I have a recording of Robeson doing the Ballad for Americans, a really embarassing
piece, artistically speaking. I also think that the pop front's wrapping itself in the
flag was a political mistake. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much." Woody
Guthrie, by contrast, was a real patriot. "This Land is Your Land" has been talked of
an the unofficial national anthem, and for good reason. I don't think one should make
a big deal about how one cares for one's country, but I think one should, and should
act accordingly, striving to make it a better place. The evidence one cares is the
striving, not the announcing. And I don't think one should make a point of disavowing
concern for country, and denouncing the whole nation and its entire history as a
sinkhole of corruprion and evil. --jks
In a message dated Wed, 2 Aug 2000 9:23:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "Brown, Martin
(NCI)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
<< Another great example is "Ballad for America," a patriotic oratoria written
by Gordon Jenkins and first performed at the REPUBLICAN national convention
(I'm not sure what year). It became a staple for Paul Robeson, as the lead
soloist and narrator, usually accompanied by a "people's chorus" of union
members. A musical version of American History 101, it has the usual stuff
about pioneer heroics, etc. and glosses over the extermination of Native
Americans, but also has pointed references to the shame of slavery, class
betrayal by robber barons, and the continuing struggle against facism,
foreign and domestic. Whether these latter references were added by Robeson
or were in the premier version I don't know. The same composer wrote
similar "ballads," about New York City ("Manhattan Towers") and Hollywood.
An interesting form, hardly every heard today, except in Copland's Lincoln
Potrait and a few similar works. Actually, there was a brand new ballad for
America type piece that was premiered here in DC a month or two ago. I
didn't hear anything about it but would be astonished if anything premiering
in Clinton's town could compared to Robeson.
-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Newman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 9:08 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [PEN-L:132] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: irrrational (feminist)
expectations
On Tue, 1 Aug 2000, Jim Devine wrote:
> At 04:12 PM 08/01/2000 -0400, you wrote:
> >I think it's worth distinguishing patriotism from nationalism or
chavinism.
>
> yeah, I'm a patriot. You're a nationalist. He's a chauvinist.
> the old semantics game.
It's more of a "capture the flag without dipping it in shit" game.
Probably the best example of Popular Front moviemaking along the patriotic
left lines is "The Best Years of Our Lives" made after World War II, where
being pro-union, anti-fascist and antiracist was equated with real
patriotism.
Such differences in forms of patriotism is not semantic but very real when
applied in imagery and action.
-- Nathan Newman
>>
