The institution of segregation had effectively inhibited the general populace s awareness of the great achievements and contributions made by African-americans throughout the history of the United States (Franklin 429). Inasmuch, Soul music sought to bring that undersight to light. Soul songs like Donny Hathaway s To Be Young, Gifted and Black, was revolutionary, in that they sought to instill pride of one s history, but at the same time motivate a new generation to reach new heights. As Hathaway says, We must begin to tell our young, Don t you know that there is a whole world waiting for you. , he is calling for the teaching of black pride to the youth, which was a wide spread trend in black communities of the 60s and 70s (Hathaway). James Brown s Say It Loud, I m Black and I m Proud, became an anthem for the movement (Brown). The song s lyrics like, .Don t quit moving, until we get what we deserve we d rather die on our feet, than keep living on our knees, were words of inspiration for those involved in the struggle for equality. Whereas the predominant theme of rhythm and blues was love and other kind of human relationships, soul singers voiced concern about the social injustice, racial pride, black militancy, and forms of protest (Southern 517). Eileen Southern s statement on Soul music greatly describes the type of works produced by Hathaway and Brown at the time, yet was definetly not exclusive to these two artists. The period wherein Soul intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement, produced music greatly influenced by the environment in which its creators lived. Donny Hathaway s, Ghetto, and Marvin Gaye s Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler), speak of the harshness of life in the Inner City (Hathaway/Gaye). Societal ills and political unrest were a major theme of Soul music, and Marvin Gaye s work, almost more than any other artist, was demonstrative of this fact. Gaye s album What s Goin On, was his commentary on the social problems of the period, and through its success tremendously impacted the increasing social awareness. Despair within the black community was given voice in Gaye s Inner City Blues . Inflation, taxes, unemployment and police brutality were numbered among the themes addressed in the song. The sense of hopelesness of the piece can best be conveyed in the line saying, this life ain t worth the living .makes me wanna holler, throw up both my hands! (Gaye). Save the Children goes on to ask: Who is willing to try and save a world that is destined to die. , yet goes on to say live life for the children let s save the children (Gaye). So, even in the midst of great despair, Gaye, and other artist of his genre, did believe in the possibility of change. “Ball of Confusion,” debuting in 1970, gave the Temptation’s take on the societal ills plaguing their times. It explored the white migration to the suburbs, urban riots, politicians, etc., as it expressed the sense of turmoil experienced during that time which seemed to all come together in a “Ball of Confusion.” The lyrics state that “the only person talking about love my brother is the preacher the only person interested in learning is the teacher”(Temptations). These lines express a theme of love and education as the cure to society’s problems. In a deeper sense, it says that people should focus on solutions, not the problems which create despair. In the spirit of this solution-based songwriting, a strong, no-holds-barred message to youth about the importance of getting an education was given voice in October of 1966. James Brown’s “Don’t Be a Drop Out” is a story of a drop out who compares himself to friends who continued their education. The song says, “they kept on pushing when the going got tough, and now they know that things don’t seem so rough”(Brown). James Brown knew the importance of this first hand having no formal education. He implemented a program which encouraged kids to stay in school and gave scholarships for those that wanted to go to college. Brown also worked to improve the q