Anat Rosen, Maya Shamir, Dvora Waisbein, Omer Florentin and Yotam Erel .

THE GENRES

In the1930s, the popular genres were Blues, Classical Music and Opera Music.The most popular genre was the Blues. Here are some examples of songs of this genre:

"Preachin' Blues" - Son House"Clarksdale Moan" - Son House "Razor Ball" - Blind Willie McTell "Somebody's Been Using That Thing" - Big Bill Broonzy

POPULAR SINGERS

SON HOUSE

One of the most popular Blues singers at that time was Eddie James Son House. He was born 21st of March 1902, and died 19th of October 1988. House’s special style featured strong, repetitive rhythms, usually played with slide guitar, and his singing often included elements of Southern Gospel and spiritual music (religious songs which were created by American slaves).

LYRICS CONNECTED TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION

In 1929, there was a huge stock market crash, the most devastating one in the history of the United States .

It made it really hard to find a job, and that is what the first song is about:

Holdin' hands at midnight 'neath a starry skyNice work if you can get itAnd you can get it if you try

Strollin' with the one girlSighin' sigh after sighNice work if you can get itAnd you can get it if you try

Just imagine someoneWaiting at the cottage doorWhere two hearts become oneWho could ask for anything more?

Loving one who loves youAnd then takin' that vowNice work if you can get itAnd if you get it, won't you tell me how?

And if you get it, won't you tell me how ?

The Andrew Sisters - Nice Work If You Can Get Ithttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGlXlm8eYA

Due to the bad situation of the economy, the country sank into a depression, known as the time of “The Great Depression”. A lot of songs were written about that time, such as :

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob ,

When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.

They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead ,

Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread ?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time .Once I built a railroad; now it's done .

Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime; Once I built a tower, now it's done .Brother, can you spare a dime ?Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell ,Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum ,

Half a million boots went slogging through Hell, And I was the kid with the drum !

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time .

Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU

Yip Harburg – Brother, Can You Spare Me a Dime?

Due to the stock market crash, a lot of banks got closed and people lost all their savings. They realized that there was no point in saving their money in such times. The next song explains how people felt about this condition:

People are queer, they're always crowing, scrambling and rushing about ;Why don't they stop someday, address themselves this way? Why are we here? Where are we going? It's time that we found out .We're not here to stay; we're on a short holiday .

Life is just a bowl of cherries .Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious .You work, you save, you worry so ,But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go. So keep repeating it's the berries ,The strongest oak must fall ,The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned So how can you lose what you've never owned ?Life is just a bowl of cherries, So live and laugh at it all.

Life is just a bowl of cherries .Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious .At eight each morning I have got a date ,To take my plunge 'round the Empire State .You'll admit it's not the berries ,In a building that's so tall ;There's a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss ;Get thousands a week just for crooning like this :Life is just a bowl of . . . aw, nuts! So live and laugh at it all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x4U1NiJ7PI

Lew Brown - Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

In conclusion, even though it was a very tough time, people tried to stay optimistic. The song “Happy Days are Here Again”, which was used as the campaign song for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 Presidential campaign, is an example:

Happy days are here againThe skies above are clear again

So let's sing a song of cheer again

Happy days are here again

““

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 .Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org

2 .YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/

3 .Songs of the Great Depression - http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/cherries.html

4 .Just Some Lyrics - http://www.justsomelyrics.com/