Music In The 1940s Essay

1940’s Music The second world war was a turbulous time for the united states with lots of men being drafted away to the war in Europe. At home things were changing drastically with all the men away women began to take over jobs like manufacturing and office jobs alike. Hardships during this time included Rations that were imposed by the government and life at home became hard with that and the thought of a wife losing her husband plagued the minds of those at home. with world war II going on a lot of the musicians were drafted into the army to fight against the Nazis’, So music for a while was at a standstill in america. Music in the 1940s mainly consisted of swing and upbeat music or nice tones of jazz. Such songs as “Basie Boogie” from the Count Basie Orchestra, or “Mood indigo” from the Duke Ellington Orchestra. When the war started many things changed, First of all most of the men were drafted into The US Army,leaving the women at home. Secondly, the women began taking over industrial and hard working jobs that were the mens before the war.The men leaving home also made the tones of music heard regularly change from the very upbeat and peppy music of the pre WW2 era to more somber and sad/down-toned songs singing about if they will ever see their loved ones (husbands) again, famous songs like Frank Sinatra’s “I 'll Never Smile Again”

Music in the 1940s also shaped People in WW2, soldiers used to sing songs such as “All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor” by Ella Retford or “A Lad From Lancashire” by George Formby. These songs helped Keep the moral of the soldiers on the battlefront high and ready fro battle so they could eventually come come and see the “loved ones” they sang about. The 1940s Was a turbulent time for music and the events that happened in that decade shaped what we would know as music even