Unit 1: American Vibes (Terminale G6)

Protest Songs

The documents under study are 3 short extracts from 3 international famous singers of the 60s and the 70s.

The first extract is from a song written by Bob Dylan, an American singer and songwriter, entitled “Masters of War”, released in 1963. He is protesting against the war in Vietnam and the American government (leaders and officials) that sent their soldiers to the frontline while they were staying behind their desks. Therefore, his goal was to raise awareness in the American society, to make people think about human rights and the uselessness of the war.

The second extract is from John Lennon’s song, a British singer and songwriter. This song was released in 1969, entitled “Give Peace a Chance”. He was denouncing police violence and social divisions. According to him, beliefs and religions should not be used to divide people. In fact, peace should be guaranteed regardless one’s beliefs and opinions.

The last extract is from Bob Marley, a famous Jamaican singer and songwriter who wrote “Get up, Stand up”, in 1973. He was protesting against injustice, oppression, poverty and racism. He was encouraging people to fight for their rights as human beings.

To conclude, in the 60s and in the 70s protest songs were giving a voice to social and political movements. They denounced the Vietnam War, racial segregation and social injustices. Music is a really good way to bring people together and fight for a cause, hence it helped a lot at the time.

Homework: Learn the lesson.