| Music and
Songs Americans Have Loved Frameworks for America's Past |
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Music has always been a part of American life! You can research the historical background
of these songs using Wikipedia and other online resources.
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Music
from America's
past,
listed with oldest at top: 1600s - 1880s: Scarborough Fair This very old song is about a love that seems hopelessly lost. Early versions trace back to England in the 1600s. It remains well known even today. Music for the Royal Fireworks The music was composed in England in the 1700s, at the time America was part of Great Britain. It is still a favorite of school and professional orchestras! Oh Shenandoah This traditional folk song dates to the early 1800s. It takes its title from the beautiful Shenandoah River in Virginia. Simple Gifts and its backstory One of the best known old songs in America! This short video includes the song and tells the interesting story behind it. Simple Gifts is still performed today by school chorus groups and many professional singers. Even the COVID pandemic couldn't stop this high school chorus from their performance! The melody is also famous for its use by the modern composer Aaron Copland in Appalachian Spring. This link jumps to 20:30 for the best known part of that work. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot This old song of African American heritage is a type called a spiritual because of its religious references. Lyrics about crossing over the Jordan River represent dying or going to Heaven. Kumbaya is another well known old spiritual, and traces back to the African American communities in the Southeast region. This is a piano version. Days of '49 The video features an old folk song about the California Gold Rush of 1849, with lots of great photos. A "bummer" is slang for a man who drifts from town to town, without work. The "bummer's shore" was the West Coast of the Gold Rush era. A "gin sot" is slang for a drunk. When Johnny Comes Marching Home A popular song of the Civil War era. On both sides, families tried their best to keep up hope that their sons would return alive. The first half of this video is instrumental, with singing in the last half. 1880s to 1920: Spanish Lady This is one of many old Irish songs that came to America along with the immigrants from that land. Another is Siúil a Rúin (Walk My Love), with lyrics partly in the old Irish language and partly in English. The music of Ireland had a big impact on the development of American musical styles. Washington Post From 1889, music of John Philip Sousa on an organ. This was music to dance to in the 1880s and 1890s, and is still heard in parades, at festivals, and on merry-go-rounds. The Entertainer The 1902 ragtime piano hit written by Scott Joplin, an African American who became a famous composer of ragtime and jazz. Waltzing Matilda A famous old tune often sung by soldiers from Australia (one of the Allies) during World War I. It became popular with Americans as well. The song can still bring memories and emotions to the surface among performers and audiences. 1920s, 1930s, 1940s: Yes, We Have No Bananas A fun song from the 1920s. This is played on a very old Edison cylinder phonograph. The song captures the optimistic spirit of an immigrant grocery store owner who wants to answer "Yes!" to everything. Honky Tonk Train Blues This old-time boogie woogie piano hit from the 1920s is still played today. Over the Rainbow The song Dorothy (Judy Garland) sings in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Jumpin' Jive features swing music of the famous jazz band leader Cab Calloway. The clip is from a 1943 movie - don't miss the tap-dancing scene that starts about 1:30! In the Mood is a jazz classic, performed here by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Appalachian Spring Aaron Copland's famous 1944 composition. This link jumps to 20:30 for the best known part of this music. Click here for a selection from Copland's music for the modern ballet titled Rodeo. Look to the Rainbow A well-known song with a father's advice to his daughter about finding the right man. It's from the 1947 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow. This clip is from the movie based on the show. 1950s, 1960s: Rock Around the Clock Bill Haley & His Comets perform in this 1955 movie featuring their famous song that helped launch the start of the rock and roll style. Tammy This song, from the popular 1957 movie Tammy and the Bachelor, hit the #1 spot on U.S. record charts that year. Debbie Reynolds played the character of Tammy in the film, and sang the song in this scene. What a different time it was, in so many ways! With the "Baby Boomers" born after World War II entering their teen years in the early 1960s, popular music began taking on a more energetic style. Two big hits popular at high school dances were Da Doo Ron Ron by the Crystals, and One Fine Day by the Chiffons. These and other '60s music hits were popular across all racial / ethnic group lines, helping to bring young people of different backgrounds closer together. If I Had A Hammer Peter, Paul and Mary perform this song from the early 1960s that reflects the rising social conscience of that era. Uptight (Everything's Alright) Although blind from birth, Stevie Wonder was singing professionally at age 12, and recorded this hit song in 1965 at age 15. The video is from a British TV pop music show. Another hit that same year was My Girl by the Temptations. One year later the Supremes climbed to the top of the music charts with You Can't Hurry Love. Help! The Beatles, a group from England, found millions of teenage fans in America with their long list of hits in the 1960s. Here Comes the Sun, released in 1969, remains one of their most popular recordings. This music video was created for the song's 50th anniversary. Get Together The lyrics of this popular song from the mid-1960s express the hope many had in that decade for a world of peace and brotherhood. In the Year 2525 This strange song became an unexpected #1 hit as the decade of the 1960s came to an end. The twists and turns of that time had left many people wondering just where the human race was headed. You're Gonna Miss This - Country music was growing its audience steadily through the 1960s and beyond. Country songs often spoke of everyday concerns of living and especially family life. This example, from Trace Adkins, was a "crossover" hit in 2008 that appealed across a wide audience. |
Class
favorites
& bonus tracks: What a Wonderful World This is the fantastic shadow puppet performance, done with Louis Armstrong's well known song. Voted the class favorite year after year! Spanish Lady is a song that came to America with the Irish immigrants in the late 1800s. Scarborough Fair is even older, and is originally from England. Both of these traditional folk songs are still widely performed today. Titanic Theme: My Heart Will Go On A young man stops by a music store, sits down at a piano, and plays music from the movie about one of history's most famous ships. Simple Gifts This song, dating to around 1850, is still a favorite with school chorus groups and professional singers! Even the COVID pandemic school closings couldn't stop this high school group from doing a performance. See the link in the first column (on the left) for a short video that tells the interesting backstory. Summertime A 12 year old girl with a puppet performs the famous 1935 song from the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. Her talent won a standing ovation on the TV show America's Got Talent. Jumpin' Jive features swing music of the famous jazz band leader Cab Calloway. The clip is from a 1943 movie. Days of '49 The video features an old folk song about the California Gold Rush of 1849, with lots of great photos. A "bummer" is slang for a man who drifts from town to town, without work. The "bummer's shore" was the West Coast of the Gold Rush era. A "gin sot" is slang for a drunk. Colors of the Wind - Taylor Davis has built a huge YouTube following with her violin covers of popular movie and video game music. This song is from the Disney film Pocahontas, which is loosely based on the life of the Native American woman who married one of the early settlers at Jamestown in 1614. The scene from the movie is here. Taylor Davis shows how her YouTube music videos are made here. The Entertainer The 1902 ragtime piano hit written by Scott Joplin, an African American who became a famous composer of ragtime and jazz. Tammy This song, from the popular 1957 movie Tammy and the Bachelor, hit the #1 spot on U.S. record charts that year. Debbie Reynolds played the character of Tammy in the film, and sang the song in this scene. What a different time it was, in so many ways! With the "Baby Boomers" born after World War II entering their teen years in the early 1960s, popular music began taking on a more energetic style. Two big hits popular at high school dances were Da Doo Ron Ron by the Crystals, and One Fine Day by the Chiffons. These and other '60s music hits were popular across all racial / ethnic group lines, helping to bring young people of different backgrounds closer together. More class
favorites!
Especially popular with chorus, band,
orchestra, and drama students Story
of My Life A tree,
a boy, and a girl. A swing, and a new friend. A marriage
and a child. Sketches of the memories that give life
meaning. The music is a Piano Guys cover of the 2013 hit by One
Direction.
Uptight (Everything's Alright) Although blind from birth, Stevie Wonder was singing professionally at age 12, and recorded this hit song in 1965 at age 15. The video is from a British TV pop music show. Another hit that same year was My Girl by the Temptations. One year later the Supremes climbed to the top of the music charts with You Can't Hurry Love. I See the Light - This is the Grammy Award winning song from the 2010 Disney animated film Tangled. The movie is based on the classic fairy tale "Rapunzel," which itself dates back hundreds of years to Germany, France, and Italy. The scene from the movie with this song is here. Homeward Bound This powerful song draws on traditional American folk music and choral styles. Over 300 high school choral students joined Peter Hollens for the making of this recent music video. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot This is a spectacular performance of one of the best known African American spiritual songs. The lyrics about crossing over the Jordan River represent dying or going to Heaven. River Flows in You Does anyone still play a harp? Watch this beautiful version of the well-known piano music. Over the Rainbow The song Dorothy (Judy Garland) sings in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Fight Song / Amazing Grace / Scotland the Brave The music of a recent popular song is combined with the music of two much older songs. The Piano Guys went to Scotland to get just the right setting and sound for this video. Siúil a Rúin (Walk My Love) is an old traditional folk song that came to America with the Irish immigrants. It is still popular with singers and audiences today. The lyrics are partly in the old Irish language and partly in English. Ode to Joy / Beethoven's 9th Symphony "flash mob" A city in Portugal celebrated it's 130th birthday by arranging this performance in the city square. The famous music from 1824 celebrates the joy of life and the brotherhood of all mankind. Yes, We Have No Bananas A fun song from the 1920s. This is played on a very old Edison cylinder phonograph. The song captures the spirit of an immigrant grocery store owner who wants to answer "Yes!" to everything. An old player piano version is here. Appalachian Spring Aaron Copland's famous 1944 composition. This link jumps to 20:30 for the best known part of this music. Click here for a selection from Copland's music for the modern ballet titled Rodeo. Music for the Royal Fireworks The music was composed in England in the 1700s, at the time America was part of Great Britain. It is still a favorite of school and professional orchestras! Theme from The Mission This is from the music by a modern Italian composer for the 1986 movie The Mission. You need to be in a quiet place and in the right mood to experience it. Pachelbel's Canon in D Major This music, with its expressive dignity, is often played at weddings. A cello and piano version that has pulled over 100 million views on YouTube is here. Kumbaya is a well known old spiritual, and traces back to the African American communities in the Southeast region. This is a solo piano version. |