Alyssabeth and Madison
Music of the Great Depression
Central Question
How did people during the Great Depression turn to music for comfort from the economic hardships from the economic hardships of the time?
Brother Can You Spare a Dime- Al Jolson
This song became an anthem of the Great Depression. Brother Can You Spare a Dime exemplifies a World War 1 Dough Boy veteran who looks back on his life and depicts what his life has become. Al Jolson built the country and was a thriving member of society, but now he has to beg for money.
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
Keep on the Sunny Side- The Carter Family
Though the depression makes times hard and troubling, people were encouraged to "Keep on the Sunny Side" of life. There was always hope for the future to be better and the people's poverty stricken life would brighten.
The Carter Family - Keep on the sunny side
If I ever get a job again- Dick Robertson
Robertson offered hope for the post-depression life. This song can also be considered satirical because of the comical aspect of it portrays through the lyrics "If I ever get a job again". It is satirical because Robertson makes it seem like he will never get a job again but if he does he will be the perfect citizen.
Dick Robertson - If I Ever Get A Job Again (1933)
Life is just a bowl of cherries- Rudy Vallee
During the Great Depression, most of the songs were mellow, where as this song was upbeat. This son at the time was ironic because life wasn't very pleasant and it wasn't easy for people to forget about their troubles during the economic hardships.
"Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries" (Rudy Vallee, 1931)
Big Rock Candy Mountain-Harry McClintock
Big Rock Candy Mountain is in the perspective of a hobo who couldn't keep a job so he traveled looking for handouts and getting into trouble with the law. This song outlines McClintock dreams in escaping a sad and gloomy place and it connected to the people because almost everyone had the same dream.
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Contextualization of the music of the Great Depression
After the stock market crash, also known as Black Tuesday, Americans experienced a series of economic hardships in which music supplied a relief. The crash led to not only a decline in the economy, but also a psychological depression that resulted from a rise of unemployment. Through music, artists like Dick Robertson, and Al jolson wrote and sang about the conflicts that most people during the 1930's endured. By 1933, nearly half of America's banks had failed, and unemployment approached 15 million people. The music of the Great Depression marks a difficult time in American history that brought relief and peace from the economic decline. To aid the people during the Great Depression, relief and reform measures were enacted by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Compare and Contrast of the Great Depression Music
Like many other eras in American history, The Great Depression music exemplified the role of society and their experiences of poverty. An era that is somewhat similar to the music of the Great Depression is the music of The Civil Rights Movement. Much like the music of the 1930's the music of the Civil Rights Movement outlined hardships of people and exemplified hope for the future and change. However, The Great Depression music and Civil Rights Movement music differ because during the 1930's the whole nation was experiencing economic decline. During the Civil Rights Movement, African American were mostly the ones experiencing not only an economic decline but being oppressed by society.
Point of View of Artist During The Great Depression
Artists of the Great Depression documented what people experienced and suffered, allowing relief from the psychological depression. There were many different ways Americans in the 1930's were affected according to race, sex, and wealth. The artists exemplified the many different points of views of Americans. For example, in the song "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" the artist depicts a man who once was a financial stable and a productive member of society but when the stock market crashed he is so poverty stricken that he has to beg for money. As shown in the "BIg Rock Candy Mountain" a hobo is shown during The Great Depression travels and relies on handouts much like the man afflicted in "Brother Can You Spare a Dime". These examples show that artists point of views were similar to that of most Americans, really depicting that a lot of people were really affected by the economic decline of the 1930's.
Quotes from the Great Depression
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
... President Franklin Roosevelt
"Our whole Depression was brought on by gambling, not in the stock market alone but in expanding and borrowing and going in debt... all just to make some easy money quick."
....Will Rogers
"In other periods of depression, it has always been possible to see some things which were solid and upon which you could base hope... but as I look around about, I now see nothing to give ground to hope."
... Former President Coolidge.