Since the years before the Revolutionary War, American composers have expressed their political passions and viewpoints in song. Music inspired by political themes and politicians can reveal a great deal about significant people and events that have shaped our national political atmosphere.
American Political Music provides a state-by-state inventory of thousands of songs about American political personalities from 1756 through 2004. The book documents music for all political offices except president. Within each state and the District of Columbia, the names of elected politicians, candidates for public office and other high-profile individuals appear in alphabetical order with a detailed listing of published songs that relate to them. Also included under each state where applicable is a "miscellaneous" section containing general political topics about that state--everything from temperance ("Vote Our California Dry") to the women's vote ("Rally Song for the Ohio Suffragist") to the introduction of Boston's first public water system ("Cochituate Grand Quick Step").
Under each person or topic are listed related songs, with title, tune, composer and lyricist, publisher, copyright year, and information on where a particular song or its lyrics may be found (i.e., broadsides, sheet music, songbooks, songs published in newspapers, wax cylinders, piano rolls, vinyl records, CDs, internet or mp3 files). Also included is an appendix of parodied songs demonstrating, among other things, the durability of Battle Hymn of the Republic and Yankee Doodle as fertile and favored ground for the parodist. The book also includes a list of publishers by city and indexes of song titles; authors and composers; politicians; and subjects and offices.
