History Through Songs: 150 Songs that Chronicle the 20th Century

Songwriters often use lyrics to describe the current events and social attitudes of a particular period. An examination of America’s popular songs — and the stories behind their creation — can help us better understand our history and culture. This chronologically organized volume provides the stories of 150 songs created during the 20th century. It explains how they reflected the political, social, and economic climates of the decade. Each chapter begins with a historical overview of the decade. Each chapter presents a discussion of fifteen influential songs from each decade and provides the songs’ histories, what inspired the writers to create them, and why they have resonated over time. Included are patriotic songs, such as The Yankee Doodle Boy, also known as The Yankee Doodle Dandy, and God Bless America.This work also discusses protest songs of the civil rights and women’s rights movements, such as We Shall Overcome, and I Am Woman Indexes are arranged alphabetically, by song title, by songwriter name, and by subject, making this an excellent research tool for students and general readers alike.