ou?, he iscalling for the teaching of black pride to the youth, whichwas a wide spread trend in black communities of the 60s and70s (Hathaway). James Browns Say It Loud, Im Black andIm Proud, became an anthem for the movement (Brown). Thesongs lyrics like, .Dont quit moving, until we get whatwe deservewed rather die on our feet, than keep living onour knees, were words of inspiration for those involved in the struggle for equality. Whereas the predominant theme ofrhythm and blues was love and other kind of humanrelationships, soul singers voiced concern about the socialinjustice, racial pride, black militancy, and forms ofprotest (Southern 517). Eileen Southerns statement on Soulmusic greatly describes the type of works produced byHathaway and Brown at the time, yet was definitely notexclusive to these two artists. The period wherein Soulintertwined with the Civil Rights Movement, produced musicgreatly influenced by the environment in which its creatorslived. Donny Hathaways, Ghetto, and Marvin Gayes InnerCity Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler), speak of the harshnessof life in the Inner City (Hathaway/Gaye). Societal ills andpolitical unrest were a major theme of Soul music, andMarvin Gayes work, almost more than any other artist, wasdemonstrative of this fact. Gayes album Whats Goin On, washis commentary on the social problems of the period, andthrough its success tremendously impacted the increasingsocial awareness. Despair within the black community wasgiven voice in Gayes Inner City Blues. Inflation, taxes,unemployment and police brutality were numbered among thethemes addressed in the song. The sense of hopelessness of the piece can best be conveyed in the line saying, thislife aint worth the living.makes me wanna holler, throw upboth my hands!(Gaye). Save the Children goes on to ask:Who is willing to try and save a world that is destined todie?, yet goes on to say live life for the childrenletssave the children (Gaye). So, even in the...
