We Shall Overcome

• We Shall Overcome, Joan Baez, 1960s
• Instrumentation: acoustic guitar, and vocals. Baez is backed by the soft singing/humming of the audience.
• Texture: This song feels full, but I would not describe it as rich. Joan's voice is lighter (especially after listening to Odetta) and the acoustic guitar is played lightly as well. The guitar definitely supports the vocals, but the two lines are not identical.
• Range: The majority of the song is sung at a medium range, but Joan occasionally crescendos very quickly to a very high note, which she sings falsetto.
• Tempo: The tempo remains constant, and is fairly moderate.
• Meter: I think it is a four beat meter, which remains constant throughout and is kept up more distinctly by the guitar.
• Volume: The volume remains fairly high throughout. This is appropriate as she is performing for a large audience, and it is a song about protest and overcoming, which is more effective if sung out, loudly. The higher notes are always sung more loudly.
• Lyrics: She is singing about overcoming violence and finding peace. I've heard this song in a US history class before, in the civil rights unit of the course. We learned that Baez led the audience in singing this song at a march on Washington. This explains her introduction where she shares the anecdote about David and the resistance and asks the audience to join in with her. This type of folk song reminds me of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock in that it has a political agenda and advocates for change. There are some songs that you can listen to and just get lost in the song and disregard the lyrics, and this is not one of them. The song has a clear message, which is emphasized by Joan's clear voice and accurate annunciation of every word.