Unit 8: Post-WWII United States, 1946-1973
UNITED/DIVIDED
"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round"
"A Change is Gonna Come"
"People Get Ready"
"Now That the Buffalo's Gone"
"Japanese Rumba"
Jerry Miller, 1955
A song composed for G.I.’s in post-war Japan that pokes fun at the linguistic struggles of
Americans in Japan.
Recording
"The Sukiyaki Song"
“We Shall Overcome”
Zilphia Horton, Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan, Pete Seeger
1960 Gospel hymn turned Civil Rights anthem.
Lyric source | Recording
“The Times They Are A-Changin”
Bob Dylan, 1963
A folk song about the inevitability of change.
Lyric source | Recording
“Respect”
Otis Redding, 1965
A soul song which became the cry of women and ethnic minorities
Lyric source | Recording
“Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”
James Brown, 1968
The master of soul’s call for black pride
Lyric Source | Recording online
“Okie from Muskogee”
Merle Haggard, 1970
A country singer’s “Silent Majority” response to hippies.
Lyric source | Recording
“I Am Woman”
Helen Reddy, 1972
The song that became the Feminist movement’s anthem.
Lyric source | Recording
"Yo soy chicano"
Juanita Dominguez, 1968
A song that draws parallels between the Mexican Revolution and the struggles
Mexican-Americans in 1960.
Lyric source | Recording
WAR AND PEACE
“Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag”
Country Joe and the Fish, 1965
A satirical “recruiting” song for a less than popular war.
Lyric source | Recording
“Imagine”
John Lennon, 1971
Written at the height of the Vietnam War, this song has remained a popular peace anthem.
Lyric source | Recording
"Ohio"
Neil Young, 1970
A commemoration of the deaths of four students at Kent State University.
Lyric source | Recording
WORK
"Los pachucos"
A criticism of youth zoot suit culture.
R. Rodriguez and A. Carranza, 1950
Recording
“Sixteen Tons”
Merle Travis, 1947
A country complaint about owing your soul to the company store.
Lyric source | Recording
“Get A Job”
The Silhouettes, 1957
Doo-wop song about being unemployed.
Lyric source | Recording
“Deportee”
Woody Guthrie, Martin Hoffman, c. 1947
Folk song about the forgotten farm workers killed in the plane crash at Los Gatos.
Lyric source | Recording
“El corrido de Cesar Chavez”
Felipe Cantu, 1966
A protest song about the unfair treatment of farm workers.
Lyric source | Recording
“El Picket Sign”
El Teatro Campesino, 1965
A song intended to maintain morale among striking farm workers and to recruit scab
workers into the movement.
Lyric source | Recording
HOME
“Little Boxes”
“Wives and Lovers”
Hal David and Burt Bacharach, 1963
An encapsulation of what was expected of women in the 1960s.
Lyric source | Recording
“Los chucos suaves”
“Big Yellow Taxi”
Joni Mitchell, 1970
A lament about development’s impact on the environment.
Lyric source| Recording
“Living for the City”
Stevie Wonder, 1973
The struggles of a young black male in New York City.
Lyric source| Recording
MOVING ALONG
"(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66"
"Special Delivery Blues"
"Call It Stormy Monday Blues"
“America” from West Side Story
Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, 1957
Musical theatre hit about the Puerto Rican immigrant’s experience in America.
Lyric source | Recording
“I Get Around”
Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), 1964
California rock song about the joy of cruising.
Lyric source | Recording
“Traffic Jam”
James Taylor, 1973
Too many cars in this expression of frustration.
Lyric source | Recording
FAITH AND IDEALS
"Take My Hand, Precious Lord"
"Keep On Pushing"
What a Wonderful World
“This Land is Your Land”
Woody Guthrie, 1944, 1956
Folk answer to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”
Lyric source | Recording
“The Hammer Song (If I Had a Hammer)”
Lee Hays and Pete Seeger, 1958
Radical song about using the tools one has to succeed.
Lyric source | Recording
“Get Together”
Dino Valenti (aka Chet Powers), 1963
Song imploring peace and brotherhood.
Lyric source | Recording
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