DOCSLIB.ORG

Songs in US Presidential Campaigns: Function, Signification, and Spin

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Songs in US Presidential Campaigns: Function, Signification, and Spin Songs in U.S. Presidential Campaigns: Function, Signification, and Spin THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Garrett Amzi Brown, B.M.F., B.A. Graduate Program in Music The Ohio State University 2017 Master's Examination Committee: Arved Ashby, Advisor Graeme Boone Robert Kraut Copyrighted by Garrett Amzi Brown 2017 Abstract In this document, I examine the history of the campaign song in presidential elections in the United States, finding its changes in function as a result of the changing American electorate and advancing technology. As voting rights get extended to a greater percentage of the total American population and as popular mediums for dissemination of information change, the format of an effective campaign song changes from contrafacta of a well-known song to unaltered popular songs. I also identify the various signifying elements of popular songs that allow them to complement campaign rhetoric. Finally, I provide an exegesis of several popular songs whose original political meaning has changed as a result of their being used in the context of American presidential campaigns. In providing this analysis, I show how popular songs come to represent shared American ideals in the absence of any broad agreement as to what form those ideals should take. ii Dedication Dedicated to my loving wife Haley Harris-Brown. iii Acknowledgements I would like to express appreciation for the guidance and constructive criticism provided by Arved Ashby. I would also like to thank Graeme Boone, whose class on emotions and music first interested me in the relationships between politics and music. I also extend thanks to the Musicology faculty at The Ohio State University for making me aware of a wide range of issues in music history and to Dr. Kraut for introducing me to controversies in artwork interpretation. iv Vita May 2009 .......................................................Darlington Upper School 2013................................................................B.M.F. Music Performance, Samford University 2013................................................................B.A. Philosophy, Samford University 1980 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Physics, The Ohio State University Publications Brown, Garrett A. "Politicizing Popular Songs: Understanding Emotional Responses to Popular Songs in Presidential Elections." Journal of Ewha Music Research Institute 20.4 (2016): 99-122. Fields of Study Major Field: Music v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... iiv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v Chapter 1: The Changing Role and Form of the Campaign Song ...................................... 1 Chapter 2: Understanding Signification in Popular Songs ............................................... 21 Chapter 3: Reconstitution of Song Meaning in the Context of Presidential Campaigns .. 42 References ......................................................................................................................... 62 vi Chapter 1: The Changing Role and Form of the Campaign Song In 1800, the second election after George Washington’s presidency, presidential campaign songs entered the American political scene. With Washington’s presidency, the Electoral College was decided before any need for a campaign arose, and in the campaign of 1796 actively campaigning as a presidential candidate was generally considered inappropriate.1 By the time presidential candidates started actively campaigning for Electoral College votes in the election of 1800, campaign songs sprang up in support of party, candidate, or platform. These early campaign songs were generally contrafacta of previously existing songs, with songs like “Adams and Liberty” set to the tune of “To Anachreon in Heaven” – better known now as the tune to “The Star Spangled Banner” – and “The Son of Liberty” set to the tune of “Variety.”2 These songs were tools for disseminating information that supported a particular candidate’s claim to the presidency, and the lyrics of the song presented explicit, if simplified, arguments in favor of one candidate over another. But it is initially unclear why campaigns should have turned to song at all, as opposed to more directly persuasive and detailed mediums such as speeches or essays. It is even less clear why campaign songs have changed from presenting newly-composed lyrics in direct support of the candidate and his platform to the unaltered, pre-existing popular songs employed on the campaign trail today, seen 1 Taylor, C. James. "John Adams: Campaigns and Elections." Miller Center. University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017. <https://millercenter.org/president/adams/campaigns-and-elections>. 2 Schoening, Benjamin S., and Eric T. Kasper. Don't Stop Thinking About the Music: The Politics of Songs and Musicians in Presidential Campaigns. Plymouth, UK: Lexington, 2012. 33-35. Print. 1 most recently in President Donald Trump’s employment of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” at campaign events.3 In order to understand the political soundscape of presidential elections today, we must understand the conditions that gave rise to campaign songs as a fixture of the campaign trail, and the technological, cultural, and electorate changes that changed the persuasive function of these songs from disseminators of information about the campaign and candidate to popular culture artifacts introduced into the political arena to support a candidate’s message inexplicitly. The types and number of voters that elected the U.S. president gave rise to the need for campaign songs. While electors for the Electoral College were chosen by state legislatures for 10 out of the 16 states that participated in the election of 1800, candidates needed to make a direct appeal to the voting public in the entire state for Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Tennessee. Additionally, two of these states, Kentucky and Tennessee, had no economic-based qualifications for voting rights as long as the potential voter was a white male, which further complicated the task of spreading information to the voting public that would prove relevant to deciding on a candidate.4 In requiring the candidates to get their message out to not only the mostly literate propertied class, but also to many illiterate non-propertied white males, Kentucky and Tennessee imposed a burden on the candidates: to spread information convincingly, simply, and broadly as opposed to requiring candidates to make more concentrated efforts to sway smaller concentrations of political power, to sway the legislatures that 3 Suebsaeng, Asawin. "Mick Jagger on Trump Using Stones Songs: I 'Can't Stop' Him." The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company, 12 Oct. 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/10/12/mick-jagger-on-trump-using-stones-songs-i-can-t-stop- him.html>. 4 Engerman, Stanley L., and Kenneth L. Sokoloff. "The Evolution of Suffrage Institutions in the New World." The Journal of Economic History 65.04 (2005): 891-921. Jstor. Web. 26 Mar. 2017. 2 appointed the electors as they did in ten states, or to sway only the propertied class in Virginia, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Maryland. This requirement meant that verbal communication, in form of either live speech and argumentation or song, would best persuade a large segment of the voting population in at least these two states. This is not to say that no candidate employed print media in an attempt to make his appeal to the more literate propertied classes in the four previously mentioned states, but print would prove an inefficient means of disseminating information for entirely different reasons in those states. The main reason for the difficulty with print dissemination had to do with the economics of newspaper distribution in early America. In order to be guaranteed pay for their labors, the editors of newspapers had to gain subscriptions from the local populace, keep track of who wanted to receive the paper regularly, and collect the dues. Without such lists of subscribers, newspapers had trouble selling advertisement space and, consequently, struggled to stay in business. As an additional problem, the postal service did not deliver these papers for free in early America. Every facet of print news dissemination was thus monetized, hiding the information about national affairs behind both a literacy requirement and a paywall – usually between $6 and $10 annually out of wages ranging from $100 – ~$350 annually.56 Newspapers, thus, only reached a small segment of even the literate population, though the exact number of subscribers is unknown because newspapers inflated subscriber lists in order to sell more advertising space. As a result of the monetization of the information contained therein, spreading 5 Steffen, Charles G. "Newspapers for Free: The Economies of Newspaper Circulation in the Early Republic." Journal of the Early
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Please Audition Each Disc Immediately. If You Have Any Questions, Please Contact.Us Toll Free at 1-800-423-2502
    Please audition each disc immediately. If you have any questions, please contact.us toll free at 1-800-423-2502. .... COMPACT DISC #1, TRACK 10, HAS 1 KHz REFERENCE TONE-• WITH IOI IINOILEY TOPICAL PROMOS ABC Watermark TOPICAL PROMOS FOR SHOW #31 ARE LOCATED ON CD SIPE 4, TRACK Z, 8 AND 9 3575 Cahuenga Blvd West DO NOT USE AFTER SHOW #31 Suite 555 Los Angeles CA 90068 213.882.8330 FAX 213.850.5832 "SUPERSTAR SPOTLIGHT ON REBA" DEMO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS TOPICALS AT END OF DISC 4 1. "SIMPLE MAN" ACCOMPLISHES NOT-SO-SIMPLE TASK :34 Hi, I'm Bob Kingsley and last week on American Country Countdown a self-described simple man, took a simple song and a;,;complished the not-so-simple task of hitting #1 in the nation. The man is Ricky Van Shelton, the song "I Am A Simple Man• and it became Ricky's 9th chart topper. Now, it is no si!ll>le task to hang on to #1 and Ricky will have to fight off Billy Dean and Trisha Yearwood, a couple of hungry newcomers fighting for their first #1 song. So find out what happens as the·top forty count rolls again this week on American Country - - count_down:- (LOCALTAGf , - - - ~ - J 2. TWO NEWCOMERS·<:LOSE TO MILESTONES :36 Hello, I'm Bob Kingsley with American Country Countdown and this week there could well be a newcomer sitting at the top of our survey. Billy Dean's second chart record, "Somewhere In My Broken Heart• is close enough to do it and right behind that is "She's In Love With The Boy" by Trisha Yearwood, her very first chart song ever.
    [Show full text]
  • The US Presidential Campaign Songster, 1840–1900
    This is a repository copy of The US Presidential Campaign Songster, 1840–1900. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/132794/ Version: Accepted Version Book Section: Scott, DB orcid.org/0000-0002-5367-6579 (2017) The US Presidential Campaign Songster, 1840–1900. In: Watt, P, Scott, DB and Spedding, P, (eds.) Cheap Print and Popular Song in the Nineteenth Century: A Cultural History of the Songster. Cambridge University Press , Cambridge, UK , pp. 73-90. ISBN 9781107159914 https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316672037.005 © 2017, Paul Watt, Derek B. Scott and Patrick Spedding. This material has been published in Cheap Print and Popular Song in the Nineteenth Century: A Cultural History of the Songster edited by P. Watt, D. Scott, & P. Spedding. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Academic Perspectives
    Journal of Academic Perspectives Religion, Politics, and Public Discourse: Bruce Springsteen and the Public Church of Roll Frederick L. Downing, Professor of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Valdosta State University and Jonathan W. Downing, Co-Director, Screaming Shih-Tzu Productions Abstract The thesis of this paper is that Bruce Springsteen’s art participates in a musical public square in which the outsider can come up close and overhear a dialogue that has been going on for centuries. Following the work of Robert Detweiler on religion and public life, this paper starts from the premise that the bard’s music, like literature, creates a type of public square or a form of public discourse where urgent matters of human survival, like the nature and nurture of a just state, are expressed, a call for social justice can be heard, and faith and hope for the future can be assimilated. Using the theory of Martin Marty on religion and civic life, the paper further describes Springsteen’s work as the creation of a “public church” beyond sectarian demand which is open to all and approximates, in his language, a true “land of hopes and dreams.” The paper uses the theory of Walter Brueggemann on the ancient church idea to demonstrate the nature and dimension of Springsteen’s “public church.” Using Brueggemann’s theory, Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball album is shown to have both a prophetic and priestly function. As a writer and performer, Springsteen demonstrates on this album and on the Wrecking Ball tour that he not only speaks truth to power, but attempts to create a sense of alternative vision and alternative community to the unjust status quo.
    [Show full text]
  • How Campaign Songs Sold the Image of Presidential Candidates
    University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2019 Music and the Presidency: How Campaign Songs Sold the Image of Presidential Candidates Gary M. Bogers University of Central Florida Part of the Music Commons, and the United States History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Bogers, Gary M., "Music and the Presidency: How Campaign Songs Sold the Image of Presidential Candidates" (2019). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 511. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/511 MUSIC AND THE PRESIDENCY: HOW CAMPAIGN SONGS SOLD THE IMAGE OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES by GARY MICHAEL BOGERS JR. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in Music Performance in the College of Arts and Humanities and in The Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term, 2019 Thesis Chair: Dr. Scott Warfield Co-chairs: Dr. Alexander Burtzos & Dr. Joe Gennaro ©2019 Gary Michael Bogers Jr. ii ABSTRACT In this thesis, I will discuss the importance of campaign songs and how they were used throughout three distinctly different U.S. presidential elections: the 1960 campaign of Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy against Vice President Richard Milhouse Nixon, the 1984 reelection campaign of President Ronald Wilson Reagan against Vice President Walter Frederick Mondale, and the 2008 campaign of Senator Barack Hussein Obama against Senator John Sidney McCain.
    [Show full text]
  • GOP Candidates Ignore Delaware Primary
    In Section 2 In Sports An Associated Collegiate Press Getting Men's Four-Star All-American Newspaper b-ball drunk bounces Newark­ back style page BIO page B I Non-profit Org. FREE U.S. Postage Paid FRIDAY Newark, DE Volume 122, Number 36 250 Student Center, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 Permit No. 26 February 23, 1996 GOP candidates ignore Delaware primary In fact. only two candidates of the endorsed Dole in a press conference New Hampshire Gov. Stephen pnmary. The First State's primary, the second in the nation, field, Steve Forbes and Alan Keyes, Wednesday. Dole failed to appear Merrill's attack of Delaware last year State Senate Bill 302, passed in receives lots of local hype, little national attention have set foot in Delaware since for the endorsement but did thank for holding its primary four days July of 1992, stated that Delaware's Tuesday's pnmary tn New Roth and address the crowd present after New Hamphire's is a major presidential primary is to be held on BY LEO SHANE Ill primaries. Hampshire . Together, they via telephone. reason for the candidates' apathy the Saturday following New Natwnal/Srare New.~ Eduor Apparently, the nation's second accounted for only 15 percent of the Dole and Buchanan have focused towards Delaware. Hampshire's primary. Presidential hopefuls Pat primary, held in Delaware, is not New Hampshire primary vote. their anention on this Tuesday's Merrill, along with other New In previous presidential election Buchanan, Sen. Bob Dole (R- Kan.) important enough to be on their Sen.
    [Show full text]
  • Whigs and Democrats Side-By-Side
    The Campaign of 1840: William Henry Harrison and Tyler, Too — http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=553 Background for the Teacher After the debacle of the one-party presidential campaign of 1824, a new two-party system began to emerge. Strong public reaction to perceived corruption in the vote in the House of Representatives, as well as the popularity of Andrew Jackson, allowed Martin Van Buren to organize a Democratic Party that resurrected a Jeffersonian philosophy of minimalism in the federal government. This new party opposed the tendencies of National Republicans such as John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay to invest more power in the federal government. Van Buren built a political machine to support Jackson in the 1828 election. Van Buren’s skills helped give the Democrats a head start on modern-style campaigning and a clear advantage in organization. The Democrats defeated the National Republicans in 1828 and 1832. The Democrats maintained their hold on the presidency when they bested the Whigs—a union of former National Republicans, Antimasons, and some states’ rights advocates—in 1836. But a major economic depression in 1837 finally gave the Whigs their best chance to occupy the White House. They faced Andrew Jackson’s political organizer, vice-president, and handpicked successor, President Martin Van Buren, who was vying for a second term. By the time forces were readying themselves for the election of 1840, both Democrats and Whigs understood how to conduct effective campaigns. In an election that would turn out an astounding 80 percent of a greatly expanded electorate, the parties were learning to appeal to a wide range of voters in a variety of voting blocks, a vast change from the regionally based election of 1824.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkingson Lesson V
    1 The Prayer of Jabez By Bruce Wilkingson Lesson V “Keeping The Legacy Safe” “O That You Would Keep Me From Evil” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 9) And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. Introduction: 1. A caption read “Sometimes you can afford to come in second. Sometimes you cannot.” a. This was placed under a Roman Gladiator who was in trouble. b. Here is the picture i. The Gladiator has dropped his sword ii. The enraged lion is in mid lunge with his jaws wide iii. The crowd is on their feet watching in horror as the panic-stricken gladiator tries to flee. Note: This is a horrible time to come in second. 2. Jabez had asked for supernatural blessing, influence, and power. a. Many people think that they can jump into any arena with any lion, “and win.” b. Some people with the hand of God upon them might pray “Lord, Keep me through evil,” but not Jabez. i. Jabez prayed “Keep me from evil.” ii. The best way to defeat a roaring lion is to stay out of the arena. 2 iii. Therefore Jabez prayed “Keep me from evil” which was a prayer that is saying: “God, keep me out of the fight.” 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Representations of Female Adolescence in the Teen Makeover Film
    Representations of Female Adolescence in the Teen Makeover Film By Kendra Marston A Thesis Submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Degree of Master of Arts in Film Victoria University of Wellington 2010 Abstract This thesis proposes to analyse the representation of female adolescence in the contemporary teen makeover film. The study will situate this body of films within the context of the current postfeminist age, which I will argue has bred specific fears both of and for the female adolescent. This thesis will examine the construction of the initial wayward makeover protagonist, paying attention to why she needs to be trained in an idealised gender performance that has as its urgent goal the assurance of heteronormativity and ‘healthy’ sex role power relations. I will also analyse the representation of deviant adolescent female characters in terms of how their particular brand of postfeminist female masquerade masks a power and status-oriented agenda. The behaviour of these characters is shown to impact negatively on the peer group within the film, and is particularly dangerous as it threatens to negate the need for romance. 1 Contents Abstract 1 Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 4 Chapter One 23 Chapter Two 62 Chapter Three 86 Chapter Four 112 Conclusion 132 Bibliography 143 Filmography 153 Television Sources 155 Internet Sources 157 2 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge my supervisor Sean Redmond for the time he put in to helping me with this thesis, as well as for the encouragement, support and advice offered. 3 Introduction My Moment of Awakening in the Makeover Moment While watching The Princess Diaries (Garry Marshall, 2001) for the purpose of this research, I became fascinated by the particular tone of its makeover scene.
    [Show full text]
  • Pat Buchanan to Make Campaign Stop on East Once-Defeated Activities Fee
    Check Your Head The Beastie Boys' latest re THE CHRONICLE & R brings you the defmit THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1992 DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA CIRCULATION: 15,000 VOL. 87, NO. 137 Pat Buchanan to make campaign stop on East By MATT STEFFORA ers Committee. ing at 10 a.m. on the Bryan Cen­ The speech, whichisscheduled The road to the White House Campaign officials told Brady ter walkway. Students, faculty to last about 45 minutes, will be this year will go through East that rather than giving a "typical and employees can obtain two simulcast by the C-SPAN cable Campus. campaign speech," Buchanan will tickets for free with valid Univer­ TV network. Republican presidential candi­ focus on his views on sity identification. Buchanan, former host of the date Pat Buchanan will speak on multiculturalism, he said. CNN show "Crossfire," entered campus this coming Tuesday, While rumors had previously The 900 tickets available should the Republican presidential race April 28. The speech will take leaked out about the event, the go quickly, in light ofthe sellouts in late 1991 as a challenger to place in Baldwin Auditorium at 7 Union was unable to confirm for the Union's previous speakers incumbent George Bush. p.m. Buchnan's avaibility until this year, Brady said. In the event Buchanan is visitng the Uni­ Wednesday, Brady said. that tickets do not sell out by He raised eyebrows earlier this versity because "he thinks [Duke] noon Monday, distribution will year when he gathered more than would be a relatively hospitable The North Carolina state pri­ continue the next day from 10 30 percent ofthe vote in first the environment and a high-profile mary will be held a week after a.m.
    [Show full text]
  • Steve Earle Townes Biography
    Steve Earle Townes Biography Steve Earle had two reasons for coming out with this long-planned tribute to Townes Van Zandt now. The first reason is practical. Earle is currently pushing himself to finish a years-in-the-making novel, and he wants to see it in print before the publishing business goes belly up. The second is a more personal concern. Like all artists worthy of the name, Steve Earle loves the truth, and in the case of Van Zandt, he sees that the waters are muddying before his eyes. Very often over periods of years, the truth first becomes myth and myth later becomes truth. In regards to his teacher, hero and friend Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle was not about to let that happen. “I’m very thankful that when I got out of jail I started meeting people like Jay Farrar and other people his age that knew Townes chapter and verse,” he says. “I’ve always been very thankful for that. But a lot of what powered that is a take on roots music that comes from alternative music, and the crowd that kind of attached itself to Townes was the same kind of people that have White Light / White Heat in the front of their record collection so everybody knows how intense they are when they have a party. I love that record, but I don’t think I’ve listened to it all the way through since I bought it.” “I’m tryin’ not to kill myself,” he laughs. Van Zandt’s reputation has been under something of an overhaul since the dawn of the 1990s.
    [Show full text]
  • Catalogue of Photographs of Performers at the Embassy Theatre
    Catalogue of Photographs of Performers and Shows in the Archives of the Embassy Theatre Foundation The archives of the Embassy Theatre Foundation hold more than 3000 artifacts, including more than 600 photographs of vaudevillians inscribed to Bud Berger (long-time stage man- ager at the Embassy Theatre, known as the Emboyd until 1952); more than 300 posters, playbills, programs, stools, and even guitars signed by the stars and casts of shows that have played at the Embassy Theatre over the past forty years, rang- ing from classic and current Broadway shows to acrobatic groups, choral ensembles, dance shows, ballet, stand-up comedians, rock bands, country singers, travel films, silent films, theatre organists, and so on; and hundreds of publicity photographs of performers, shows, and events at the theatre, primarily from the period following the establishment of the Embassy Theatre Foundation and its rescue of the theatre from the wrecking ball in 1975; and a nearly complete run of the journal of the American Theatre Organ Society. The archive is now almost fully catalogued and preserved in archival housing. Earlier excerpts from the catalogue (available on the Archives page of the Embassy Theatre’s web site) cover the photographs inscribed to Bud Berger and the posters, playbills, programs, stools, and so on from later shows at the Embassy. This is the third excerpt, covering the public- ity photographs of the last forty-five years and a few photographs of earlier events, Bud Berger, and other members of the stage crew. The publicity photographs are primarily of individ- ual performers, but a few shows are presented as well, including Ain’t Misbehavin’, Annie, Barnum, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Cabaret, California Suite, Cats, A Christ- mas Carol, Dancin’, Evita, Gypsy, I'm Getting My Act Together And Taking It On The Road, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Peter Pan, Same Time Next Year, Side by Side by Sondheim, and Ziegfeld: A Night at the Follies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Clash and Mass Media Messages from the Only Band That Matters
    THE CLASH AND MASS MEDIA MESSAGES FROM THE ONLY BAND THAT MATTERS Sean Xavier Ahern A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2012 Committee: Jeremy Wallach, Advisor Kristen Rudisill © 2012 Sean Xavier Ahern All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Jeremy Wallach, Advisor This thesis analyzes the music of the British punk rock band The Clash through the use of media imagery in popular music in an effort to inform listeners of contemporary news items. I propose to look at the punk rock band The Clash not solely as a first wave English punk rock band but rather as a “news-giving” group as presented during their interview on the Tom Snyder show in 1981. I argue that the band’s use of communication metaphors and imagery in their songs and album art helped to communicate with their audience in a way that their contemporaries were unable to. Broken down into four chapters, I look at each of the major releases by the band in chronological order as they progressed from a London punk band to a globally known popular rock act. Viewing The Clash as a “news giving” punk rock band that inundated their lyrics, music videos and live performances with communication images, The Clash used their position as a popular act to inform their audience, asking them to question their surroundings and “know your rights.” iv For Pat and Zach Ahern Go Easy, Step Lightly, Stay Free. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the help of many, many people.
    [Show full text]