Discuss changes in American life and values during the 1920s in respect to consumerism, communications, religion, and the role of women, as well as how those changes were reflected in art and music.
Follow the instructions to complete this assignment:
Select the links below to listen to four of the songs provided below. Access the transcript [DOCX] transcript [DOCX] – Alternative Formats for lyrics to each song.
Al Jolson – Avalon (1920)
Bessie Smith – After You’ve Gone (1927)
Bessie Smith – I’m Wild About That Thing (1929)
Bessie Smith – Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do (1923)
Binkley Brothers Dixie Clodhoppers – I’ll Rise When the Rooster Crows (1928)
Charlie Pool and His North Carolina Ramblers – Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down (1925)
Charlie Pool and His North Carolina Ramblers – Monkey on a String (1926)
Ethel Waters – I’ve Found a New Baby (1925)
Fiddlin’ John Carson – There Ain’t No Bugs On Me (1928)
G.S. Richey – Monkey Business (1925)
Gentry Family – You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me
Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five – Big Butter And Egg Man From The West (1926)
Paul Whiteman ‘My Blue Heaven’ (1927)
Poplin-Woods Tennessee String Band – Are You From Dixie (1928)
The Skillet Lickers – Run Nigger. Run (1927)
Uncle Dave Macon – The Bible’s True (1925)
Vernon Dalhart – Bryan’s Last Fight (1925)
Vernon Dalhart – The John T. Scopes Trial (1925)
Victoria Spivey and Louis Armstrong-How do They Do It That Way (1929)
Note: Several of these songs, as well as their titles, are offensive. They have been provided to you because they are illustrative of American conceptions of race, gender, and religion during the 1920s.
In 100-150 words for each song (400-600 words total), answer the following prompt for each one of your four songs:
Identify the artist and title of the song, the song’s subject. This should be the theme studied in this module, such as race, gender, religious fundamentalism, nativism, anti-modernism, etc.
Explain the way(s) it reflects popular trends in 1920s America. This is the primary objective of the assignment, so be thorough in your analysis and provide specific references to support your argument.
Refer to the information from the Maclean reading as appropriate in your explanation. This is necessary for a perfect score on this assignment.
