HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE MUSIC OF THE 1960S: "HORSE LATITUDES" AND OTHER GREAT SONGS

Historical events have always inspired artists of every era. Musicians have composed countless songs about past events that had a strong collective impact.

From the blues of the 1920s and 1930s to the rock of the late 1960s, there are many examples of dramatic historical events inspiring beautiful songs.

Jim Morrison, with his insightful view of both the present and the past, addresses a historical topic in "Horse Latitudes", the fifth track on The Doors' album "Strange Days" (released in September 1967).

Here, the singer reflects on a time when sailing across the Atlantic was fraught with challenges and dangers. This evocative backdrop, spanning the 16th to 19th centuries, serves to accentuate the scene depicted in the lyrics, along with its intricacies and profound significance.

This confirms Morrison's interest in human vicissitudes and his ability to combine a transgressive image of himself with a noteworthy and often underestimated cultural level.

However, he was not the only one to evoke historical events in his songs. Of the many existing examples, we would like to highlight two that are particularly fascinating yet very different from each other.

The first is the song "With God on Our Side" (link here) from Bob Dylan's third LP, "The Times They Are A-Changin" (released in February 1964). Here, the acoustic guitar and voice recount various historical moments in which the Christian religion has been used to divert attention from misdeeds and violence and sometimes to justify them.

From the genocide of Native Americans to the horrors of the Second World War, Dylan hurls harsh criticism at the hypocrisy of those who claim to be Christian yet betray the core values of that religion.

Punctuated by brief harmonica interludes, this song is one of the most explicit and uncompromising protest songs ever released by a famous artist.

In the second case, Mick Jagger uses the devil as the protagonist in the lyrics of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" (link here). This magnificent composition is part of the December 1968 album "Beggars Banquet", an absolute masterpiece recorded in spring/summer of that year.

The solo by Keith Richards and the song's extreme originality rank "Sympathy for the Devil" as one of the best rock songs in history.

Not only does the song feature one of Mick Jagger's best performances, but the arrangement is also unmistakable thanks to the various percussion instruments and the rhythmic contribution of the piano, played by the great session musician Nicky Hopkins.

However, these features never overshadow the famous lyrics. In the song, the Rolling Stones singer plays the part of the devil, holding himself accountable for momentous events in which violence changed the course of human history.

From the crucifixion of Christ to the Russian Revolution, via the assassination of JFK and the religious wars that blighted Europe for centuries, history is presented as the consequence of Satan's malevolent influence.

As we have seen in The Doors' 1967 album "Strange Days" and in the other two examples, past events are used in music to move the listener and trigger deep reflection.

P.S.: My book "The Doors Through Strange Days"- The most comprehensive journey ever made through The Doors' second LP, is available on Amazon.com, .uk, .mx, .it, etc.

Here’s a link:

Amazon – “The Doors Through Strange Days”