Unit 9: Contemporary America, 1968-present
United/Divided | War & Peace | Work | Home | Moving Along | Faith & Ideals
United/Divided
“I am Woman”
Helen Reddy, 1972
The song that became the Feminist movement’s anthem
Lyric source | Recording
“Chocolate City”
Parliament, 1975
A funk song describing Washington D.C.
Lyric source | Recording
“Born in the U.S.A.”
Bruce Springsteen, 1985
A hit rock song describing the non-heroic return of a Vietnam veteran
Lyric source | Recording | Lesson ideas
“Gangsta’s Paradise”
Coolio, 1995
A rewrite of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” about the gang environment
Lyric source | Recording
War and Peace
“In America”
Charlie Daniels, 1980
A song of unification during the Iran Hostage Crisis
Lyric source | Recording
“Russians”
Sting, 1985
A peace song from the last decade of the Cold War
Lyric source | Recording
Work
“9 to 5”
Dolly Parton, 1980
The trials of women in underpaid clerical jobs
Lyric source | Recording
“Allentown”
Billy Joel, 1982
Coming of age in a rusting steel town
Lyric source | Recording
Home
“Big Yellow Taxi”
Joni Mitchell, 1970
An environmental song protesting the blacktopping of America
Lyric source | Recording
“Living for the City”
Stevie Wonder, 1973
A contemporary look at the issue of rural to urban migration with a racial theme
Lyric source | Recording
“Small Town”
John Cougar Mellencamp, 1985
Rock looks at the virtues of living in a small town, rather than a big city
Lyric source | Recording
“Mountains O’ Things”
Tracy Chapman, 1988
Comment on the fruitlessness of Yuppie conspicuous consumption
Lyric source | Recording
“Information Undertow”
Dada, 1998
A look at how our lives are being ruled by technological advances
Lyric source | Recording
Moving Along
“Convoy”
C. W. McCall, B. Fries, C. Davis, 1976
Truckers protest against gas prices and speed limit changes caused by the oil embargo
Lyric source | Recording
“Traffic Jam”
James Taylor, 1973
Too many cars in this expression of frustration
Lyric source | Recording
Faith and Ideals
“Imagine”
John Lennon, 1971
Written at the height of the Vietnam War, this song has remained a popular peace anthem
Lyric source | Recording
“God Bless the U.S.A.”
Lee Greenwood, 1983
Patriotic song from the Reagan and Bush, Sr. campaigns; revived in the 2001 terrorist attacks
Lyric source | Recording
“From a Distance”
Julie Gold, 1985
A song about a peaceful Earth as seen from space, that became popular during the Gulf War
Lyric source | Recording
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