The trip back in time. Were surrounded in this room by gifts of state that president wilson received. One of the reasons he received so many spectacular gifts, frankly, is first, because he was the First American president to go to europe while he was in office. But secondly, because the world so fervently hoped for him to succeed in the mission he had taken on, of ending the catastrophe that was world war i. I think its hard for us to think now about how shocking world war i was to the people who had to live through it. And so the music of that era, to that time. I think as youll see this afternoon, hearing from michael, a lot of sense of music that existed and the america that existed before the war, and the muse that i can reveals to us the america that came out of that war. Youll see something of a transformation there. Michael lasser is a lecturer, writer, broadcaster, critic, and teacher about american music. Ive written it down, because hes written two books that i want to share
And im not being snotty. It was a different kind of war. The people were not engaged by it. In vietnam, you had some songs, but theyre songs in which two groups are warring with one another. Give peace a chance, and whats the im an oaky from ma skokie. Iraq and afghanistan dont produce a lot of songs. Again, because in a way they were invisible, and in a way, we know about them, were not as a nation engaged in it. We dont have a citizen army anymore. That gets in the way of that. So in world war i, you have a mix. Really, in the middle between the two wars, and it shows. There were songs about mom, and there were songs about sweetie. Soldiers singing im going to pin the medal on the girl i left behind, in world war i. There are other differences between world war i and world war ii, love songs that ill save for a few minutes. But its the mother song that i want to get to. Again, its the idea of staying out of it, delivering a kind of anthem, in the way that the first song is an anthem,
In that those who didnt participate, meaning the civilians left at home, especially in the u. S. Where the war didnt come here, so the civilians didnt have a context of this ultimate suffering that the soldiers went through. And so to the people at home who were waiting for their men to come home, they came back. It was a sensationalism in the sense that you guys were heros in the war. Now lets get on with our lives because ive been waiting for you. And i think that that idea of civilians wait iing, it kind of steam rolls soldier memory. The soldiers arent waiting in the same sense that the civilians are. Their experiences are, oh, great, lets move on. Save that title. Steam roller of memory. Someone else had a hand up. Pete . I think i think it says that because at least this is one what im thinking. In world war i, theres nothing sensational about american involvement. You would think americans were god on earth in world war i for saving everyone. In the context of the larger story o
Tv and sunday on American History tv on cspan3. He discussed how song writers contributed to the war effort by writing patriotic music. This is an hour and 15 minutes. Good evening to all of you. Im bob enholm, the executive director of the Woodrow Wilson house. Were a private charity supported by donations of supporters, including many of you. For that i thank you. Thanks for being here this evening. This home is the home to which president and mrs. Wilson moved the very day they left the white house, on march 4 in 1921. They both lived here the rest their lives. Wilson passed away three years later. Mrs. Wilson lived here until 1961. Then upon her death, left the home to the National Trust for historical preservation. It was opened as a Public Museum in 1963. We are now more than 50 years as an institution here in washington, d. C. Its good to see all of you here tonight. Our program is smile while you kiss me sad adieu, world war i songs. Let me set the stage and introduce or speake
Hes going over there to do his share when alexander takes him ragtime band to france hell capture everyone and take them one by one the ragtime tunes will put the germans in a trans theyll sing hip hip hooray theyll get so excited theyll come over the top two steps back to berlin with a hip and a hop hitler will know when alexander takes his ragtime band to france now, i came in here and rehearsed. So imagine how bad it would be if i hadnt rehearsed. That song obviously comes once weve gone into the war. Let me fill in the pieces broadly, and then as the songs come up, ill place them for you. We get that berlin song called lets all be americans now which comes soon after a group of songs that were in response to a specific incident. That is what really galvanizes american patriotism. What really galvanizes american support for the allies, you know what the event was . The sinking of the lusitania. In the months after the sinking, there are dozens of songs about the sinking of the lusit