Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Beatles and Identity- Iesha Bailey

The 1960’s were considered a time of social unrest for America. The Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and other circumstances caused many young people to question values that had been taught. Existing morals were being scrutinized, making older people uneasy and giving them reason to condemn young culture. Previous generations labeled its decedents misfits because of their supposed “hedonistic indulgence in sex, drugs, and rock “n” roll” (Hoppenstand 1). They young were considered weak, because of their new beliefs and morals. Regardless of this, young people continued to challenge principles and actions that were being forced upon them. With this new found awareness of society’s wrong doings came they need to share those findings. Popular music became a venue for social critique. American artist used their songs to voice their feelings towards the lack of social justice and the need for change. They protested war and spoke of collective revolution. Although The Beatles were from England, their songs addressed the same issues. This need for change was not just an American fad, it was universal and The Beatles enabled it.
The Beatles began their career as an unknown band hailing from Liverpool. Formed in1960, the band consisted of four young men; John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The unique sound of The Beatles was rooted in various different classes of music including rock “n” roll, folk rock, and psychedelic pop in their later years. The Beatles were also influenced by skiffle, a type of music that used homemade instruments to mix jazz, blues, and country (Wikipedia). In addition to this, the group of young men claimed to have been inspired by many American greats, including Little Richie and Elvis Presley. The Beatles used these and many other influence to create a distinct sound that embodied progressive ideals. The band achieved mainstream success in England during the year 1962. They gained international popularity in 1963 and toured exclusively until 1966. The band then limited themselves to recording studios until their breakup in 1970. (Wikipedia)
During their reign, The Beatles were infamous. “[They incited] hysteria, collective delusion, and an ecstatic kind of stupefaction that left concertgoers in tens of thousands (mainly women) mute, in tears, and completely beside themselves” writes Rosalind Morris. “[They manifested] the emergence of a capacity to precipitate masses and not merely crowds” (127). Their power to do so was labeled Beatlemania and the phenomenon affected just about everyone. The ability to hold the attention of masses was something new, a fact that gave The Beatles the power to influence.
Even from the beginning, the band symbolized change. Their sensitivity and appearance helped create a new male identity. Before The Beatles, rock “n” roll bands were the epitome of masculinity. Their looks were hard and chiseled. Their songs brought to life a sense of masculine supremacy. Take into consideration Buddy Holly, a rock “n” roll great from the 1950’s. In the opening lines of his famous song Not Fade Away, Holly sings, “I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be, you’re gonna give your love to me.” In this song Buddy Holly portrays himself as assured and dominating, qualities that were thought to be attractive in men.
In That’ll Be The Day Buddy Holly once again assert himself by singing
Well, that’ll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that’ll be the day when you make me cry
You say you’re gonna leave, you know it’s a lie
‘Cause that’ll be the day when I die.
Holly song goes on to talk about how in love a young lady is with him. He claims that “cupid shot his dart” straight into her heart and because of this, she will always be in love with him even when he leaves her. His song portrays men as manipulative, using their appeal over women to benefit only themselves. Although this attitude was not a general consensus of all rock “n” roll artist, it was depicted in multiple songs by Holly and other similar artist. The promotion of this type of male identity allowed it to be considered socially acceptable. It was expected for men to act in such ways. They were supposed to be self-aware, and dominating. However, when The Beatles became famous, they appeared to represent a completely different male identity.
Compared to the rock “n” roll greats before them, The Beatles’ had long hair and their image was not the picture of masculinity that audiences were used to. The band’s songs were sensitive and spoke of topics that, at the time, were considered youthful and girlish. The Beatles were a band with a delightful feminine quality that fans found incredibly attractive. With hits like I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and P.S I love You, They had their audiences swooning and dreaming of romance. In their song Love Me Do they said,
Love, Love me do
You know I love you,
I’ll always be true,
So please, love me do.
Whoa, love me do.
The boys were sensitive and it appealed not only to the female population but also to the male. Their actions and looks begin to be imitated by young men around the world and this new representation of masculinity became part of the new male identity.
Over time, The Beatles’ looks and songs began to change. The young men began to indulge in narcotics, and their songs became more and more obscure. Their appearance and actions gave people from earlier generations’ reason to scrutinize and judge them. The verdict by many older Americans was that The Beatles were unacceptable. They were destroying the values deemed important (Roberts 2). People who listened to the band were labeled social delinquents. Their music was thought to encourage younger generations to destroy the morals that had been already been established.
Many used the band’s music as a way to protest war and other social injustices. The Beatles were once again encouraging change, allowing young men and women to take hold of a new identity. The band’s songs became protest anthems, open invitations to stand up against war and hate. The songs Revolution and Let It Be encouraged numerous fans. While the songs left many with a quite resolve to fight for their rights, it gave others the courage to go out and do what they considered morally right. Regardless of how people reacted to the lyrics, The Beatles songs allowed for fans to relate, enabling them to create new social groups and identities. The songs gave people grounds to stand up for the things they believed in.
Although their lyrics were influential, amazing guitar riffs, simple drum beats, and intricate bass melodies are what made The Beatles’ legacy. Not to say that the words have receded from the horizon of their music, but the words are not what is recalled as theirs. Their lyrics might have created change but their music created memories. Even as their music changed, morphing into some sort a psychedelic explosion that left its audiences guessing, it was the way that they used their instruments to create that unique sound that is remembered the most. Take into consideration the music that was produced early on in The Beatles career. They songs could be characterized as classically light. The beats were simple, repetitive, and flowing. The music was happy, and sweet. The Beatles song Can’t Buy Me Love is a prime example of this. Throughout the song the basic beat stays the same, making the song seem slightly juvenile. However, when the guitar, bass, and drums are combined, the song seems joyous. This song and similar songs, take on doo-wop quality, allowing the band to sound like an old barber shop quartets, but with the use of instruments. Their hit song I Want You (She’s so Heavy) takes a completely opposite approach. The Beatles utilize two interchanging guitar riffs, both use minor keys and seem have a blues influence. The blues structure is obvious in the I Want You section of the song. The drums, guitar, and bass are slow, allowing the song to sound mellow. In the song, The Beatle also incorporate white noise, a technique that makes the selection sound slightly eerie.
One thing that made The Beatles famous was their variation. Their songs not did have the same influence, and because of this, the band’s sounds were refreshing. “To move people with the force of song requires that music lift off from language, and from meaning,” writes Rosalind Morris (1). The Beatles are able to do that because they did not let different genres inhibit them. Instead they took theses variances and incorporated them in innovative ways.






Works Cited
"The Beatles -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

Clydesdale, Greg. "Creativity and Competition: The Beatles." Crativity Research Journal 18.2 (2006): 129-39. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

Hoppenstand, Gary. "The Sound (and Meaning) of Music." Editorial. Journal of Popular Culture Aug. 2009: 587-88. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

Morris, Rosalind. "Witchcraft." Social Text 26.2 (2008): 113-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

Roberts, Michael. "A Working-class Hero Is Something to Be: the American Musicians? Union?s Attempt to Ban the Beatles, 1964." Popular Music 29.1 (2010): 1-16. Cambridge Online Journals. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

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