Words of Music

For this item I compiled some popular songs from the 1930’s to compare the words used in the lyrics. From the images we can see that some of the most common words were land, sky, home, and remember. While some of these words may have been used often in only a few songs, the words love and brother(s) were used fairly evenly throughout the songs, but not as frequently. All of these words hold different meanings when considering the context of the 1930’s. It was such a difficult time that it makes sense for Americans to want to reflect on their past and “remember” the good times, or to find comfort in “love.” The word “home” can hold so many different meanings, especially during this time. For some it could be what their home used to be, referencing events like the dust bowl that pushed people out of their homes or migrant workers who left their homes for a better life. “Home” can also mean to some what they are trying to build with what they have left. It’s a simple word that holds variable meanings depending on who’s using it.