For this last blog post, I want to balance out with my last one(where I covered a contemporary Irish Folk song), and learn about a more contemporary American folk song. I do this so that I can compare American Folk music, over time. The song that I have chosen to analyze is “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie. “This Land is Your Land” was released by Woody Guthrie in 1951, however, written in 1940. Although, it is not as contemporary as “The Fields of Athenry”, it was written and released later than Lead Belly’s “Pick a Bale of Cotton”, that I discussed in my second blog post. It has become an alternative for the national anthem. Woody recorded “This Land is Your Land” for Folkways records during a marathon in New York, in April, 1944. Woody was influenced by church hymns, outlaw ballads, blues, fiddle tunes, and some pop, as he grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. He decided to take the road and pursue music when his father lost his job due to the oil economy of the 20’s and 30’s and his mother was committed to a mental institution. Woody flourished on the road in comparison to his former home-life. He first travelled to the gulf coast, then to california where he travelled amongst dust bowl refugees. His experiences during his travel heavily contributed to his development and role as a social commentator. This song was, in fact, a somewhat satirical response to “God Bless America”, a popular tune on the radio at the time. This song has became an American classic as it is most notably played at rallies, around campers, and circa 1950, sung at progressive schools. Although this song achieved notoriety in the 40’s and 50’s, it deals with many issues we see in 2019. For example, one of the radical lines in the song goes: “One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple, by the relief office I saw my people, as they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if God blessed America for me.” Whether the people under the steeple are poor, a minority, or different that Woody in any way, he can still empathize and identify with them. This is pretty radical for his time. Folk music, during this time, started to evolve in to music for the people, or anyone struggling, where earlier in American Folk music, I learned it was mainly an outlet for the recently freed African American community. 

For this blog post, I wanted to learn another Irish folk song but one that was more contemporary. I wanted a more contemporary song so I can see how much, if at all, Irish folk music has changed over time. The song that I have chosen is “The Fields of Athenry”. The Fields of Athenry was written by Pete St. John in the 1970’s. There are many versions of this song that were released by various artists throughout the 80’s and 90’s. This song is an Irish folk ballad that refers to the Great Irish Famine from 1845-1850. Lyrically, the song tells a story of an Irish man named Michael who reside near Athenry, Galway. The fictional character Michael, stole food from a man named Charles Edward Trevelyan, to help fed his starving family. Upon conviction, he was to be exiled. Charles Edward Trevelyan was a senior british civil servant of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and thought the Irish deserved the famine. Further, he thought the Irish could survive off of maize. However, maize was too expensive and hard to grow. This song became one of nationalism once it became a sporting anthem. I can relate to the sports energy surrounding this song because on the sports teams that I have played on throughout my life, and especially my collegial career, have always had an anthem. Typically we would have one song a season that we blare in the locker room before games and after a win. Pete St. John actually performed this song at the testimonial match between the Celtics and Liverpool. This performance both hyped up the Celtics while also honoring and thanking Glasgow for allowing 100,000 Irish famine victims to resettle there during the Great Irish Famine. Obviously, although this song is more contemporary, it still lyrically aligns with traditional folk music; it addresses the Irish’s struggle that surrounded the Great Famine. I love that this genre of music has preserved its roots.

But a lonely prison wall, 
I heard a young girl calling 
Michael they have taken you away,
For you stole trevelyn’s corn
So the young might see the morn,
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bayLow lie, The Fields Of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing, 
Its so lonely round the Fields of AthenryBy a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
‘Nothing matters Mary, when you’re free’
Against the famine and the crown, 
I rebelled, they brought me down 
Now its lonely round the Fields of AthenryBy a lonely harbour wall
She watched the last star falling 
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she’ll live in hope and pray
For her love in Botney Bay 
Its so lonely round the Fields Of Athenry

American folk music can, at least somewhat be accounted for, by the African American community. The themes within folk music(for example human rights, empowerment, struggle), originated from American slavery. Originally, African American slave music consisted of call-and-response songs. Call-and-response songs were their way of communication; first they would make a series of calls in the fields, and street peddlers or “criers” would then echo and translate the songs. These songs helped to spread news, accent religious ceremonies, or merely to help enjoy the passage of time. I think this is such an amazing way to really connect through music. People talk about how jazz groups freestyle together and it requires such a connection that it becomes mindless, and that is where the magic in the music happens. With the call-and-response songs, the notion that everyone understanding this language through song is extremely interconnected and inspiring. After the emancipation proclamation, many African Americans surged north to cities where folk-blues arose. They had the same story of empowerment to tell, but now with the incorporation of instruments. Leadbelly or Huddie Ledbetter was one of the most influential folk-blues artist at this time. He incorporated impressive vocals, a talent at the 12 string guitar, and knowledge of folk music. He was also well versed in the piano, harmonica, mandolin, violin, and accordion. The focus of his music, lyrically, was on the culture of the time. He sang about prison, liquor, cowboys, Hitler, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, to give a few examples. Being an art major, I know that some of the best pieces are those that deal with taboos and some of the concepts that he lyrically dealt with would be considered taboos during their time. This is inspiring to me being both and visual artist and musician. Below I have attached his song “Pick a Bale of Cotton” along with the lyrics.

For my blog post this week, I learned and played the chords for “The Prisoner’s Anthem”. I am definitely a beginner at guitar but I was happy to see that the song had mostly chords that I already knew how to play. Upon research I found that this song discusses both the struggles and hopes of the Irish during the Irish Brigade. The Irish Brigade was a group of Irishmen, both immigrants and those who were not yet citizens, who joined the Union Army during the Civil War. By the end of the war, however, many had deserted the Union’s cause because of the amount of casualties. The Irish soldiers that persisted through 1861-1863 in the brigade, were regarded highly. The brigade was a combination of units; the 63rd New York Infantry Regiment from Staten Island, the 69th, and the 88th New York Infantry Regiment, which both originated in the Bronx. The main reason for the Irish Brigade was to put an end to anti-Irish discrimination and perhaps, spark some nationalism in Ireland. Their beliefs did not completely align with the Union, however; They had sympathy for the Confederacy’s want for independence from a dominating government, and many were not opposed to slavery due to scarce job availability. In order for the Union to keep the Irish’s support, they allowed them to have their ethnic regiments which was accompanied by many benefits like extra rations, or enlistment bonuses. 

I got a guitar two years ago. My favorite type of music to play is folk music. This includes artists like Bon Iver, Vance Joy, Mumford and Sons, Bob Dylan, etc. Upon further research of American folk music I have learned that this genre includes a multitude of subgenres. For example, country music, blues, and bluegrass all qualify as American folk music. Its origin is unspecified. It’s derived from a tradition of expressive creation rather than a means to make profit. For this reason it has been called the music of the working class. The genre’s subject matter has an infinite range but almost always involves telling a story or struggle in hopes to create a communal bond. Some of the earliest folk songs that have been documented come from American Slavery and industrialization; the need to be interconnected as a community. The earlier American folk music is what I will focus on in contrast with traditional Irish folk music. I am interested in how these two cultures impact the narrative, subject matter, instruments, and chords/melody of the song. Traditional Irish folk music originated in 500BC when the Celts initially arrived in Ireland. The harp was one of the earliest instruments used in Irish folk. Some of the earliest documented songs were perform at the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792. The documents that contain these originals are essential for the tradition. With the Great Famine forcing many Irish people to emigrate, the tradition of folk music was brought into American cities.