Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

-Victor Hugo

We had to choose an event in history and find songs that were influenced by the event. I chose to find songs that were influenced by Hurricane Katrina. I chose Hurricane Katrina because I wanted to choose an event that I was alive for. I chose four different songs.

The first song I chose was "Where Were You" by Jackson Browne. This song was written about the response time of the Bush administration's emergency relief efforts. 

Another song I chose was "Any Other Day by Wyclef featuring Nora Jones. This song invokes the power image of the American flag waving in desperation as the people of New Orleans ask for help. 

A third song I chose was "The Saints are Coming" by Green Day and U2. U2 and Green day teamed up and performed this song at a halftime show when the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome. 

The final song I chose was "Love is Free" by Sheryl Crow. This song was inspired by the flood in New Orleans. Sheryl Crow said that the people of New Orleans are spiritually based, so they inspired this song.

Overall, this activity was very impactful for me personally. I did not realize how many songs were influenced by this one event. For several months the song "Love is Free" was one of my all time favorite songs because of its upbeat rhythm. Little did I know that this song was influenced by this event.

"Love is Free" by Sheryl Crow

Social Studies Blog Post #8