Inherited Sounds of Freedom: From Washington Moratoreum 1969 to Tiananmen Square 1989

Instructor: Serena Wang

December, 2024 (Forthcoming)
Term Paper for Music in the 60s

This essay investigates the enduring cultural resonance of protest songs across two pivotal movements: the 1960s civil rights and anti-war protests in Washington, D.C., and the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. While these events unfolded within distinct socio-political landscapes, both harnessed the unifying and expressive power of music to voice demands for freedom, justice, and systemic change. Through a comparative analysis, this study explores the genres that emerged in each protest, from American folk and gospel anthems like “We Shall Overcome” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” to English pop songs, such as “Country Road, Take Me Home,” that students unexpectedly sang during the Tiananmen Square protests. Despite occurring decades after the 1960s protests, the Tiananmen movement embraced similar musical forms to articulate shared ideals, evoking a universal yearning for democratic values. By examining these genres and their lyrical content, this research interrogates how protest songs transcend cultural boundaries, creating a bridge across time and space and reinforcing music’s role as a vital cultural inheritance that embodies resistance and collective hope for change.