Country Music Goes to War

by Charles K. Wolfe, James E. Akenson

"Listening to the Beat of the Bomb" UPK author Charles Wolfe discusses his work and his new book Country Music Goes to War in the NEW YORK TIMES. While Toby Keith suggests that Americans should unite in support of the president, the Dixie Chicks assert their right to criticize the current administration and its military pursuits. Country songs about war are nearly as old as the genre itself, and the first gold record in country music went to the 1942 war song "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" by Elton Britt. The essays in Country Music Goes to War demonstrate that country musicians' engagement with significant political and military issues is not strictly a twenty-first-century phenomenon. The contributors examine the output of country musicians responding to America's large-scale confrontation in recent World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the cold war, September 11, and both conflicts in the Persian Gulf. They address the ways in which country songs and artists have energized public discourse, captured hearts, and inspired millions of minds. Charles K. Wolfe, professor of English and folklore at Middle Tennessee State University, is the author of numerous books and articles on music. James E. Akenson, professor of curriculum and instruction at Tennessee Technological University, is the founder of the International Country Music Conference. Together they have edited the collections The Women of Country Music, Country Music Annual 2000, Country Music Annual 2001 , and Country Music Annual 2002 .

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2005

About the author

Charles K. Wolfe was a scholar of American vernacular music and a professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University.

Reviews

[Zach Fulbright]

Don't let the title throw you, country music and war, patriotism, nostalgia, religion and rebellion have all been interconnected since Jimmie Rodgers started strumming his guitar in the early twentieth century.

Country music as a genre isn't going to war; although that's what the title suggests. It's really just a colorful play on words.

This book is a collection of essays on a variety of these topics that are interesting and informative, and, despite their general academic voice, a pleasure to read.

As with most titles by Charles Wolfe, this one doesn't let you down; even though Wolf is the editor. We do see some papers by some authors we should expect to find in a book like this.

It would have been nice to see Wolfe include more on war and Country music in general -- as the title suggests -- but that is not what this is; it's a collection of papers covering the relationship between country music and the above listed themes.

If this sounds like something you may be interested in, pick it up and give it a read. I'm certainly glad I did.