Songs of America

Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation

By: Jon Meacham, Tim McGraw

Narrated by: Jon Meacham, Tim McGraw

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER •

A celebration of American history through the music that helped to shape a nation, by Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham and music superstar Tim McGraw

“Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw form an irresistible duo - connecting us to music as an unsung force in our nation's history.” (Doris Kearns Goodwin)

Through all the years of strife and triumph, America has been shaped not just by our elected leaders and our formal politics but also by our music - by the lyrics, performers, and instrumentals that have helped to carry us through the dark days and to celebrate the bright ones.

From “The Star-Spangled Banner” to “Born in the USA”, Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw take listeners on a moving and insightful journey through eras in American history and the songs and performers that inspired us. Meacham chronicles our history, exploring the stories behind the songs, and Tim McGraw reflects on them as an artist and performer. Their perspectives combine to create a unique view of the role music has played in uniting and shaping a nation.

Beginning with the battle hymns of the revolution, and taking us through songs from the defining events of the Civil War, the fight for women’s suffrage, the two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and into the 21st century, Meacham and McGraw explore the songs that defined generations, and the cultural and political climates that produced them. Listeners will discover the power of music in the lives of figures such as Harriet Tubman, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and will learn more about some of our most beloved musicians and performers, including Marian Anderson, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, and more.

Songs of America explores both famous songs and lesser-known ones, expanding our understanding of the scope of American music and lending deeper meaning to the historical context of such songs as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee”, “God Bless America”, “Over There”, “We Shall Overcome”, and “Blowin’ in the Wind”. As Quincy Jones says, Meacham and McGraw have “convened a concert in Songs of America”, one that reminds us of who we are, where we’ve been, and what we, at our best, can be.

©2019 Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“From hymns that swelled the hearts of revolutionaries to the spirituals that stirred citizens to spill blood for a more perfect Union and the blues- and country-infused beats that aroused change in the 1960s, Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw form an irresistible duo - connecting us to music as an unsung force in our nation's history. Songs of America is not just a cultural journey - it strikes our deepest chords as Americans: patriotism, protest, possibility, creativity, and, at the root of it all, freedom of expression enshrined in our founding document.” (Doris Kearns Goodwin)

“The civil rights movement couldn’t have happened without its music, and Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw have written a wonderful and moving account of how the sounds of America helped lead us toward what Dr. King called ‘the Beloved Community’. This book brings it all back for me - the struggles and the triumphs, the tough days and the transcendent ones.” (John Lewis)

“From the songs of the enslaved to the sounds of the civil rights movement, from ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ to Springsteen's ‘The Rising’ after 9/11, Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw have convened a concert in Songs of America. It is a glorious celebration of our diversity - and of the strength that comes from the myriad voices of all races that make us who we are." (Quincy Jones)

more a survey of history than expected

On some levels I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to hear a general survey of US history along with some light discussion of songs that were popular or that emerged during those eras. But it also was very much framed as "this song is patrioticor this is a song of protest" without any framing of when protests can be patriotic. Though nothing can be encyclopedic, any effort to explore US history that spends more time on the Dixie Chicks and "The incident" than on Nina Simone (who, to be fair, is noted in conjunction with Mississippi Goddamn in the chapter on the Civil Rights era) without even mentioning Strange Fruit seems more than incomplete to me. Worth my time, but not as focused on songs of protest and patriotism as I expected. it was more "here's anniversary view of some history and here are some songs from those years" interesting, but not very deep.

One I hope to return to

Loved it and hope to return to it often, picking up those tidbits that got past me the first time around. A very pleasant listen!! Just wish my history schooling had been so enjoyable.

Outstanding

Every H.School student needs to read this.Great review of the making of
America..Thank you John

Where was the music?

The historical details are spot on but the audible version suffered mightily by including no actual music. This was a huge disappointment.

One deeply disappointing flaw...

This is a thoughtful book, benefitting from the contributions of two men of vastly different backgrounds and talents. I assumed when buying it that I would be listening not only to Jon Meacham’s familiar, somewhat professorial speaking voice, but also to Tim McGraw’s more earthy speaking voice — and his terrific singing voice. I feel shortchanged. Does the hard copy of the book contain each song’s staves, time and key signatures, notes, and lyrics, so the reader might sing to herself? Even that would be an improvement over McGraw’s just reading a song’s lyrics. Especially in an audio version of Songs of America, there should have been singing!

Well done!

This is a well-done work of historical significance. It feels a little incomplete or maybe I was enjoying it so much that i didn't want it to end so soon. Of course there are songs that popped into my head instantly when it was over that I believe were just as significant as these in modern times, but I totally agree with the songs these gentlemen chose, very well done. Jon Meacham is a brilliant writer and narrator. Eventhough, I may not always agree with him politically, he leaves room for my opinion and seems to even respect it. Tim McGraw lends his talent and opinion in a whole different way, from an artist and fan's point of view. Once again you may not always agree with his opinion but he gives it in such a respectful manner that you understand from where he's coming because he even bares his soul about growing up in the deep South. The songs that you grow-up admiring or even still move you, the ones I call the wallpaper of your childhood, are great but only if you put their meanings in perspective. If you have a few hours that you want to spend learning a slice of not just music history but history in general, this is a good listen. That's my two cents worth.

Tuneless Songs of America

Let the buyer beware, because I wasn’t. I should have read the reviews more thoroughly. There is basically NO music in this book about the songs of America! I am a fan of the fine writing and gentle but probing insights of Jon Meacham and was open to hear the musical interpretations of Tim McGraw. Well, that door was closed before I even inserted my ear buds. Interesting material but it is up to the listener to fulfill this book’s audio potential by going to UTube. An Audible lost opportunity.

Come together

This wonderfully researched book brings alive the connections we have to the sound track of our history. I only wish I could have heard the songs as they talked about them. I may have to buy the book jus5 to get them all. It’s a book that is better heard than read. I hope that Meecham’s final thought comes true that our music will raise our voices in song together rather than angry shouts.

Fascinating US History Thru Its Songs!

I could not stop listening to this outstanding work weaving the story of American History through the words of the music of the era. Jon Meacham, an outstanding historian, also did a very fine job reading the story and country music legend Tim McGraw, Meacham’s neighbor in Nashville, discussed the songs in helpful sidebars. I thought that I would enjoy the book but I loved it. I would recommend Songs Of America to anyone interested in US History and the way music reflects the times in which it was written .

Loved the history of my favorite American music

Love knowing this history of American music and songs that we all love. Empathizing with my countrymen to hold our common ground honorably makes my heart sing. Thank you Jon and Tim!