American Song and Social Reality: The Shifting Significance of Folk and Folk-Rock Songs of Propaganda and Protest from the Depression to the Present

The nature and content of American folk songs of protest and propaganda have changed radically over the past forty years. Since musical trends can hardly be made any more coherent or consistent than the society that produces them, it is necessary to examine songs of protest within their proper social and historical settings. Thus, it is the purpose of this discussion to trace the evolution of folk songs of propaganda and protest in contemporary society and to pose questions which might possibly stimulate further research along these lines