美国社会文化生活的反射镜乡村音乐.docx

美国社会文化生活的反射镜乡村音乐.docx

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美国社会文化生活的反射镜乡村音乐

1.Introduction

IfonetriestofigureoutthecurrenticonandtheleaderofAmericanmusic,oneoftheanswerswilldefinitelybeTaylorSwift.Taylor,anadorableandbeautifulgirl,isthemostpopularcountrymusicsingerinAmerica.CountrymusicsanativebornandbredAmericanmusic,usedtobethefavoriteofordinary,working-classAmericans.Onaccountofitsfreshandgenuinecontent,harmonicandrestfultune,uniqueregionalandpatrioticcomplex,itbecameanimmediateattractionforthepublic,succeededinenteringthemainstreamoftheAmericansociety,andhasgotestablishedasaUSnationalmusicalstyle.However,traditionallycountrymusicismainlyconfinedtotheareaasmusicology.Actuallymusiccanbeinvestigatedtoreflectpeople’ssocialandculturallifegreatly.ThispaperaimsatlookingintoAmericansocialculturallifebystudyingcountrymusic.Specificallyspeaking,thethesiswillmainlyfocusoneconomy,politics,andcultureofAmericansocialculturallifebyanalyzingthelyricsandthemotifsofAmericancountrymusic.Itisofgreatsignificancetoknowtheoriginandthedevelopmentofcountrymusicintheprocessofstudying.Theorganizationofthispaperwillmainlybethreeparts:

Firstly,itwillembodytheoriginandthedevelopmentofcountrymusic.

Secondly,itwillconcentrateonAmericaneconomy,politics,andculturethroughthemotifsandlyricsexpressedincountrymusic.InstanceswillbeillustratedtofurtherprovethatAmericancountrymusiccanindeedbeacomponenttoreflectAmericansocialculturallife.

Lastly,Itwillbethesummaryofthewholepaperandtheimplicationsofthepaper.

2.Background

Graspingthebackgroundinformationisindispensableforustogodeeperintotheessenceofeverything.Therefore,theoriginofcountrymusicandthedevelopmentofcountrymusicshouldbeincludedinthebackgroundpart.

2.1Originofcountrymusic

Itiswell-knownthatpopularculturehasextremelycloseassociationwithpeople’sdailylife.Amongitsvariousforms,musichaspermeatedintoeverypartofsociety,occupyingalotinpeople’sspiritualandculturallife.OneofthemostpopularformsintheUnitedStatesiscountrymusic,whichoriginatedfromthesouthernUSAinthe1920swhenfolksongtookitsstepfurther.Itisablendoftraditionalandpopularmusicalform.Thetermcountrymusicgainedpopularityinthe1940swhentheearliertermhillbillymusiccametobeseenasdenigrating.Countrymusicwaswidelyembracedinthe1970s.Itisofgreatindispensabilitytolookbackupontheearlyhistoryofcountrymusic.ImmigrantstotheMaritimesProvincesandSouthernAppalachianMountainsofNorthAmericabroughttheoriginalformofcountrymusicandinstrumentsoftheOldWorldalongwiththemfornearly300years.Theybroughtsomeoftheirmostimportantvaluableswiththem,andtomostofthemthiswasaninstrument:

EarlyScottishsettlersenjoyedthefiddle，theGermanderiveddulcimer,theItalianmandolin;theSpanishguitarandthewestAfricanbanjowerethemostcommonmusicalinstruments.TheinteractionsamongmusiciansfromdifferentethnicgroupsproducedmusicuniquetothisregionofNorthAmerican.Appalachianstringbandsoftheearly20thcenturyprimarilyconsistedofthefiddle,guitar,andbanjo.Thisearlycountrymusicalongwithearlyrecordedcountrymusicisoftenreferredtoasold-timemusic.

AccordingtoBillMalone（1968）inCountryMusicUSA,countrymusicwasintroducedtotheworldasasouthernphenomenon（Malone,1968,p.1）.Inthesouth,folkmusicwasacombinationofculturalstrains,combiningmusicaltraditionsofavarietyofethnicgroupsintheregion.Forexample,someinstrumentalpiecesfromAnglo-BritishandIrishimmigrantswerethebasisoffolksongsandballadsthatformwhatisnowknownasoldtimemusic,fromwhichcountrymusicdescended.ItiscommonlythoughtthatBritishandIrishfolkmusicinfluencedthedevelopmentofoldtimemusic.BritishandIrisharrivalstothesouthernUSincludedthedevelopmentofoldtimemusic.BritishandIrisharrivalstothesouthernUSAincludedimmigrantsfromScotland,Wales,Ireland,andEngland.Thebanjo,amajorinstrumentinmostearlyAmericanfolksongs—camefromAfricanAmericans.OneofthereasonscountrymusicwascreatedbyAfrican-Americans,aswellasEuropean-Americans,isbecauseblacksandwhitesinruralcommunitiesinthesouthoftenworkedandplayedtogether,justasrecollectedbyDeFordBaileyinthePBSdocumentary,DeFordBailey:

ALegendLost.

2.2Developmentofcountrymusic

2.2.1Countrymusicinthe1920s

AmericancountrymusicwentcommercialsinceittraveledoutofthesouthernStatesinthe1920s,whenradiostationspickeditupandbegantobroadcastsuchrecordingstowiderareasandthefirstrecordsweredistributed.RadioWSMinNashville,Tennessee,