The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop
The Pop Tops song “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968) is a classic of Spanish popular music of the last 60 years, and features in numerous collections released since then. This article identifies the many covers of this song made in a range of countries so far, and analyses the various changes that its lyric...
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| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | Artículo publishedVersion |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires
2022
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/oidopensante/article/view/10298 https://repositoriouba.sisbi.uba.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=eloido&d=10298_oai |
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Universidad de Buenos Aires |
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Repositorio Digital de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) |
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Español |
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spa |
| topic |
música popular canciones viajeras España versión raza música popular canções viajantes Espanha cover raça Popular music travelling songs Spain cover version race |
| spellingShingle |
música popular canciones viajeras España versión raza música popular canções viajantes Espanha cover raça Popular music travelling songs Spain cover version race Green, Stuart The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| topic_facet |
música popular canciones viajeras España versión raza música popular canções viajantes Espanha cover raça Popular music travelling songs Spain cover version race |
| description |
The Pop Tops song “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968) is a classic of Spanish popular music of the last 60 years, and features in numerous collections released since then. This article identifies the many covers of this song made in a range of countries so far, and analyses the various changes that its lyrics and musical arrangement undergo. The majority of such covers are by musicians of African descent, attracted to the lyrics’ exploration in the first person of how it feels to be a victim of racial discrimination. These artists add to the song their own musical features, such as reggae rhythms or gospel instrumentation, an action which I label “blackening”. Conversely, the song has also been covered by a number of white artists, drawn to its attractive melody (based on Pachelbel’s Canon). These deal with its lyrical content and introduce musical elements in ways which erase or appropriate its original meaning (a phenomenon which I call ‘whitening’). In this way, Spain is located as a nexus of global musical exchange that exemplifies what Isabelle Marc calls “travelling music” and which participates in the Black Atlantic space explored by Paul Gilroy. |
| format |
Artículo publishedVersion |
| author |
Green, Stuart |
| author_facet |
Green, Stuart |
| author_sort |
Green, Stuart |
| title |
The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| title_short |
The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| title_full |
The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| title_fullStr |
The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop |
| title_sort |
transnational history of “oh lord, why lord”: the blackening and whitening of spanish baroque pop |
| publisher |
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| publishDate |
2022 |
| url |
https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/oidopensante/article/view/10298 https://repositoriouba.sisbi.uba.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=eloido&d=10298_oai |
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| _version_ |
1851374386147229696 |
| spelling |
I28-R145-10298_oai2025-11-17 Green, Stuart 2022-09-22 The Pop Tops song “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968) is a classic of Spanish popular music of the last 60 years, and features in numerous collections released since then. This article identifies the many covers of this song made in a range of countries so far, and analyses the various changes that its lyrics and musical arrangement undergo. The majority of such covers are by musicians of African descent, attracted to the lyrics’ exploration in the first person of how it feels to be a victim of racial discrimination. These artists add to the song their own musical features, such as reggae rhythms or gospel instrumentation, an action which I label “blackening”. Conversely, the song has also been covered by a number of white artists, drawn to its attractive melody (based on Pachelbel’s Canon). These deal with its lyrical content and introduce musical elements in ways which erase or appropriate its original meaning (a phenomenon which I call ‘whitening’). In this way, Spain is located as a nexus of global musical exchange that exemplifies what Isabelle Marc calls “travelling music” and which participates in the Black Atlantic space explored by Paul Gilroy. La canción de Pop Tops, “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968) es un clásico de la música popular española de los últimos 60 años y figura en numerosas colecciones publicadas desde entonces. El presente trabajo identifica las varias versiones de esta canción realizadas en diversos países hasta hoy día y analiza los cambios que experimentan su letra y arreglo musical. La mayoría de las versiones son de músicos afrodescendientes, atraídos por su letra en primera persona sobre lo que se siente ser víctima de la discriminación racial. Estos artistas añaden elementos musicales propios, como los ritmos reggae o la instrumentación gospel, acciones que designamos “ennegrecimiento”. Por el contrario, unos cuantos artistas blancos también han versionado la canción, en parte debido a su atractiva melodía (basada en el Canon de Pachelbel). Éstos lidian con el contenido de su letra e introducen elementos musicales de varias maneras que borran o les permiten apropiarse de su significado original (fenómeno que llamamos “blanqueamiento”). Así, situamos a España como un verdadero nexo y punto de intercambio dentro del mapa musical global, adoptando una perspectiva que tiene en cuenta conceptos como el de “música viajera” de Isabelle Marc y el del “atlántico negro”, examinado por Paul Gilroy. “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968), dos Pop Tops, é um clássico da música pop dos anos 60 e está presente em numerosas coletâneas lançadas desde então. Este artigo identifica vários covers desta canção criadas em diferentes países nas décadas seguintes e analisa as mudanças que a letra e os arranjos musicais sofreram. A maioria desses covers são de músicos de descendência africana, atraídos pela letra que explora, na primeira pessoa, como é ser vítima de discriminação racial. Esses artistas acrescentam à canção as suas próprias características musicais, como ritmos reggae ou instrumentalização de gospel, uma ação que denomino de “enegrecer”. Por outro lado, a canção também teve covers realizadas por vários artistas brancos, atraídos pela sua melodia chamativa (com base em Canon de Pachelbel). A forma como estes artistas lidam com o conteúdo da letra, e introduzem elementos musicais, apaga ou apropria o seu significado original (um fenômeno que eu denomino de “branqueamento”). Dessa forma: Espanha aparece como o nexo de intercâmbio musical que exemplifica o que Isabelle Marc chama de “música viajante” e que participa do espaço do Atlântico Negro explorado por Paul Gilroy. application/pdf https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/oidopensante/article/view/10298 10.34096/oidopensante.v10n2.10298 spa Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires https://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/oidopensante/article/view/10298/10626 Derechos de autor 2022 El oído pensante El oído pensante; Vol. 10 No. 2 (2022): Octubre, 2022 - Marzo 2023 El oído pensante; Vol. 10 Núm. 2 (2022): Octubre, 2022 - Marzo 2023 El oído pensante; v. 10 n. 2 (2022): Octubre, 2022 - Marzo 2023 2250-7116 música popular canciones viajeras España versión raza música popular canções viajantes Espanha cover raça Popular music travelling songs Spain cover version race The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop La historia transnacional de “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: ennegrecimiento y blanqueamiento del pop barroco español A história transnacional de “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: enegrecimento e branqueamento do pop barroco espanhol info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://repositoriouba.sisbi.uba.ar/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.cgi?a=d&c=eloido&d=10298_oai |