{"id":5513,"date":"2015-10-05T10:48:45","date_gmt":"2015-10-05T15:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?page_id=5513"},"modified":"2015-10-14T00:00:13","modified_gmt":"2015-10-14T05:00:13","slug":"lets-take-a-journey-through-country-music-7-songs-that-show-progress-regarding-racism","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/the-history\/lets-take-a-journey-through-country-music-7-songs-that-show-progress-regarding-racism\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s Take a Journey Through Country Music: 7 Songs That Show Progress Regarding Racism"},"content":{"rendered":"

The America we live in today is constantly bombarded with news stories about the latest controversial topic. It has almost become routine to Americans to tune into their daily news channel and see a story regarding racial discrimination. Our country has a long history of this – from slavery to segregation to unfair police brutality<\/a>. Although country music has a stereotype of being \u201cracist\u201d, let\u2019s take a journey through country music history to explore different viewpoints on this controversial topic.<\/p>\n

1. \u201cIf That Ain\u2019t Country,\u201d written and performed by David Allan Coe (1977)<\/p>\n

The South continues to grapple with the legacy of slavery. Although we\u2019ve all seen pictures and textbooks, it\u2019s hard to comprehend the extent of the dehumanization that African Americans experienced during this time. In the song, Coe draws a comparison between growing up dirt poor with being a slave. He also uses that word that many of us have been taught to erase from our vocabularies altogether:<\/p>\n

“I spent the summertime cutting\u2019 up logs for the winter\/Tryin\u2019 like the devil to find the Lord\/Workin\u2019 like a n***** for my room and board”<\/p>\n

It is hard to tell whether Coe, who has written many controversial songs, was trying to be offensive in these lines or just trying to express the extent of the poverty suffered by the song\u2019s narrator. Even when he recorded the song in the 1970s the N word was considered taboo, and most white people wouldn\u2019t dare say it in public, let alone include it in a country song. But just because they didn\u2019t record it doesn\u2019t mean they didn\u2019t think it, and \u201cIf That Ain\u2019t Country\u201d stands as a useful reminder that we must choose our words carefully.<\/p>\n

\"David<\/a><\/p>\n

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2. \u201cSkip a Rope\u201d \u2013 performed by Henson Cargill, written by Jack Morgan and Glenn D. Tubb (1967)<\/p>\n

The 1960s marked one of the most influential decades in history.<\/a> From The Great Society to the war in Vietnam to the fight for civil rights, the 60s is characterized for its many ups and downs. In 1964, The Civil Rights Act was passed making it illegal to discriminate based on the color of ones skin. Despite the fact that this law was passed, African Americans still faced discrimination in their everyday lives. In the song, Cargill speaks of the generational problem regarding racism:<\/p>\n

\u201cNow what was that they say about the golden rule\/ Never mind the rule just play to win\/ And hate your neighbor for the shade of his skin\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStab \u2018em in the back that\u2019s the name of the game\/ And mommy and daddy are who\u2019s to blame\/ Skip a rope, skip a rope, listen to the children while they play\u201d<\/p>\n

In this song Cargill brings to light the social injustice of racism, but even more so, its origin. It\u2019s evident that Cargill believes children are a product of their environment. This brings about the idea that racism is not inherent, but rather taught, and thus passed down. Although it may not have been his intent, this song gives me hope for the future in that we can stop the generational continuation of racism.<\/p>\n

\"Henson<\/a><\/p>\n

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3. \u201cIf I Can Dream\u201d \u2013 performed by Elvis Presley, written by Walter Earl Brown (1968)<\/p>\n

Also written during one of the most influential decades, Elvis recorded a song soon after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. One of King\u2019s most famous lines from his “I Have a Dream”<\/a> speech is, \u201cone day right here in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers\u201d. Presley\u2019s strong concern for the current state of America at the time is expressed through his lyrics, referencing MLK\u2019s speech:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can dream of a better land\/ Where all my brothers walk hand in hand\/ Tell me why, oh why, oh why can\u2019t my dream come true\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trapped in a world\/ That\u2019s troubled with pain\/ But as long as a man\/ Has the strength to dream\/ He can redeem his soul and fly\u201d<\/p>\n

In the lyrics, you see that Presley questions why he is able to dream of a country where racism does not affect humanity, but his dream is not able to transpire. He then shows optimism stating that as long as an individual has faith and the ability to dream, the current state of the country will change, ultimately setting this individual free. We admire Presley for his ability to see growth and change at a time when people thought the country was falling apart due to racial tensions. We take this with us and try to implement the same optimism into our everyday lives.<\/p>\n

\"elvis\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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4. \u201cI Believe the South is Gonna Rise Again\u201d \u2013 performed by Tanya Tucker, written by Bobby Braddock (1974)<\/p>\n

In the midst of the 1970s, Americans began to lose confidence in the government. Even after the passing of numerous legislations<\/a> in the previous decade, minority groups still faced discrimination, including African Americans. In the song, Tucker describes how it was growing up poor in the south:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur neighbors in the big house called us redneck\/ \u2018Cause we lived in a poor share croppers shack\/ The Jackson\u2019s down the road were poor like we were\/ But our skin was white and there\u2019s was black\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I believe the South is gonna rise again\/ But not the way we thought it would back then\/ I mean everybody hand in hand\/ I believe the South is gonna rise again\u201d<\/p>\n

Tucker states that both her and the neighbors down the road had something in common; they were both poor. She uses the word \u201cbut\u201d to say that because of the color of their skin, they were unable to affiliate themselves with the Jackson family. She then goes on to say that she thinks the South will rise again, but not the way people thought it would after the Civil War ended. These lyrics are still relevant today because we need unity not only in the south, but across the country. Thank you, Tanya Tucker, for paving the way for future generations.<\/p>\n

\"tanya-tucker-121001\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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5. \u201cI\u2019m Headed Your Way Jose\u201d \u2013 performed by Chris Young, written by Dallas Davidson and James Slater (2006)<\/p>\n

We fast forward to the mid 2000s, where this decade is known for the \u201cwar on terrorism\u201d. We see migration laws from 1965 to the 21st<\/sup> century change drastically<\/a> after the attacks on 9\/11, especially regarding our boarders between Canada and Mexico. Young sings about immigration coming from the Mexico boarder:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming across the boarder by the thousands everyday\/ Looking for a better life in the good ol\u2019 U.S.A.\/ Well, everybody\u2019s talkin\u2019 about the aliens invading\/ While I\u2019m saving every dime for a Mexican vacation\/ Me, I\u2019m headed your way, hasta luego Jose\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUp here we work our a**es off just tryin\u2019 to get ahead\/ But you can\u2019t spend a dollar if you\u2019ve worked yourself to death\/ From what I hear you way of life is an afternoon siesta\/ Then back to work for a little while for an all night long fiesta\u201d<\/p>\n

Although I think Young had no intentions of being racist in this song, I think this song shows the same problem of not knowing when something could potentially come across as offensive. Young first refers to them as \u201caliens\u201d and goes on to say that their way of life is easy comparing it to how hard it is in America. \u201cI\u2019m headed your way, Jose\u201d is another song that reminds us we must choose our words carefully.<\/p>\n

\"chrisyoung6_h\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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6. \u201cWelcome to the Future\u201d \u2013 performed by Brad Paisley, written by Brad Paisley and Chris DuBois (2009)<\/p>\n

Americans can say with confidence that our country has come a long way regarding so many topics in the last 50 years: technology, science, social issues, etc. \u201cWelcome to the Future\u201d gives us a glimpse of some these topics and even more so how far we have come regarding racial issues:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe-e-ey\/ Everyday is a revolution\/ Welcome to the future\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought about him today\/ Everybody who\u2019s seen what he\u2019s seen\/ From a woman on a bus\/ To a man with a dream\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe-e-ey\/ Wake up Martin Luther\/ Welcome to the furture\u201d<\/p>\n

This song shows how far America has come and that it is something to be proud of. He states how Martin Luther would even be proud of how far we have come, from Rosa Parks, to MLK Jr. It is hard to see change when things are going so bad, but Paisley sings about how people living in decades before us would be proud of what America has accomplished.<\/p>\n