Category Second Listen Spring 2021

For this second listen, I’d like you to think about the musical lineage your song exists within, just as we considered in class on Wednesday, 3/3. By lineage, I mean how songs connect to one another by theme, phrasing, direct reference, and so on. Sampling can be a part of a lineage, but sampling is also used for reasons other than thematic connection, such as, for the beat.

For example, consider the lineage of: Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” –> Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” –> Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A” –> Green Day’s “American Idiot” –> Childish Gambino’s “This is America” –> to J.S. Ondara’s “American Dream.” Each of these songs exists as a critique of America and one or more of its policies, with a direct reference either in the lyrics or the title. They hint at a connection, even though it is not overt. But, and this is key, knowing about the prior song(s) adds a new level of understanding to the other song and so on. They construct a history of critique.

Lineages can also have songs made in reaction to other songs. For example, The Beatles’ “Help!” –> The Damned’s, “Help!” Or, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “That’s How I Like It” –> Green Day’s “American Idiot.” Or, Neil Young’s “Southern Man” –> Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” In these examples, bands and their music lead to other bands, working against them.

So, for this listen, I’d like you to discuss 2 of your song’s lineages based on the subjects covered in your song. Create lineages of 3 – 5 songs and explore not just what connects them but how those connections enhance your understanding of your chosen song.

Be sure to choose the “Second Listen Spring 2021” category before posting.

Post due 5/3 by 11:00pm.