Songs of United States Social Movements

Music has been used throughout history to express certain messages or call to action those listening or reading the lyrics. An interesting way to look at different events and movements in history is through popular music, as it can shed a light on the thoughts and feelings of the performers and the lyricists of these songs. This will give a brief look into several social and political movements in US history, and some of the songs from/about these movements that can be found in the archives of the Center for Popular Music (CPM). Although the items highlighted throughout this will be primary sources, the CPM has a wide range of secondary sources relating to each of these movements.

The Abolition Movement began to gain more momentum in the United States in the 1800s and lasted until the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in 1865 (History.com). One of the ways that abolitionists tried to spread their message and gain support was through song. These songs range from spirituals and hymns to calls to action to join the fight, and there is some evidence that some of these songs were used in the Underground Railroad. The creators of these songs ranged from enslaved individuals, free Black abolitionists, and White abolitionists.

To search for songs of the abolition movement in the Center's database, use terms such as "abolition", "antislavery", and "emancipation". Using search terms like "Civil War" will result in a broad number of results that might not be related to the abolition movement. These searches will also pull up some items related to minstrelsy, songs that portray racial stereotypes of African Americans. The following is a list of some of the items held in the CPM relating to songs from the abolition movement.

• "Get off the Track!": by the Hutchinson Family Singers
• The Liberty Minstrel: edited and published by George W. Clark
• Anti-Slavery Tracts No. 12: published by the Office of the American Anti-Slavery Society
• "The Negro's Complaint": song found in The Aeolian Harp and The Blackbird: Consisting of a Complete Collection of the Most Admired Modern Songs
• "Le Soupir Des Esclaves": by Gustave Dime published by H. De Marsan
• "Battle Cry of Freedom": by George F. Root

With the Hutchinson Family Singers, the CPM did an online exhibit showcasing some of the items related to them in the archive's collection. To view this online exhibit, please follow the link at the end of this to the webpage.

The Prohibition Movement, also known as the Temperance Movement, was a movement that gained popularity in the late 1800s leading up to the passing of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited alcohol in the United States (California State University Northridge Library). Seen in this list of select items held in the CPM's collection related to the Prohibition Movement is a religious influence on these songs, and one can also see that there was a growing role of women in political movements such as this one. Organizations such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, whose involvement in songs for this movement can be seen in some of the examples listed below, were ways that women were becoming more and more involved in politics and areas that had been traditionally deemed as "men's spheres".

• "Dare to Do Right": published by the Bridgton Reform Club
• The White Ribbon Hymnal, or, Echoes of the Crusade: Compiled for the National and World's Woman's Christian Temperance Unions: by Anna A. Gordon and published by the Woman' s Temperance Publishing Association
• The Temperance Song Banner.|A Peerless Collection of Temperance Songs and Hymns.|For the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Loyal Temperance Legion, Prohibitionists, Temperance Praise Meetings, Medal Contests, etc. : compiled by Emmet G. Coleman published by The Temperance Music Company
• The Re-charged Live Wire|Prohibition Battle Songs : compiled by Dr. J.B. Herbert published by the Rodeheaver Company
• "Reformer's Battle Hymn": published by Chronicle Job Press
• Vinegar Bitters: Temperance Song Book : published by R.H. McDonald
• The Washington Temperance Minstrel, Containing a Selection of the Most Choice Songs, Melodies, Suited to All Temperance Occasions: published by J. Slater
• The Tidal Wave : a Choice Collection of Temperance songs, Quartets, and Choruses: by Rev. Robert Lowry and W. Howard Doane and published by Biglow & Main

The Women's Suffrage Movement began picking up momentum in the late 1800s and culminated in the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920 which gave women the right to vote. The items listed in this section range from songs that are against women's suffrage to songs that were used by suffragettes/in support of the movement. The Women's Suffrage Movement, just like the Prohibition Movement, is a prime example of woman becoming more involved in politics and other elements of American society that had previously been deemed as "men only".

• Songs of the Suffragettes: Elizabeth Knight with Sol. Julty
• "There’s a Queer Time Coming, Boys": by Stephen Collins Foster
• "When the Pigs Begin to Fly": by J.F. McArdle
• "The Husband's Commandments": published by E. Nason & Co.

For a more extensive list of resources and databases related to the women's suffrage movement in the United States, please refer to the research guide I did, which is linked in the Credits/Bibliography section below. The research guide provides primary and secondary sources found in the CPM, as well as links to other databases and online repositories that could help you in your research on the suffrage movement as a whole and songs related to the movement specifically.

When people think of protest songs and songs used for social movements in United States history, the songs of the Civil Rights Movement quickly come to mind. The movement began gaining popularity in the 1950s and ended in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (Jim Crow Museum). The items listed below are just a select few of the items housed in the CPM that are related to the Civil Rights Movement.

• "Strange Fruit": written by Lewis Allan and performed by artists such as Billie Holiday
• "Everyday People": Sly and the Family Stone
• Martin Luther King at Zion Hill: published by Dootone Records
• By Any Means Necessary: The Problem/The Solution: by Malcom X published by Douglas
• Freedom Highway: by The Staple Singers
• Harry Belafonte Sing Your Song: The Music, Hope and Vision of a Man and and Era: published by Docurama Films
• Movin' On Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions: published by Reelin' In The Years Productions
• The Songs are Free: Bernice Johnson Reagon with Bill Moyers published by Mystic Fire Video
• "Mississippi Goddam": by Nina Simone seen in the Nina Simone in Concert

For a more extensive list of resources and materials related to Civil Rights Movement that are available at the Center for Popular Music, please go to the research guide done by the Center. A link to it has been provided in the Credits/Bibliography section at the end of this site. This research guide provides a more extensive list of the primary and secondary sources that the CPM has, and it also contains links to other useful databases and repositories.

Another movement that quickly comes to mind when one thinks about protest songs and other songs used for social movements is the Antiwar/Peace movements. Using search terms like "Antiwar" will not lead to any results as that term has not been used in the cataloging process. Instead search up names of specific songs or artists that are known to have been involved in antiwar protest songs, as that will lead to more results in your searches.

• Pete Seeger songs: "Waist Deep In the Big Muddy", "
• Phil Ochs songs: "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Draft Dodger Rag", "The War is Over"
• John Lennon songs: "Give Peace a Chance", "Imagine"
• The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan album with songs "Masters of War", "Talking World War III Blues", "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
• "Us and Them": song on the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon
• "Rooster": song on the Alice in Chains album Dirt
• Marvin Gaye's song "What's Going On?": appeared on Motown 25: Yesterday - Today - Forever.

I have created a Spotify Playlist that contains some of the songs listed in this site. Here you can find a select few of the songs that are listed in this exhibit. I would like to warn those that listen, there are songs included in this playlist that make implicit and explicit references to violent and disturbing imagery (such as Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"), so please proceed with caution when listening to this playlist.