Protest Songs

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round was sung as a protest song during the civil rights movement. The protest song talks about how nobody, no jailhouse, or no sheriff will scare them into not sticking up for themselves. We all know that during the Civil Rights Movement, the African Americans struggled to get the same equal rights that everyone else had. This is an important value- the value to stick up for yourself, your rights, and your freedom no matter what is pushing against you or oppressing you. In this song, they refer to the freedom land and that they are all talking and marching towards it. On their way to equality, they make sure they speak their mind and that they are heard.

In We Shall Overcome, it states the simple line that “We shall overcome.” This protest song was also sung during the civil rights movement. It talked about the “inevitable victory of all Americans over racism and prejudice.” (pg. 45) Although African Americans have gained the same rights as others in our country, they still face prejudice and racism. This song is about the hope that one day it will all be different. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who sang this song during the movement knew that one day their dreams would be achieved, even if they were not around to see it, just like John Henry.

These echo back to the older works like John Henry, Shine, or Stakolee because they are all sticking up for themselves. These relate to John Henry, Shine, and Stakolee because they didn’t let others keep them down, and proved their worth, just like the African Americans did in the times of these protest songs.