Which Side Are You On?: 20th Century American History in 100 Protest Songs

by James Sullivan

When he emerged from the nightclubs of Greenwich Village, Bob Dylan was often identified as a "protest" singer. As early as 1962, however, Dylan was already protesting the "I don't write no protest songs," he told his audience on the night he debuted "Blowin' in the Wind."

"Protest" music is largely perceived as an unsubtle art form, a topical brand of songwriting that preaches to the converted. But popular music of all types has long given listeners food for thought. Fifty years before Vietnam, before the United States entered World War I, some of the most popular sheet music in the country featured anti-war tunes. The labor movement of the early decades of the century was fueled by its communal "songbook." The Civil Rights movement was soundtracked not just by the gorgeous melodies of "Strange Fruit" and "A Change Is Gonna Come," but hundreds of other gospel-tinged ballads and blues.

In Which Side Are You On? , author James Sullivan delivers a lively anecdotal history of the progressive movements that have shaped the growth of the United States, and the songs that have accompanied and defined them. Covering one hundred years of social conflict and progress across the twentieth century and into the early years of the twenty-first, this book reveals how protest songs have given voice to the needs and challenges of a nation and asked its citizens to take a stand--asking the question "Which side are you on?"

Genres: Music, History, Politics, Nonfiction, American History

264 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I do think one can tell the story of 20th century American history through protest songs, this book does not do it.

The manner in which it is organized, tells the story of various protest movements through songs.
This is interesting, but many times a songs gets only a brief mention.

There are other books that do a better job.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic is interesting, and the breadth of material discussed here is admirable, but the depth of discussion does suffer for it. I was particularly disappointed with the lack of focus on the music itself; song titles are mentioned in relation to the protest movements in question, but there is almost no discussion of the songs from a musical aspect, and only brief mentions of lyrical content (and only for a few of the songs). Several sections felt more like highlights from high school history class with a recommended listening playlist included for atmosphere, than any kind of truly integrated analysis.

I do appreciate the breadth, both in genre selections and protest movements highlighted; in a genre that's often reduced to Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and some folk revivalists from the 60s, it's a good reminder that protest is ongoing and protest music has a much longer and more varied existence than common perception would have you believe. But for this book specifically, a narrower focus or increased length would definitely have benefited the discussion.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I certainly learned a few fascinating facts, but overall this is a short book that covers a lot of territory, and it's not clear who the audience is. I reviewed Which Side Are You On? for The Current.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting information here, but Sullivan's organizing around movements is a drawback with discussions of specific songs given uneven attention. A stronger book about protest songs is 33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs from Billie Holiday to Green Day by Dorian Lynskey.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m tempted to give this three stars, just because there were several strong moments here. But overall, I thought this was poorly executed, and it just dragged in many places. It lacks focus and doesn’t have much inspirational sense to it, which is what I was expecting more of, considering the topic of protest.

[Mills College Library]

782.42159 S9498 2019

[Cook Memorial Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 2019 staff favorite recommended by Mary. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...