How the American South was affected by the concept of play (sports and music) following World War Two

The effects of World War II on American history were greatly increased by the estimated one million American soldiers who were injured or slain during the conflict. (William H. Young, 2008). The music business at this time reflected a variety of different perspectives on the conflict. The war songs strongly mirrored the social and military change, and according to one historian, the music caused a “corresponding shift away from homogeneity of America during World War I.” (Jones, 2006). The development of technology during this time of conflict allowed for the staging of musical battle sequences from World War II. The use of radio broadcasts for music and recordings became a critical medium of information, entertainment, and bolstering of morale amongst troops at the frontlines (Tomlinson, 2012). Moreover, it came to the understanding of the federal government that media had a mobilizing potential, which leads to the creation of the Office of War Information on June 1942 (William H. Young, 2008). Additionally, the leader of OWI, Davis Elmer formed NWMC, The National Wartime Music Committee whose main role was to carry and evaluation on the relevance of war songs to the public. The initiated committee came up with a list of songs that had a central impact on the soldiers and the public. However, only two songs became popular in the American mainstream, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” and ”Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer.” Nonetheless, NWMC failure to have as many songs along the American mainstream did not halt the efforts by other musicians and artists to come up with their creations of music boost unification of their country and boost the morale of their troops. Moreover, as William and Young expound, the federal government used music as a national arbiter and enhanced their influence into the music industry.

In the early days of World War II, Army Lieutenant, G. Robert Vincent came with an answer to boost the morale of the soldiers (Pick, 2010). He asserted that ”Music could make a difference and V-Discs (Victory-Discs) would send a ‘slice of America’ to the boys overseas.” The Army’s V-Disc idea in the World War II offered water-tight trunks that held photographs and monthly care packages of music that were notably recorded for the soldiers. These troops welcomed these musical snapshots of their life back in America. The periodical shipments of the V-Discs comprised of selections from the chamber and symphonic works, patriotic marches, black gospel groups, and Grand Ol’ Opry stars. It also featured pop stars like Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby and much hot jazz music by Nat Cole, Lionel Hampton, Fats Waller, Muggsy Spanier, Loius Armstrong, Benny Goodman amongst others. According to an article in The Record Collectors Guild (2014), the use of V-Discs had a tremendous impact on the morale of the troops. The article further reiterates that much as the daily rigors of the soldiers went unnoticed and little sympathy accompanied their plight, the use of V-Disc was an attempt to keep their morales and spirits up. At the helm of World War II on July 1942, as Sears (1980) explicates, The American Federation of Musicians went on a protest seeking royalties from production organizations to finance unemployment funds for compensation of those musicians who lost work due to competition from recorded music. This strike, led by James, C. Petrillo, cut off supplies of new recordings to the overseas troops resulting in a significant decrease in morale. The protest dragged for more than a year, something that saw sound engineer, Robert Vincent seeks approval from the Washington to record music for the troops abroad, who later was to supply the V-Discs for the troops abroad.

Fauser (2013) comments that ”Music during World War II acted as tools of blatant propaganda or instruments of recuperation, entertainment, and uplift. Musical tunes pervaded concert halls and homes, government buildings and army camps, factories, hospitals, and churches.” Fauser describes the music at the time as both a medium malleable and permeable as it was adopted for numerous war-linked tasks. She declares that more than posters, movies, newspapers, and books, music was everywhere in the war. Going to the South of America such as Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Tennennesse, Mississipi, Texas, etc., the use of music was prevalent in Italy, Germany, and Japan invaded these states. Andresen (2003) declares the South as the area that was pro-war zone and the most supportive of the United States during WWII. For instance, in the 1930s, and after these Axis powers were making their advances in the South, President Roosevelt urged the Congress and the public to support an increase in defense spending, expansion of the armed forces, and the establishment of military conscriptions (Cronenberg, 2014). In 1965, as other parts of the United States grew angrier about the conflict, the South remained somber, and outsiders have considered this region as a part of the ”country music audience” that applied and enjoyed more and more of post-war tunes out of Nashville (Andresen, 2003). As Cronenberg explains, over 300,000 men from Alabama donned service army uniforms at war with over tens of thousands more training in the state. Many volunteer women joined the Women’s Army Corps and the Army Nurse Corps. It is approximated that over 6,000 Alabamians lost their lives in the line of duty (Fauser, 2013). To bolster the morale of the others, the use of music sought even greater recognition. Soldiers had to remain loyal in their line of duty and music diverted their minds from the battlefield, boredom, and homesickness at the camps (Fauser, 2013).

The role of music in South America during this era could not be underscored. Various musical instruments such as drums, bugles, and fifes were played to increase the morale or sometimes issue marching orders to the soldiers (Wolff, 2017). Music was also provided as a recreational item that was to assist soldiers to break away from inevitable tensions and fear at the battlefields. Thus, in the camps, music was played to divert the soldier’s minds from the bloodshed as well enabling them to counter unprecedented boredom and homesickness (Fauser, 2013). Wolf further asserts that soldiers from either side sometimes engaged in entertainment with musical items and if the opponents were nearby, the bands could be heard from both sides a night before the battle. However, every troop had their musical tunes. Compared to World War I that took place during the pre-radio period, 96.2 percent of Americans in the South owned radios during World War II (Fauser, 2013). It is during this era that lives musical performance, and recordings of songs were broadcast to many millions of Americans, both for troops serving all over the world and those who supported the war from home. Moreover, the American troops had radios on a regular basis except during stressful combat situations. Most of them knew particular songs or recordings broadcasted by the Armed Forces Radio. Some of these songs and recordings include; Amor and Besame Mucho by Andy Russell, Be Careful, It’s My Heart by Irving Berlin, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by Andrews Sisters, etc.

According to the majority of Americans, the mass broadcast of music had patriotic, unifying implications as it boosted the morale of troops fighting both overseas and at home (America’s Library, 2017). This was an inspiration for Americans at home to give their full support to troops in all aspects of the World War II both at home and overseas. Nevertheless, Several African Americans applied the power of music to outline the pretense underpinning America’s fight for democracy and freedom overseas, while segregation and discrimination became prevalent across the South of America and throughout those soldiers who were segregated (Bayes, 2017). In his article, Grant (2017) asserts that Afro-American Symphony, which was written and performed in 1931 embodies the African-American composers’ rights that were passed in the concert hall. Such composers include; Negro Folk, Florence Price, William Levi Dawson, and James P. Johnson. During that era of music, the popular tunes were jazz and swing. The music was banned in occupied Europe and Germany as the music served as defiant hopefulness for freedom and liberation and as an outstanding soundtrack for World War II. Most of these songs featured to deliberate African-Americans from slavery, which was even evident when their soldiers came back from the battles, they were denied jobs, and the veteran affairs never cared about them. In his article, Delmont (2017) states that African-American soldiers were fighting two-front battles. One was that of the invading colonies, and the other was that of slavery from the white. Racism and fascism were predominant during WWII that led to black musicians composing songs of freedom and liberation from the slavery. The result was the creation of the ‘Double V Campaign’ in 1942 that emphasized on double victory for the blacks. This movement was constituted black activists, journalists, and citizens from the South States in a bid to secure themselves from fascism abroad during WWII and the victory concerning racism at home (Delmont, 2017). Delmont further stresses that ”Much as most the African-American soldiers were segregated or discriminated, they had a strong allegiance to their country, which retained them in the battlefields. Moreover, the songs continued acting as their source of hope and inspiration in the war.”

Many songs were released during WWII era, most of which are overtly pro-war in their content (Tomlinson, 2012). One such song is the ”We Did It Before, and We Can Do It Again” by Charlie Tobias and Cliff Friend. This was a militant song concerning the war that hit the national audience due to its soldering reminiscent at the previous conflict. Other songs that caught the attention of the public like I’ve Got a Scrap with a Jap” revealed widespread and shared opinions about the Japanese after the Pearl Harbour attack, notwithstanding the racist ones. Composers from Tin Pan Alley tried to come up with music that would gain support for the troops through encouragement, letter writings, and prayer sayings as well as offering financial contributions for the plantation of Victory gardens. Whereas profit gains inspired them, they were subjective to the potent National Wartime Music Committee (William H. Young, 2008). In the early days, most of WWII popular music constituted of tunes that had soft and simple melodies. They carried along with the sentiments of a reunion of lovers, which led to its widespread success. The number and intensity of these melodies eventually increased and trended as the deployment of troops begun. However, their tender, simple and melodious tunes remained (Tomlinson, 2012). An example is a song, ”Lili Marlene,” by a German soldier in WWI. The music setting was on the Axis side and broadcasted German lines in the year 1941. This song gained so much popularity in the South that it was translated into English and sang in the US in 1943. After the Pearl Harbour attack, songs of hope were composed. One such song is “There’ll Be Blue Birds Over” (Tomlinson, 2012) produced in 1941. The song spoke a message about the normalization of everything after the war when the world would be free. Allusions to Dover and the utilization of the English sweetheart Vera Lynn in its original version misled the audience into beliefs of importation from England, even though it was composed by native New Yorkers, Nat Burton, and Walter Kent.

Through an examination of songs during WWII, we can draw several conclusions founded on the research available. First, music during WWII was a reflection of views, opinions or standpoints of Americans in the South during that moment or according to writers that claimed to represent them. The music was, however, subject to alteration and different interpretations depending on the audience beliefs and opinions. For instance, the view of the public concerning WWI before Lusitania sank remained at neutral levels and the music at that time reflected that. However, when Americans start reading about the tragedy, their opinions tend to change. Some portions of the public cleaved to neutrality, but as news of deaths hit them, their standpoint concerning the conflict changed. It is the same pattern with the songs during WWII. The attacks on the Pearl Harbor transformed everything. Second, the use of music is seen as a means to boost the morale, counter homesickness, boredom, and divert the minds of the troops from bloodshed and images of their colleagues dying on the battlefields. Having feelings and sense of home for the troops was very critical during WWII as it gave them hope for a better tomorrow when they return home. Third, the use of different tunes and the speed of these tunes had different impacts on the troops. For instance, soft and straightforward melodies reminded them of their loved ones while faster ones distracted forces with their catchy beasts. Fourth, the South States of America is recognized as the region of the United States that played a considerable role in WWII regarding boosting the morale of their troops. This part is also recognized due to its significant contribution to the use of music during wars. Finally, the African-Americans primary inspiration to compose songs of war was to counter racism in their home and fascism overseas.

References

The Record Collectors Guild. (2014, October 31). V-discs Boosted Troop Morale During World War II. Retrieved from The Record Collectors Guild: http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=11&page=1

America’s Library. (2017, October). The United Service Organizations Was Chartered. Retrieved from America’s Library: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_uso_2.html

Andresen, L. (2003). Battle Notes: Music of the Vietnam War 2nd Edition. Superior: Savage Press.

Bayes, M. (2017, October). African-American Navy Bands of World War II. Retrieved from R.A. Fountain : http://rafountain.com/navy/blacknavybandswwii.html

Cronenberg, A. T. (2014, December 12). World War II and Alabama. Retrieved from Encyclopedia of Alabama: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1348

Delmont, M. (2017, August 24). hy African-American Soldiers Saw World War II as a Two-Front Battle. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-african-american-soldiers-saw-world-war-ii-two-front-battle-180964616/

Fauser, A. (2013, July 1). Music in the United States During World War II. PopMatters. Retrieved from http://www.popmatters.com/feature/172535-sounds-of-war/

Grant, W. (2017, October). Cultural Expressions in the 1940s. Retrieved from African American Odyssey: https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart8b.html

Jones, J. B. (2006). The Songs that Fought the War 16: Popular Music and the Home Front, 1939-1945. Lebanon, N.H.: University Press of New England.

Pick, M. (2010). Swinging on V-Disc: Jazz in WWII. Retrieved from Riverwalk Jazz: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wutc/.artsmain/article/10/1036/1461456/Programs/Swinging.on.V-Disc.Jazz.in.WWII

Sears, R. S. (1980). V-Discs: A History and Discography. Greenwood Press. Retrieved from BCIM Home.

Tomlinson, C. (2012). AMERICA’S CHANGING MIRROR: HOW POPULAR MUSIC REFLECTS PUBLIC OPINION DURING WARTIME. Campbell University.

William H. Young, N. K. (2008). Music of the World War II Era. Westport, C.T.: Greenwood Press.

Wolff, T. (2017, October). American Music Goes to War. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Retrieved from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/art-music-and-film/resources/american-music-goes-war