American History Essay: Political Music Analysis and Significance

This essay examines the role of political music in American history, focusing on how music has been used to express opinions, advocate for change, and reflect societal concerns. The analysis centers on three key songs: John Lennon's "Imagine," which addresses human rights and global peace; Michael Franti and Spearhead's "Crime to be broke in America," which critiques poverty and economic inequality; and Aretha Franklin's "Respect," which champions civil and women's rights. Each song is analyzed within its historical context, considering its purpose, tone, and impact on American society. The essay highlights how these musicians used their music to engage with political issues, inspire social awareness, and advocate for democratic values. The essay provides a comprehensive understanding of how music serves as a powerful tool for political expression and social commentary within the United States.

Running head: AMERICAN HISTORY 1
American History
Name
Institution

AMERICAN HISTORY 2
American History
Music has been used in the United States of America for quite a long period of time.
The purposes for which the music is used vary depending on the artist/musician, event
leading to composing the song, and to communicate an opinion. Many musicians in the
United States use music for expressing love, political opinion and enlighten the society. What
is important in music however the tone is and purpose for which such music is being sung.
The focus here is to identify and analyze political music in the context of purpose and tone.
Human Rights
John Lennon’s song “Imagine” is a soft rock type of genre that is lyrical and sang
with utmost plea to human opinion. The song was release back in 1970s and the American
fans felt that was the song they needed at that time (Susan, 2002). Lennon’s song however,
still remains a big hit in the 21st century given the fact that his desire and opinion is what the
world needs today. The world needs to be a place of human freedom, peace and value for
human life. This makes it a choice for this discussion and further elaborates on the purpose of
the song. The last line of every stanza just speaks a lot of sense to the world of today, for
example, stanza three; Imagine people sharing all the world
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FX4D1jU2m8) brings the sense of political freedom
and democracy. In expressing his political opinion, he uses a thoughtful mood to bring the
message home.
Poverty/Economy
Michael Franti and Spearhead’s song Crime to be broke in America becomes the
favorite when discussing about poverty/economy on the United States. The song was

AMERICAN HISTORY 3
recorded in 1995 with a purpose to speak against the imbalanced legal system in the United
States that left many citizens in the hands of poverty, deteriorating economy and lack of
democracy (Reiland, 2013). The song writers chose a festive type of rap song
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaEia5O-o3U). The song became popular in the late
20th century and yet it still speaks sense to many American citizens. This is because many
citizens are still languishing in poverty, the economy is unstable and legal system is not
flexible enough to allow economic freedom and political progress.
Civil Rights
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin, is an R&B song that was released in 1965. The song
is a soul genre which became very popular in the 1967. What inspired Aretha in her song was
her desire to fight for civil rights and women rights in the United States of America (Reiland,
2013). The main purpose of the song was to advocate for democracy for all, enlighten the
public about civil rights that was seemingly being downtrodden by the government. For
freedom and rights of every citizen to be allowed by the government there must be political
enlightenment. This is especially expressed when Aretha says “… just find out what it means
to R.E.S.P.E.C.T… (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAI_Nv3qWto)”. Whether expressed
in public rallies or through music, the intention is always to awaken people politically so that
the people can unite and fight for their rights. It makes Respect a song of choice that uses a
respectful tone to convey the message.

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References
Reiland, R. (2013). The Hip Hop Movement. From R&b and the civil rights movement to rap.
London. Rowman’s Littlefield Press.
Susan, G. (2002). The songs of John Lennon. The Beatles Years. Boston. Berklee Press.