THE AFTERMATH OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

RECITATION ASSIGNMENT: Week of September 10

You will complete this week's recitation assignment in class, but to prepare for it, we would like you to listen to two songs that were written after September 11. I've copied the lyrics here. Please print out a copy to discuss in class.

The first is "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), by Alan Jackson. This song won several Country Music Association awards. You can hear a clip here: http://www.alanjackson.com/cma2001.html.

The second is "John Walker's Blues" by Steve Earle. This song is written as if the "American Taliban," John Walker Lindh, were the author. You can listen to the song and read the lyrics by going to www.steveearle.com, and clicking on the link that says "click here to launch the player." When the audio player opens, scroll down the tracks until you get to "John Walker's Blues."

You should also read something about the controversy surrounding this song. CNN has an article describing it: http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/23/walker.lindh.song/

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT

September 11, 2001, dramatically changed our world. Our foreign policy wasn't the only thing to change - so, too, did our outlook on our own culture and values.

The two songs that follow were artistic responses to the tragedy. For this exercise, we would like you to listen to the two songs, and then break up into groups of four to answer the questions about them. Although you do not need to write out full paragraph answers, you need to outline your remarks legibly in "bullet point" format.

TEAM MEMBERS:

1__________________________________________________________

2_________________________________________________________

3___________________________________________________________

4___________________________________________________________

WHERE WERE YOU (when the world stopped turning)

(Alan Jackson)

Verse:
Where were you when the world stop turning on that September day
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters

Chorus:
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I could
Tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Verse:
Where were you when the world stop turning on that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her
Did you dust off that Bible at home

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
And you close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

Repeat Chorus

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John Walker's Blues
(Steve Earle)

I'm just an American boy raised on MTV
And I've seen all those kids in the soda pop ads
But none of 'em looked like me
So I started lookin' around for a light out of the dim
And the first thing I heard that made sense was the word
Of Mohammed, peace be upon him

chorus:
A shadu la ilaha illa Allah
There is no God but God

If my daddy could see me now - chains around my feet
He don't understand that sometimes a man
Has got to fight for what he believes
And I believe God is great, all praise due to him
And if I should die, I'll rise up to the sky
Just like Jesus, peace be upon him

chorus

We came to fight the Jihad and our hearts were pure and strong
As death filled the air, we all offered up prayers
And prepared for our martyrdom
But Allah had some other plan, some secret not revealed
Now they're draggin' me back with my head in a sack
To the land of the infidel

A shadu la ilaha illa Allah
A shadu la ilaha illa Allah
 

QUESTIONS:

1) How do these two songs describe American culture? Is one more positive than another? What elements of American culture do they criticize and which do they praise?

2) In both songs, the narrator turns to religion - Jackson tells us that he believes in Jesus, and Steve Earle describes how John Walker turns to Mohammed. Is there a difference between how Jackson uses faith and how Walker did?

3) Jackson claims he doesn't know the difference between Iraq and Iran - and he doesn't seem to think it is very important to know, either. Do you think that a basic knowledge of the geography of the Middle East is important today, or do you think it is more important to focus on aspects of our own personal lives? Why would knowing the difference between Iraq and Iran, and something about the history of US involvement in the Middle East be important today?

4) Critics of Steve Earle's song say it is antipatriotic and "cultural treason." Some of them have compared him to "Hanoi Jane" Fonda. Earle says it is important to explore what drives men like John Walker to do what they do, and his supporters say "It praises neither Lindh nor his choices. It does not recommend that others emulate him. The anti-Earle criticism shows that those eager to root out traitors often don't have time to think."

Do you think it is important to understand what motivates men like John Walker (or, for that matter, Saddam Hussein?) Why or why not? Why do you think Earle's critics oppose the song?

5) The CNN article on Steve Earle's song "John Walker Blues" discusses if this song is unpatriotic. Danny Goldberg, CEO of Artemis Records, replies: "It would be a pretty shallow culture if songwriters only wrote about nice people." Regardless of whether or not you agree with Earle's song, do you think songwriters have the right to express their opinion in songs if the content may upset other people? Is it appropriate to use popular music for cultural critique?