Mississippi Goddamis a Song Written and Performed by United States

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Mississippi Goddam is a song written and performed by United States singer and pianist Nina Simone. It was first released on her album Nina Simone in Concert which was based on recordings of three concerts she gave at Carnegie Hall in 1964. The album was her first release for the Dutch label Philips Records and is indicative of the more political turn her (recorded) music took during this period. The song was released as a single and boycotted in several Southern states, allegedly because of the word 'goddam' in the title. Together with "Four Women" and "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" it is one of her most famous protest songs and self-written compositions. The song is her response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four black children. On the recording she cynically announces the song as "a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it yet." The song begins jauntily, with a show tune feel, but demonstrates its political focus early on with its refrain "Alabama's got me so upset, Tennessee's made me lose my rest, and everybody knows about Mississippi goddam." In the song she rails on the common argument at the time that civil rights activists and African Americans should "go slow" and make changes in the United States incrementally: "Keep on sayin' 'go slow'...to do things gradually would bring more tragedy. Why don't you see it? Why don't you feel it? I don't know, I don't know. You don't have to live next to me, just give me my equality!" She performed the song in front of 40,000 people at the end of one of the Selma to Montgomery marches when she and other black activists, including Sammy Davis Jr., James Baldwin and Harry Belafonte crossed police lines. .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening to the Black Prophetic Cameron J
Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont Pomona Senior Theses Pomona Student Scholarship 2015 And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening to the Black Prophetic Cameron J. Cook Pomona College Recommended Citation Cook, Cameron J., "And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening to the Black Prophetic" (2015). Pomona Senior Theses. Paper 138. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/138 This Open Access Senior Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Pomona Student Scholarship at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pomona Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 And I Heard ‘Em Say: Listening to the Black Prophetic Cameron Cook Senior Thesis Class of 2015 Bachelor of Arts A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies Pomona College Spring 2015 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements Chapter One: Introduction, Can You Hear It? Chapter Two: Nina Simone and the Prophetic Blues Chapter Three: Post-Racial Prophet: Kanye West and the Signs of Liberation Chapter Four: Conclusion, Are You Listening? Bibliography 3 Acknowledgments “In those days it was either live with music or die with noise, and we chose rather desperately to live.” Ralph Ellison, Shadow and Act There are too many people I’d like to thank and acknowledge in this section. I suppose I’ll jump right in. Thank you, Professor Darryl Smith, for being my Religious Studies guide and mentor during my time at Pomona. Your influence in my life is failed by words. Thank you, Professor John Seery, for never rebuking my theories, weird as they may be.
[Show full text]
Download Our Electronic Press
“A great band. Terrific musicians. Very nice indeed” Paul Jones Rhythm & Blues, BBC radio 2, 2017 “Innovative spark, virtuoso playing & a dare-devil attitude” Pete Feenstra, Get Ready To Rock, 2017 The band’s exciting live set is based around rootsy originals; featuring strong catchy riffs, interesting arrangements & exciting grooves featuring Rob Koral's electrifying, & unmistakable touch & flow on guitar. Zoe’s dynamic & commanding vocal delivery is both eclectic & suave. The highly accomplished rhythm section of Pete Whittaker- Hammond organ (Wonderstuff) & Paul Robinson-drums (Nina Simone, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney to name a few) bring massive authority & the ability to push the music in unpredictable & exciting directions. Zoë Schwarz Blue Commotion have made a considerable impact these last five years, & is one of the bands that have added a fresh approach& vibrancy to the UK blues scene. • The band is planning an extensive 2018 tour to coincide with the release of the band's 7th album. • The band has played most of the flagship blues festivals & clubs in the UK this past 5 years. • Many magazine features, interviews & reviews. Regular plays on the BBC including the Paul Jones show. • International recognition on the blues circuit with numerous radio plays & interviews around the world. • Successful 13 day tour of Czech Republic, February 2017. • The band were runner-up best band in the British Blues Awards 2015, & Zoe was runner-up best female vocals in 2014 & 2015. Finalist in the 2017 UK Blues Challenge (close 2nd). • Best song Mary4Music (American Blues Federation) 2013. • (… other accolades include) Nomination for best electric blues album, Wasser-Prawda, Germany 2013 “A serious blues band with unique songs, tight instrumentation, & a powerful woman up front….
[Show full text]
Vindicating Karma: Jazz and the Black Arts Movement
University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2007 Vindicating karma: jazz and the Black Arts movement/ W. S. Tkweme University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Tkweme, W. S., "Vindicating karma: jazz and the Black Arts movement/" (2007). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 924. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/924 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. University of Massachusetts Amherst Library Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/vindicatingkarmaOOtkwe This is an authorized facsimile, made from the microfilm master copy of the original dissertation or master thesis published by UMI. The bibliographic information for this thesis is contained in UMTs Dissertation Abstracts database, the only central source for accessing almost every doctoral dissertation accepted in North America since 1861. Dissertation UMI Services From:Pro£vuest COMPANY 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-1346 USA 800.521.0600 734.761.4700 web www.il.proquest.com Printed in 2007 by digital xerographic process on acid-free paper V INDICATING KARMA: JAZZ AND THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT A Dissertation Presented by W.S. TKWEME Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2007 W.E.B.
[Show full text]
Full Results of Survey of Songs
Existential Songs Full results Supplementary material for Mick Cooper’s Existential psychotherapy and counselling: Contributions to a pluralistic practice (Sage, 2015), Appendix. One of the great strengths of existential philosophy is that it stretches far beyond psychotherapy and counselling; into art, literature and many other forms of popular culture. This means that there are many – including films, novels and songs that convey the key messages of existentialism. These may be useful for trainees of existential therapy, and also as recommendations for clients to deepen an understanding of this way of seeing the world. In order to identify the most helpful resources, an online survey was conducted in the summer of 2014 to identify the key existential films, books and novels. Invites were sent out via email to existential training institutes and societies, and through social media. Participants were invited to nominate up to three of each art media that ‘most strongly communicate the core messages of existentialism’. In total, 119 people took part in the survey (i.e., gave one or more response). Approximately half were female (n = 57) and half were male (n = 56), with one of other gender. The average age was 47 years old (range 26–89). The participants were primarily distributed across the UK (n = 37), continental Europe (n = 34), North America (n = 24), Australia (n = 15) and Asia (n = 6). Around 90% of the respondents were either qualified therapists (n = 78) or in training (n = 26). Of these, around two-thirds (n = 69) considered themselves existential therapists, and one third (n = 32) did not. There were 235 nominations for the key existential song, with enormous variation across the different respondents.
[Show full text]
The Role of Radicalism in African-American Protest Music
“WE’D RATHER DIE ON OUR FEET THAN BE LIVIN’ ON OUR KNEES” THE ROLE OF RADICALISM IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PROTEST MUSIC, 1960 – 1990: A CASE STUDY AND LYRICAL ANALYSIS Master’s Thesis in North American Studies Leiden University By Roos Fransen 1747045 10 June 2018 Supervisor: Dr. S.A. Polak Second reader: Dr. M.L. de Vries Contents Introduction 3 Chapter 1: Nina Simone and calling out racism 12 Chapter 2: James Brown, black emancipation and self-pride 27 Chapter 3: Public Enemy, black militancy and distrust of government and 40 media Conclusion 52 Works cited 56 2 Introduction The social importance of African-American music originates in the arrival of African slaves on the North American continent. The captured Africans transported to the British colonial area that would later become the United States came from a variety of ethnic groups with a long history of distinct and cultivated musical traditions. New musical forms came into existence, influenced by Christianity, yet strongly maintaining African cultural traditions. One of the most widespread early musical forms among enslaved Africans was the spiritual. Combining Christian hymns and African rhythms, spirituals became a distinctly African- American response to conditions on the plantations slaves were forced to work1. They expressed the slaves’ longing for spiritual and physical freedom, for safety from harm and evil, and for relief from the hardships of slavery. Many enslaved people were touched by the metaphorical language of the Bible, identifying for example with the oppressed Israelites of the Old Testament, as this spiritual Go Down Moses illustrates: Go down, Moses Way down in Egypt's land Tell old Pharaoh Let my people go2 The spiritual is inspired by Exodus 8:1, a verse in the Old Testament.
[Show full text]
The "Stars for Freedom" Rally
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail The "Stars for Freedom" Rally March 24,1965 The "March to Montgomery" held the promise of fulfilling the hopes of many Americans who desired to witness the reality of freedom and liberty for all citizens. It was a movement which drew many luminaries of American society, including internationally-known performers and artists. In a drenching rain, on the fourth day, March 24th, carloads and busloads of participants joined the march as U.S. Highway 80 widened to four lanes, thus allowing a greater volume of participants than the court- imposed 300-person limitation when the roadway was narrower. There were many well-known celebrities among the more than 25,000 persons camped on the 36-acre grounds of the City of St. Jude, a Catholic social services complex which included a school, hospital, and other service facilities, located within the Washington Park neighborhood. This fourth campsite, situated on a rain-soaked playing field, held a flatbed trailer that served as a stage and a host of famous participants that provided the scene for an inspirational performance enjoyed by thousands on the dampened grounds. The event was organized and coordinated by the internationally acclaimed activist and screen star Harry Belafonte, on the evening of March 24, 1965. The night "the Stars" came out in Alabama Mr. Belafonte had been an acquaintance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since 1956. He later raised thousands of dollars in funding support for the Freedom Riders and to bailout many protesters incarcerated during the era, including Dr.
[Show full text]
Thinking on 4:44 [DWR, 7.7.17]
Thinking on 4:44 [DWR, 7.7.17] There is little room for debate in pointing to JAY Z ’s new album as important. The tight, ten-track release – with a bonus three cuts on CD and vinyl – presents as watershed because of popular attending to the vulnerability put center, and because of JAY Z’s deep Black identities that anchor the long play. Bluntly, mainstream isn’t used to the complexity of adult men of color outlining mistakes, assuming responsibility, and maintaining fidelity to their Culture in ways that remain unapologetic while also apologizing to those they’ve hurt. This humanness is publicly relegated to a special-whiteness. So then, when a Black man occupies this human touch he becomes a novelty, ironically objectified with his break from typical objectification and reduction to stereotype. No doubt, JAY is a special one. He is a master artist, a clever businessman and has effectively worked the angles to become iconic without being a clown. The strength of 4:44 is not in the trappings, rather it’s in the letting go. The sub-sixty- minute narrative wins as a statement of psychological balance. It is a release of the shame assumed in trying to fit to that special-whiteness, in performance to the respectability gaze that has us tapping to a rhythm that is not our own. Producer No I.D. pivots from Nina Simone to Donny Hathaway to Stevie Wonder and other thick soul samples as a blueprint for freedom fighting, allowing JAY Z the space to take deep breaths and to be.
[Show full text]
A Change Is Gonna Come
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BENEFITS OF MUSICAL ACTIVISM IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT By ERIN NICOLE NEAL A Capstone submitted to the Graduate School-Camden Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Program in Liberal Studies Written under the direction of Dr. Stuart Z. Charmé And approved by ____________________________________ Dr. Stuart Z. Charmé Camden, New Jersey January 2021 CAPSTONE ABSTRACT A Change Is Gonna Come: A Critical Analysis Of The Benefits Of Musical Activism In The Civil Rights Movement by ERIN NICOLE NEAL Capstone Director: Dr. Stuart Z. Charmé The goal of this Capstone project is to understand what made protest music useful for political activists of the Civil Rights Movement. I will answer this question by analyzing music’s effect on activists through an examination of the songs associated with the movement, regarding lyrical content as well as its musical components. By examining the lyrical content, I will be evaluating how the lyrics of protest songs were useful for the activists, as well as address criticisms of the concrete impact of song lyrics of popular songs. Furthermore, examining musical components such as genre will assist in determining if familiarity in regards to the genre were significant. Ultimately, I found that music was psychologically valuable to political activists because music became an outlet for emotions they held within, instilled within listeners new emotions, became a beacon for psychological restoration and encouragement, and motivated listeners to carry out their activism. Furthermore, from a political perspective, the lyrics brought attention to the current socio-political problems and challenged social standards, furthered activists’ political agendas, persuaded the audience to take action, and emphasized blame on political figures by demonstrating that socio-political problems citizens grappled with were due to governmental actions as well as their inactions.
[Show full text]
AN ANALYSIS of the MUSICAL INTERPRETATIONS of NINA SIMONE by JESSIE L. FREYERMUTH B.M., Kansas State University, 2008 a THESIS S
AN ANALYSIS OF THE MUSICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF NINA SIMONE by JESSIE L. FREYERMUTH B.M., Kansas State University, 2008 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MUSIC Department of Music College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2010 Approved by: Major Professor Dale Ganz Copyright JESSIE L. FREYERMUTH 2010 Abstract Nina Simone was a prominent jazz musician of the late 1950s and 60s. Beyond her fame as a jazz musician, Nina Simone reached even greater status as a civil rights activist. Her music spoke to the hearts of hundreds of thousands in the black community who were struggling to rise above their status as a second-class citizen. Simone’s powerful anthems were a reminder that change was going to come. Nina Simone’s musical interpretation and approach was very unique because of her background as a classical pianist. Nina’s untrained vocal chops were a perfect blend of rough growl and smooth straight-tone, which provided an unquestionable feeling of heartache to the songs in her repertoire. Simone also had a knack for word painting, and the emotional climax in her songs is absolutely stunning. Nina Simone did not have a typical jazz style. Critics often described her as a “jazz-and-something-else-singer.” She moved effortlessly through genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, folk, classical, and even European classical. Probably her biggest mark, however, was on the genre of protest songs. Simone was one of the most outspoken and influential musicians throughout the civil rights movement. Her music spoke to the hundreds of thousands of African American men and women fighting for their rights during the 1960s.
[Show full text]
The Music of the Civil Rights Movement
THE MUSIC OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OVERVIEW ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did popular music reflect the values of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and help the movement convey its message? OVERVIEW There is no American social movement of the 20th or 21st century more closely connected to music than the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Protesters, some in prison, sang freedom songs to keep their spirits up. Folksingers, black and white alike, wrote songs about the paradoxes and pains not just of the Jim Crow South, but of the racism that had long troubled American life. Perhaps no song was more closely associated with the Civil Rights movement than “We Shall Overcome.” Based on a 19th-century African-American Gospel song, “We Shall Overcome” was picked up by the labor movement in the 1940s, during which time the folksinger/activist Pete Seeger first came across it. Seeger then helped popularize the song in the early phase of the Civil Rights movement, when it quickly became a ubiquitous sing-along anthem that crowds of activists embraced, often swaying side to side, arm in arm. Joan Baez performed it at the 1963 March on Washington; President Lyndon Johnson quoted it in his speech to Congress proposing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Songs reflecting the themes of the Civil Rights movement were not limited to Folk – the genre commonly associated with American protest songs – but could be found in all types of popular music. The Jazz revolution of the 1960s was affected by the Civil Rights movement. A number of Blues songs compared the oppression of southern blacks in the early 1960s to the racial injustices earlier in the century and before.
[Show full text]
We Have a Dream Gertkeunen EN
We have a dream Music is a powerful medium. It can evoke universal emotions and move us or give us pleasure, or it can be disorienting or confrontational. Music is a reverberation of life; love and frustration find their way into it. But music can also be a political weapon. Its ability to set people in motion is precisely what makes it a perfect vehicle for sending serious messages – against the war, against the evil forces in society, against intolerance, against racism – out into the world. It has always been this way, and we see it in every musical genre from Beethoven, Kurt Weill and Billie Holiday to Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and U2. Of course, the effectiveness of this kind of activism is relative. Sometimes the words shed their significance layer by layer and become meaningless sounds, and sometimes they become a call to action. Sometimes a piece of music turns into an anthem (for example, Jimi Hendrix’s version of the American national anthem as a symbol of the movement against the Vietnam war), and sometimes it is censored by an authoritarian government (from Nazi Germany to Communist China). Inspired by the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination, Brussels Jazz Orchestra is working on a musical project with human rights as its theme. We have a dream presents old songs in new arrangements. Frank Vaganée and Tutu Puoane combed through their record collections and selected their personal favourites from the rich history of the protest song. The music they have chosen is a strikingly homogeneous set: the songs are mainly from the late 1960s and early 1970s, and there is no punk, funk, hip-hop, reggae or hippie music here, but instead jazz and soul (Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder) and a couple of white singer-songwriters (Joni Mitchell, Sting).
[Show full text]
Nina Simone Folksy Nina Mp3, Flac, Wma
Nina Simone Folksy Nina mp3, flac, wma DOWNLOAD LINKS (Clickable) Genre: Jazz / Folk, World, & Country Album: Folksy Nina Country: Netherlands Released: 1964 Style: Soul-Jazz, Vocal MP3 version RAR size: 1630 mb FLAC version RAR size: 1378 mb WMA version RAR size: 1308 mb Rating: 4.7 Votes: 510 Other Formats: WMA APE AA WAV MIDI DTS AIFF Tracklist A1 Silver City Bound 5:08 A2 When I Was A Young Girl 5:57 A3 Erets Zavat Chalav 4:25 A4 Lass Of The Low Country 6:15 B1 The Young Night 5:25 B2 Twelfth Of Never 3:33 B3 Vanetihu 2:27 B4 You Can Sing A Rainbow / Hush Little Baby 7:11 Companies, etc. Manufactured By – Artone Recorded At – Carnegie Hall Credits Arranged By – Nina Simone Design [Liner] – Funckler Records Producer – Jack Lewis Notes Recorded live in concert. Live tracks from the concert at Carnegie Hall, 12th of May 1963. Other versions Category Artist Title (Format) Label Category Country Year SCP-465, SCP Nina Folksy Nina (LP, Colpix Records, SCP-465, SCP US 1964 465 Simone Album) Colpix Records 465 Nina Folksy Nina (LP, BCX S-1552 Colpix Records BCX S-1552 Netherlands 1970 Simone Album, RE) Nina Folksy Nina (LP, CP 465 Colpix Records CP 465 US 1964 Simone Album) Folksy Nina (LP, CP-465, CP Nina Colpix Records, CP-465, CP Album, Mono, US 1964 465 Simone Colpix Records 465 Promo) SCP-465, CP Nina Folksy Nina (LP, Colpix Records, SCP-465, CP US 1964 465 Simone Album) Colpix Records 465 Related Music albums to Folksy Nina by Nina Simone Nina Simone - Where Can I Go Without You / Memphis In June Nina Simone - Nina Simone And Piano! Nina Simone - Nina Simone - Nina Simone - Gospel According to Nina Simone Nina Simone - Nina Simone In Concert Nina Simone - Feeling Good: The Very Best Of Nina Simone Nina Simone - Nina Simone (Here Comes The Sun) Nina Simone - Nina At Newport Nina Simone With George Wallington - Starring Nina Simone With George Wallington Nina Simone - Nina At The Village Gate.
[Show full text]