AMST 430.02
Songs of Protest, Songs of Praise
Roger Williams University
GHH 208, 
M, TH 2:00 -3:20
Spring Semester 2013
Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D.
Office:  GHH 215
Hours: T, TH 9:00 - 11:00
M, W, 1:00-2:00
mswanson@rwu.edu
(401) 254 3230
For Monday, February 11
For Thursday, February 14
Read, in Randall,
#6, “Listening for the Liberated Word” 67  - 74
#7, “Spirit in the Night:  Good News Through Social Justice” 75  - 88
Today, many people prefer being called “spiritual” to being called “religious”.  Chapter six concerns issues of this sort.  The most important parts of the chapter, in my view, are the rather extensive quotations, both from Springsteen and from some of his fans.  I’d like to have you identify your favorite (if you have one) and write a little bit about it in your “clog”.  Sorry about the confusion.  I shouldn’t have assumed that you’d know this was on Bridges.  Silly word, I know, but I didn’t invent it.
Thunder Road.  The lyrics are HERE
You may have noticed the name Roy Orbison in the lyrics of Thunder Road.  Here's a video of him "Running Scared"  Look closely, you may recognize someone we're studying (but in a way you've not seen him before.
Another Roy Orbison cut, from 1987.  Springsteen as backup guitar.  Watch this on YouTube, and make sure that you click on "see more".  There's an incredible pile of talent on that stage.
Chapters 7, 8, and 9, will demonstrate why I chose to begin this course with a look at the music of Bruce Springsteen.  Chapter 7 is about “practicing what one preaches”.  Most music of the type we’re investigating in this class relates to the idea of social justice in one way or another.  Here, you’ll see that Springsteen does “practice what he preaches,” and so do remarkable numbers of his fans.   To prepare for the short time we have to discuss this chapter, please go to
http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/bruce-springsteen
where you’ll find a list of some of the charities Springsteen has supported.  Click on the links, and read a bit about them.  One of them was founded by perhaps the most famous folk/protest singer of the last half of the 20th century.  You’ll have to find out which one for yourself.  Which, if any would get your support and why?   Clog it.  There is also a list of prior articles on Springsteen which is worth taking a look at.
Some have called the Vietnam War the "forgotten war"  Others have called it "the war we want to forget."  As you noticed in today's readings and in the links I've provided.  Springsteen is not one of those who will let us forget.  Here's Blood Brothers.  Watch on Youtube for one version of the lyrics.  For another, Click Here.
Happy Valentine’s Day! (Are we dug out yet?)
Read, in Randall,
#8, “Witness for Bruce”89 - 93
#9, “Sacred Music, Contagious Ecstasy”95-108
“Conclusion”109 - 111
These two chapters make the transition to the next kind of music we’re going to explore: praise music.  We’ve caught little bits of this from time to time in the videos I’ve shown in class, and we may spend the following Monday (which comes on Wednesday) watching a full length video.  The idea of ecstasy is worth thinking about.  Note the synonyms and note the sense of energy the word conveys.  We’ll see this ecstasy generated by music and put to use in a wide variety of causes
Happy President's Day next week.  Fourth of July seems appropriate.  This was about the last performance by E Street Band member Danny Federici