Sweet Freedom's Song: How Music of Patriotism, Protest, and Persistence Shapes American Identity

A musical adventure through America as a land of songs, uncovering how American identity and values are found in popular and folk music. Michael Lasser cuts across a wide swath of history and people, from “This Land Is My Land” to Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon, and shows how songs that help to shape and reflect American attitudes possess, at the very least, an element of patriotism. Lasser writes about “Yankee Doodle” as the country's first important patriotic song and looks at its recurrence over the next two centuries. He covers protest songs as a form of patriotic expression; songs from African American people, including as slaves and as free people; and songs of women's suffrage. On the flip side, he also critically analyzes racist, ethnic, and anti-immigrant songs. While the book celebrates America's successes, it does not shrink from its flaws and failures. Lasser turns America into a land of songs, taking readers on an exciting ride through the nation, its history, and its people.