The Twentieth Century exists as the start of the fast paced changing world the human race lives in today. Each decade of the twentieth century possessed its own great characteristics and because of this, each decade left significant changes in music from year to year. The 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘50s lived as three radically different decades based on values, morals and music. The mindset of the people living in these times transpired with completely different ideals and ways of living. Each decade’s music was extremely reflective of the overall sentiment of what was happening historically. The 1920s, fondly referred to as “The Roaring Twenties,” produced the Jazz Age. The song “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” written in 1929, …show more content…
The Depression ended because of all the jobs the war brought in once America joined forces with the British to put an end to the Nazi Party. The war ended in 1945 and from there, America took off in the direction of suburban homes and the industrial revolution. During the ‘50s, family values were very important to society. Things like divorce or single parenthood were very uncommon and evens sometimes looked down upon. Most women worked at home after having children and society was extremely segregated. Many popular songs that came out of this era came mainly from white-male singers. There was of course the notorious Rat Pack and following their lead as a group of four came The Four Aces, The Four Lads, and The Four Freshman. These three groups did not create solo careers for themselves like those in the Rat Pack did, however, they certainly held their own with popular billboard hits and sold-out concerts. The Four Lads had a popular song called “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” which to this day, continues to be referenced in pop culture. It is a light-hearted song with lines like “Every gal in Constantinople is a Miss-stanbul, not Constantinople so, if you’ve got a date in Constantinople she’ll be waiting in Istanbul.” The ‘50s can be seen as America’s Victorian period where things mattered at face value and everything “scandalous” was kept private. There was a way to go about living and anyone who lived differently than the norm was …show more content…
Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression. New York: Pantheon, 1970. Print.
SONG LYRICS
"Ain 't Misbehavin '"
No one to talk with, all by myself
No one to walk with, I 'm happy on the shelf babe
Ain 't misbehavin ', savin ' my love for you
I know for certain the one I love
I 'm through with flirtin ', you that I 'm thinkin ' of
Ain 't misbehavin '
Oh savin ' my love oh baby, love for you
Like Jack Horner in a corner
Don 't go nowhere and I don 't care
Oh your kisses worth waitin ' for, babe
I don 't stay out late, don 't care to go
I 'm home about eight, me and my radio, babe
Ain 't misbehavin '
Savin ' all my love for you
“Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)”
Birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it
Let 's do it
Let 's fall in love
In Spain, the best upper sets do it
Lithuanians and Letts do it
Let 's do it
Let 's fall in love
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it
Not to mention the Finns
Folks in Siam do it
Think of Siamese twins
Some Argentines
Without means, do it
People say in Boston
Even beans do it
Let 's do it
Let 's fall in love
Romantic sponges
They say, do it
Oysters