When Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded the assassinated President Kennedy he was hailed enthusiastically by the blues and gospel singers, most of whom had been born in the southern states and saw an ally in the new Texas president. Johnson’s acute political skills ensured that the 1964 Civil Rights Bill was approved by Congress. However, the President was not allowed to reap the benefits of the Act for long. The violent clash in Selma, Alabama, sped up the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Next, the plight of the black ghettoes led to nationwide riots and the president and Rev. King drifted apart. Military build-up in Vietnam rose dramatically in the Johnson era. Proportionally there were not more African Americans in Vietnam, but their death rate was thirty percent higher. Johnson was forced to launch operation “Rolling Thunder” to intensify air attacks, but felt trapped by the consequences of his decisions and became severely depressed. People began burning their draft cards, and criticism of the once popular president became quite outspoken in blues and gospel lyrics. When Martin Luther King lashed out against the war in 1967, the president felt betrayed by his former civil rights ally. After the 1968 Tet offensive, Johnson’s approval rating dropped to 36%.
Cassandra Wilson (vocal); Kevin Breit, Marvin Sewall (guitar); Calvin Jones (bass); Jeffrey Haynes (percussion).
I get goosebumps when Cassandra sings - anything - she could do the telephone directory for me.
This has very evocative pictures for those of us who remember
3 comments:
Not often do we get a blues tune that speaks to politics. This one has been a favorite of mine, because it does. Thanks for the post. It reminds me that it is all right to keep writing blues tunes with political topics.
I remember. And nothing much has changed, just the faces.
Thanks for this post.
Both versions are excellent I think but Cassandra's voice is a personal favourite
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