Секция: английский язык.     

Songs of War Time and Protest Songs

Project in Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Great Victory

The content

Part one.

Introduction…………………………………………………………page 3

Part two.

Role of music in the World War II…………………………………page 4-8

2.1. Popular British Soldier Songs

2.2 American songs

2.3. Russian War Songs

Part three.

Popular Antiwar songs written after the World War II……..…….page 9-10

Part four

The summary…………………………………………….……..….page 11

The list of references. Sources……...……………………………..page 12

Appendix …………………………………………………………..page 13

Part I. Introduction

"When muses talk, cannons keep silence."[1]

 Music and songs may be more powerful arguments in peace struggles than cannons. Music unites peoples. And people all over the world fight against war with famous protest songs. They want peace; they tell us what war has brought and call on people to stop wars forever.

My work id devoted to the study of the songs which were written during the World War II and research popular antiwar songs written after the World War II. To do this work I maintain the goals-to learn.

Goals-to learn the best world songs against war (protest songs); to do research on Russian songs, which helped our soldiers to Victory, when and how these songs were created, to find out information about the composers and performers, to investigate the cultural, historical and musical connections between Russia and other countries; to study music`s influence on people`s life, their moods, mentalities, politics.

Research Fields of my work are history, linguistics, folk culture, music, computer technology.

Project Stages:

1. Searching the best antiwar songs in English.

2. Learning the best Russian songs of war time.

3. Collecting material on the topic.

4. Analysis and systematization.

5. Creating a presentation of pictures, videos and songs on the topic, using modern computer technologies.

Actuality. We don`t know enough songs of different peoples. Contemporary children are ignorant of our Russian songs of those war years, that is why my work is important for culture dialogue, for bringing children patriotism and attention to our culture and history. This topic is of great importance in a time of conflicts.

Part II. Role of Music in WW 2

Songs are lyric annals of time. They reflect all milestones in the country's history, the pain and joy of individuals and the entire nation. Past 70 years since the Victory, but the songs of those distant and formidable years today, are still shaking the hearts.

The role of songs during the war was extremely high. They described everything that was happening at the front and in the rear that warms the soul, called for feat. They provoked patriotism, the soldier's friendship, love. The song supported in difficult times, brought comfort, it was necessary to man as air; with it the human heart did not stale. But not only soldiers were supported and warmed by these tunes. They also helped a lot their wives, mothers, children to wait for all the years of separation. Each song has its own story, its path and its destiny.

 During World War 2, both the Allied and Axis powers undertook a massive effort in broadcasting and producing music generally for three reasons:

- to boost the morale of troops and civilians suffering under war conditions;

- to attract enemy troops to propaganda programs;

- to express a vision of the nature of their regimes[2].

For humans drawn into the war the motivations would be more honest. Songs would provide nostalgia for peace, motivatethem. Or promise a better future.

2.1. Popular British Soldier Songs

British soldiers were paid significantly less than American troops, faced harder conditions at home, and were generally deployed for longer periods of time, preventing them from being exposed to radio productions to the same degree as the United States Armed Forces. So whereas US forces were exposed to mass media, British units often had to sing their own songs that were often disrespectful and memorable rhymes. Songs were generally based upon pre-existing well know songs.

Popular soldier songs included:

"Kiss Me Goodnight», Sergeant Major

"The British Soldier`s Toilet Song"

"There`ll Always Be An England"(1939-1940)

"We`ll Meet Again"

This is perhaps the most famous war time song with the lines:

We`ll meet again

Don`t know where

Don`t know when

But I know we`ll meet again some sunny day

The remarkable performance of this song belongs to Dame Vera Lynn. After singing this hit song, she became an idol for all British soldiers.

2.2. American Songs

American troops had regular access to radio in all but the most difficult combat situations, and not only did soldiers know specific songs, but specific recordings. This gave a quality to American troops` music during WW2, not as many songs sung around a fire or while marching, but, rather, listened to in the mess between combat on Armed Forces Radio.

The most famous songs were:

"Remember Pearl Harbor", Sammy Kaye (1942)

"Don`t Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament)", Duke Ellington&His Orchestra "Every Time We Say Goodbye», Composer: Cole Porter.

This song appeared shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and America`s entry into the war. One of the first and the most classic World War 2 patriotic songs was written by Don Reid and Sammy Kaye. The song, "Remember Pearl Harbor", described as a "March with spirit”, was based on the popular saying of the day and became an instant hit with the public.

2.3. Russian War Songs

The Russians suffered the most in the War of 1941-1945.And it was song, which helped our people to withstand the hardships of the War.

The most famous, popular, beloved songs, which inspired our soldiers in the battlefields and people in the real, were:

"Sacred War"

"Cranes"

"Dark Night"

"Victory Day"

"Zemlyanka"

"Katyusha"...and many others.

"Sacred War"

  The Song "Sacred War" was composed by A.V.Aleksandrov in several hours in June 1941.It was performed on the platform of the Belorussian Station, from where troops were going to the West. The history of making this song was very interesting. Alesandrov took the newspaper "Izvestia" from June 1941, looked through it quickly and paid attention to the name of poet Lebedev-Kumach. His poem captivated him at once.[3]He put aside all his business and returned home immediately. An ensemble named "Red Banner" played this song and the song really thrilled the first listeners. Their eyes filled with tears. The intonation of the courageous call made people ready to go fight the enemy immediately.

"Cranes"

 The song "Cranes”, written by Yan Frenkel based on Ramsul Gamzatov`s words, touches listeners by its depth, lyrics and music. It`s impossible to listen anything else after "Cranes".[4]

  Besides the composer and poet, was one more creator of this song-the actor and singer, Mark Bernes. He was the first to pay attention to the poem of Gamzatov and persuaded him to make some changes in the text and certainly he is the best performer of this song.

  In our research work, we have learned the history of these songs and about their composers and performers.These songs helped our people to survive during the war and, in our day, they help us to feel the atmosphere of those glorious days and to feel pride for our Motherland and our Victory.

Part III. Popular Antiwar songs written after the World War II

The most famous antiwar songs, written after WW 2 which are in the top 10 world`s best songs, are:

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone", Pete Seeger (the USA)

"Blowing in the Wind", Bob Dylan (the USA)

"Give Peace a Chance", "Imagine", John Lennon (Great Britain)

"Child in Time", Deep Purple (Great Britain)

"Wind of Change", Scorpions (Germany)

"Buhenvald Nabat", Muradely (USSR)

All of them were written after WW 2, but wars haven`t stopped yet in our world.All of them cause pain and sufferings.

Bob Dylan "Blowing in the Wind». The song was inspired by anold negro spiritual and was written during the American-Vietnamese War.But this song became the most popular antiwar song.A lot of famous singers have sung it,even today.

 One of the most popular antiwar songs "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" was written by Pete Seeger.He found inspiration for the song in October 1955,when he saw a passage in his notebook:"Where are the flowers,the girls have plucked them.Where are the girls,they`re all taken husbands.Where are the men,they`re all in the army".[5]These were the words from a Ukrainian folk song, referenced in the Mikhail Sholokhov novel And Quiet Flows the Don (1934).

Joan Baez - the best performer of the song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone".Her beautiful voice expresses the sorrow and grief of the girls having lost forever their men in the Vietnam.War,but the meaning of the song is much deeper and is universal to all mankind in a philosophical sense.

John Lennon -"Imagine", "Give Peace a Chance"

 Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and biting wit in his music, on film, in books, and at press conferences and interviews.He was controversial through his work as a peace activist and visual artist, along with his wife Yoko Ono.

Scorpions "Wind of Change" is a 1990 power ballad written by Klaus Meine, vocalist of the Scorpions. The song is devoted to the destroying of the Berlin Wall, which symbolized the end of the Cold War.The song is currently the 10th best-selling single of all time in Germany.

Part IV. The summary

1. War songs helped Russian people to survive during the Great Patriotic War.

2. Thanks to war songs, the younger generation feels a connection with the war generation, our grandfathers and grandmothers.

3. Protest songs stand for peace and unite peoples all over the world.

 The results of the work:

  Speaking of the results of our work, we would like to say that just the process of the work was very interesting.

  We did a lot or research:

 We searched the songs of wartime in Russia, America, and Great Britain. We traced the history of their creation, compared different cultures. We studied war history through songs and the national spirit expressed in these songs.

   We chose the most popular songs and learned them.We stayed after classes and enjoyed singing our favourite songs. This informal communication helped us to feel the atmosphere of people`s mood during the war and to understand peoples of different countries much better than if we had learned the history only from books.And what is worth telling,is that we became closer and more interesting to each other.

  And the last thing we want to mention is that we want other pupils to enjoy these songs. So we started to perform them and made a concert program based on war and protest songs.

  Working on the project was really interesting and both adults and pupils have learned a lot.

The list of references. Sources

1. Muses did not keep silence during the war. Starshinov N.K. Victoriya.No.5, 2005.

2. Stories about songs.O.Ochakovskaya.M.:Music.1985.

3. http://ensblagovest.ru/musyca_gizn.htm.

4. http://ru.wikipedia.org

5. http://en.allexperts.com

6. http://www.megalyrics.ru/lyric/bob-dylan/blowing-in-the-wind.htm#ixzz3YMGSJKDD

Appendix

Текст песни Bob Dylan - Blowing In The Wind

How many roads must a man walk down,
before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove fly,
before she sleeps in the sand?
And how many times must a cannon ball fly,
before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist,
before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist,
before they're allowed to be free?
And how many times can a man turn his head,
and pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind.

How many times must a man look up,
before he sees the sky?
And how many ears must one man have,
before he can hear people cry ?
And how many deaths will it take till we know,
that too many people have died?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind.

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind.

Перевод песни Bob Dylan - Blowing In The Wind

Б.Дилан  - Нам ветер несет

Так сколько пройти человеку дорог,
Чтоб стать человеком вполне?
И сколько морей пролетит голубок
Чтоб спать на песка желтизне?
И сколько еще ядрам пушек летать
Чтоб вышел им вечный запрет?
Ответ, дружище, нам ветер несет,
Несет нам ветер ответ.

Как долго утес будет в море стоять,
И волны его победят?
И сколько же людям существовать,
Пока их не освободят?
И сколько же нужно вертеть головой,
Как будто ты слеп с малых лет? 
Ответ, дружище, нам ветер несет,
Несет нам ветер ответ.

И сколько же раз ты поднимешь свой взор
Пока не узришь небеса?
И сколько ушей тебе нужно, на спор,
Чтоб жалоб понять голоса?
И сколько смертей нужно, чтоб осознать,
Что список их полон уже?
Ответ, дружище, нам ветер несет,
Несет на лихом вираже.

Текст песни Pete Seeger - Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

Where have all the flowers gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the flowers gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the flowers gone,
Picked by young girls every one,
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the young girls gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the young girls gone,
Gone to young men every one,
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the young men gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the young men gone,
Gone to soldiers every one,
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the soldiers gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the soldiers gone,
They've gone to graveyards every one,
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone,
Long time passing,
Where have all the graveyards gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the graveyards gone,
Gone to flowers every one,
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

Текст песни John Lennon - Give Peace A Chance

Two, one two three four
Ev'rybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism,
Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m is-m is-m.
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance.

C'mon
Ev'rybody's talking about ministers,
Sinister, Banisters,
And canisters, Bishops, Fishops,
Rabbis, and Pop eyes, Bye bye, bye byes.
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance.

Let me tell you now
Revolution, Evolution, mastication,
flagellation, regulation, integrations,
meditations, United Nations,
Congratulations.

Oh let's stick to it, 

Текст песни Scorpions - Wind Of Change

I folow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change
An August summer night
Soldiers passing by
Listening to the wind of change

The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future's in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change

Walking down the street
Distant memories
Are buried in the past forever
I folow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams
With you and me
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change

The wind of change
Blows straight into the face of time
Like a storm wind that will ring the freedom bell
For peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams
With you and me
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change.

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