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Radiolab / March 21, 2008 / Songs that Cross Borders

Songs that Cross Borders

Friday, March 21, 2008

Music has a way of getting stuck in your head. No matter who you are, or where you are, it seems to have this effect. We turn to the man behind all those catchy songs from "School House Rock," Bob Dorough, to get some insight into what it takes to make a hook. Conjunction-junction, what IS your function?

Then we hear about the song written by an Englishman about an American city whose promise of togetherness really yields loneliness sung by a white Parisian woman everyone thought was black. Sound obscure? You know it. You love it. You hate it. You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, and go "Downtown!" The story of "Downtown" was produced by Alan Hall of Falling Tree Productions and originally aired on his series about pop songs, called "Repeat 'Til Fade."

Finally the phenomenon of American country music's popularity in places like Zimbabwe, Thailand, and South Africa is something we find quite surprising. Aaron Fox, an anthropologist of music at Columbia University, tells us to rethink our surprise... though he denies any kind of meaningful "universals" in music, he thinks that quite simply, country music tells a story that a lot of us get. Check out his book Real Country: Music And Language In Working-Class Culture to learn more.

Photo by niphongo /flickrCC

STADIUM SONGS
  • "My Tennessee Mountain Home"   Dolly Parton - Live and Well
  • "Tulsa Time"   Don Williams - Don Williams: 20 Greatest Hits
I MISS HOME SONGS
  • "Green, Green Grass of Home"   Porter Wagner - RCA Legends: Porter Wagner
  • "The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane"   Fiddlin John Carson - Fiddlin John Carson Vol. 1 1923 - 1924
CRY BREAKS
CRYING STEEL GUITAR:
PHOTO: niphongo /flickrCC

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  • [1] Ellen Horne, Radiolab's Executive Producer from Radiolab April 22, 2008 - 05:08PM

    *Just a note for folks looking for the addition conversation between Radio Lab and Aaron Fox. At Mr. Fox's request, we've tabled that discussion.*


  • [2] David from Pittsburgh, PA May 01, 2008 - 05:17PM

    This was on of the best segments so far on Radiolab - it was super!


  • [3] Len Lynch (lenlynch) from Chicago, IL May 12, 2008 - 10:48PM

    Ah Ha! While listening to this episode, I had the thought that Peter Gabriel's vocal style incorporates inflection, emotion, and narative elements that could be rooted in country and western music. Facinating!

    Keep up the great work.
  • [4] emel from columbus, OH June 11, 2008 - 02:47PM

    I noticed when you were talking to Bob Dorough about "hooks," I noticed something. You should listen to the This American Life song contest, a particular song actually. Listen to the beginning of the song by "They were Pirates" (song remix #30) and compare it to the that Bob sings - "sittin' on the doorstep side-by-side..." Sounds like theres a stolen hook there!

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