God Bless America

In times of war and tragedy, music can be a powerful tool for healing. For example, following September 11, singer/songwriters such as Paul McCartney, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen recorded patriotic songs to give Americans hope and courage. Images of the U.S. Congress rallying together to sing "God Bless America" appeared in magazines, in newspapers, and on television screens across the nation. The country embraced a surge of pro-American sentiment -- and it required just the right song to express it. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the average American tuned in to over four-and-a-half hours of radio music a day, and patriotic songs engendered feelings of solidarity. Songs such as "Over There" had been invaluable morale boosters during WWI, and songwriters of Tin Pan Alley scrambled to write their own version of the Great American War Song. The most popular tunes, however, continued to be romantic ballads, escapist tunes, and novelty songs. To remedy the situation, the federal government created the National Wartime Music Committee, an advisory group of the Office of War Information (OWI), which outlined tips for writing "proper" war songs. The music industry also formed its own Music War Committee to promote war music.

Kathleen E. R. Smith is assistant professor of history at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.