Everett Cannon

Mrs. Neal

Honors US History

29 May 2020

Final Project Album

America the Beautiful- America is a storied nation, one that gave birth to some of the

world’s greatest heroes. America is a country that contains beautiful landscapes and miles of

untamed wilderness. The history of this nation may be long and have many periods of trauma

and strife, but through it all we are still American. Being American is a banner that we all share,

despite our grievances and differences with each other. This song highlights why we should be

proud of our country, and why we should come together.

The British are Coming- This song tells the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride where

he alerted of incoming British soldiers. This event was part of the prelude to the American

Revolution and is an integral part of American history. Revere rode between Lexington and

Concord to pass on information, but his midnight ride became infamous. The warning Paul gave

of the incoming troops gave the US an upper hand in the encounter. The song shows the

importance of the midnight ride and even uses some topical naming by calling the British

“Redcoats’ a common derogatory nickname for them at the time.

Tippecanoe And Tyler Too- The Battle of Tippecanoe is a battle held in Indiana

between American forces and the native Indian forces. The purpose of the battle was to further

expand into Native American territory. The battle was a resounding success for the Americans
with the fight only lasting around one day. The slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” was later

used by William Henry Harrison to remind the country of his heroism in the war. The song

makes reference to this success and political tactic.

Wade In the Water- Slavery and racism is an important part of the History of the US, it

highlights the injustice many individuals faced. Doubly, it shows both how far we have come as

a society and how far we have yet to go. This song is a traditional song that enslaved African

Americans would sing, to both give them hope and instruct escaping slaves how to lose the dogs

that the slavers sent after them. This is a dark time in American history, but an extremely

important one that must not be forgotten and songs like this allow the memory of those lost and

mistreated to live on.

Was My Brother In the Battle- The Civil war is easily one of the most important parts

of American history. The tension between the North and South had been growing for years on

many issues, the most prevalent being slavery. This song is a common folk song of the time that

recounts the war recently fought. The civil war was a bloody conflict and the song reflects that,

mourning the loss of so many Americans. The Civil war shaped American history and tot his day

we are still feeling its effects, this song is a time capsule to an uncertain time.

Eyes Like The Sky- The settling of the of the west is the topic of many great American

stories. The “Wild West” being a time of lawlessness and sprawling arid landscapes just

following the contention civil war is a period of great expansion and innovation for the country.

The song is the intro to a story set in this time period and captures the great strides made during

this time. Another cornerstone of this time period was the conflict with the Native Americans,

this is also a major focus of the story that this song is a part of. The American frontier was an
interesting time for our country and this song captures everything from the setting, to the feeling

of the time.

My Blue Heaven- The era of United States history known as the Jazz age was one of

great prosperity and rebellion. The cultural strides and movements that were common in this era

were extremely progressive for the time. The song represents this time period as it is a jazz song

of the time, which was a time where jazz was seen as a rebellious form of music. The economic

and post war prosperity had a profound impact on the nation and on culture, and jazz was always

at the heart of it.

Soda St. #1- This songs connection might not be entirely apparent without knowing the

time period being referenced. The song has messages of a person snot doing well, clearing in a

difficult situation and proclaiming, “I can’t get no help at all”. A period of American history that

fits this message is the great depression, a period of near complete economic despair. The

situation that many Americans found themselves in was one that they personally could not get

out of, and at the time, the government was unable to help its citizens. For a period, many

American people found themselves in a helpless situation that would remain for years.

Money- The 50s were a time of economic prosperity following WWII, with all of the

emphasis placed on returning veterans and the economy. Because of this economic boom, a lot

of emphasis was placed on money and consumerism. In this time, household objects and tools

started to become status symbols, and more of an emphasis was placed on goods. Materialism

was becoming more and more commonplace, this song talks about money and extravagant

purchases, all things that were becoming more common in this time
 Youth Culture Killed My Dog- Rebellion is a common part of American history, in

every era there was some group that challenging the societal norms, for better and for worse.

This was often met by skepticism by the previous generation, especially from the parents of

rebellious teenagers. Rock and roll was a very popular instance of this happening, people felt that

the kids were going to come in contact with the devil and that this music would ruin their lives.

This song is a salinization of this feeling, mocking those that think youth culture is evil and over

exaggerating the way these people normally talk.

Brown Eyed Woman- The countercultural movement was an interesting part of US

history. It was a time where there were many different large groups that all had very different

views. The countercultural movement was a group that rejected societal norms, they

experimented with drugs, sex and were very progressive in their political views. This group was

also very artistic, and this gave way to some very legendary artistic movements. One band that

was born and grew to immense popularity during this time was the Grateful Dead. This band

essentially embodies everything the movement stood for, the laid-back feeling of the music, the

heavy use of drugs, all of it was super common in this time.

The Star-Spangled Banner- Jimi Hendrix- The Star-Spangled Banner is an iconic

piece of American music. The national anthem represents everything America stands for as a

country and is something the citizens should be proud to sing. When Hendrix performed this

legendary rendition at the first Woodstock festival, America was in the middle of the Vietnam

war, and anti-war sentiments were growing rapidly. This rendition of the song is loud, it is

aggressive, and it is an artistic statement about the Vietnam war. From the divebomb sound

effects to the wall of noise that it devolves into, it is clear that this is a statement about the

current war, and it was done beautifully.

 Back In The U.S.S.R- Communism was one of America’s greatest fears for a time, with

the government being willing to intervene in anything in order to stop the spread. Many of the

wars America has found itself involved in during this time period were for the purpose of

containing the spread of communism. The space race, the cold war and the Cuban Missile crisis

were all to compete with Russia or prevent them from expanding their influence. The song is a

humorous take on the situation, it is from the point of view of a Russian man reminiscing about

how great the US is, saying “You don’t know how lucky you are boy”. This period left tensions

with Russia strained, which is still felt today with Russia’s authoritarian government still being

controversial today.

Violence- Throughout the history of the United States, violence has been a constant.

From the wars it involves itself in, to the treatment of its native people, to even the average

person’s view of violence, it is very common. Violence has been normalized, it has gotten to a

point where the inhuman treatment of people and death have become a spectacle and people

remain unphased. The song Violence reflects on this, and how strange it is for a country to have

such a firm set of morals and values, and yet such savagery has been common since the

inception. A lot of blood has built the country many call home, it is a pivotal part of history in

any nation, and it is important to step back and reflect from time to time.

We Didn’t Start the Fire- The story of the United States of America is a long one, one

that is full of moments that are hard to look back on, and others that everyone should be proud

of. The sheer amount of progress made compared to nations that have existed for magnitudes

longer is shocking. The impact the country has had on the world, is shocking, and every section

of modern history contains some outlandish events. We Didn’t Start the Fire is a summary of

these events, to show that every time period is busy, and each one is important to American
history. As whole America is a great nation, and the everyone should be proud to be a part of

such an amazing nation. Through thick and thin, everyone who calls this land home is American.

Album Covers

Front Back

Liner Notes

The United States is one the most important global powers in modern society, having a

lot of influence all over the world. The history of this nation is long and involved and spans

many cultural movements. The purpose of this album is to give a deep dive into the history of the

United States through music, both contemporary and traditional. The story is a long and involved

one, but it has been condensed to a (slightly) brief 55-minute period.

The album contains some traditional songs, it felt disingenuous to make an album about

history and not include anything of the time period. Much of the album is contemporary, and the
songs act more as a reflection on these events rather than a firsthand retelling. Some songs hold a

lot of cultural significance while others may be more abstract, but all of them relate to the central

theme.

Just like the history of the United States, the genres on this album can change very

quickly. It felt best to keep this erratic nature rather than trying to stick to a singular feeling. To

me each era has a different feeling, one that is very tangible when reading or discussing it. All in

all the History of the US is both beautiful and Ugly in multiple ways, and I hope you enjoy this

brief walkthrough.

Playlist Link-

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65zJN3ejYviCPxGiraBRrz?si=GNQVw-aPTtikOIIaMNeitQ

Thank you so much for an amazing year, it’s a shame we couldn’t finish it in person! This

project was very fun, the music in class was always a highlight so its nice to connect back in a

way. See you next school year, and thanks again!

 Works Cited

Bluhm, Raymond K. “Battle of Tippecanoe.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 31 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Tippecanoe.

History.com Editors. “Civil War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 15 Oct. 2009,
www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history.

History.com Editors. “Paul Revere.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 17 Nov. 2019,
www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/paul-revere.

“Pathways to Freedom: Secrets: Signs and Symbols: Music.” Pathways to Freedom: Maryland
and the Underground Railroad, pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/music2.cfm#:~:text=For
%20example%2C%20Harriet%20Tubman%20used,trail%20that%20dogs%20could
%20follow.

“The Rise of American Consumerism.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service,

www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-consumer/.

Romer, Christina D., and Richard H. Pells. “Great Depression.” Encyclopædia Britannica,
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 May 2020, www.britannica.com/event/Great-
Depression.

“Vietnam War Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Apr. 2020,
www.cnn.com/2013/07/01/world/vietnam-war-fast-facts/index.html.