Bluegrass is a substyle of hillbilly. It's another hybrid, merging European folk music with southern harmonies. It was played most often, in the early days anyway, by Irish and British descendants living in the south. Bill Monroe became much more famous after his song was covered by one of the most famous rock and roll stars ever. Blue Moon of Kentucky was recorded by Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys in 1947. Bill Monroe was the father of bluegrass, by most accounts anyway, and played the mandolin. >> [MUSIC] >> Well then in 1954, that was Elvis's first recording for Sun Records. It was a groundbreaking record because it was a white song that Elvis, a white guy, did in a black style. We will talk about that more when we later cover Elvis. >> [MUSIC] >> As you can hear, Elvis rocked it, so to speak. Much different rendition than that of Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Folk music also has hillbilly roots, but the songs have everyday people and their lives as the main subject matter. The big difference is social commentary. Mostly the songs are critical of authority. It was, in the early days, politically progressive, because the lyrics dealt with difficult times experienced by ordinary people during the Great Depression or during the potato famine or whatever. The Great Depression, by the way, in the United States began in 1929. The storytelling techniques and commentaries have their roots in Ireland, but evolved in America to create a unique musical form. Now, here's something really important for you to remember. You may think that rock and roll artists invented social commentary in music, but long before there was rock and roll, folk and jazz were two genres that talked about society, racism, poverty and all that sociopolitical stuff. Woody Guthrie is a perfect example of folk music. Music-wise, his songs are stripped down and acoustic guitar laden. He was very political and frequently performed with the slogan, this machine kills fascists, on his guitar. His pioneering work in the 1930s and 40s, along with Pete Seeger and a few others, laid the groundwork for the folk music revival in the 1950s and 60s for artists like Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez and so on. But way before rock and roll was born, folk music introduced social consciousness. Here's an example, a sarcastic, post-Depression era song recorded in 1940 by Woody Guthrie. It's called This Land is Your Land. >> [MUSIC] >> And this song is, shall we say, far less obscure about its message. Take a look at these lyrics as we listen to The Jolly Banker. >> [MUSIC] >> Since we are talking about social consciousness in music, I think we should briefly discuss Billie Holiday. Now she was really a jazz artist rather than a folk artist. Some people even called her a blues artist. But this song fits in with the social commentary thread, which is why I choose to use it here. She was the most significant female jazz singer of the era, and not only known for her music, but also for her social activism. This particular song, called Strange Fruit, is about a lynching. So it's a song about ratio inequality, racism, segregation, the experiences of blacks in America. It shows that social consciousness was displayed in music long before rock and roll came along. Now this photo is of a lynching on August 6th, 1930 in Marian, Indiana. It is said to be the last lynching that took place north of the Mason-Dixon line. Isn't it amazing, as you look at this picture, that people in the crowd didn't try to hide their faces. They seem to be having a good time when a double murder has just been committed. >> [MUSIC] >> In the next video, we will talk about popular music before rock and roll.
