"We Didn't Start the Fire"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Billy Joel's captivating song, "We Didn't Start the Fire", is a rapid exploration of world events, many of which are encapsulated in the names of individuals. The paper relates that the song begins in 1949 with President Harry Truman and ends in the rock and roller cola wars of the late 1980s. The paper also relates that Joel's rock classic is intended to evoke a sense of disorientation as well as energy, a series of loud and unpleasant sounds of nonsense that disguises the true nature of an irrefutable rhythm: the heartbeat and progressive development of history by which the forming of the American identity began its journey.

Outline:
Highlights Through the Years
The 1950's
The 1960's
The 1970's
The 1980's
The Culmination of American Values and Practices

From the Paper:

"The 1960's was a decade that forever changed the culture and society of America. The 1960's were widely known as the decade of peace and love when in reality minorities were struggling to gain freedom from segregation. The war to gain freedom for all minorities was a great obstacle to overcome. This was the age of youth as 70 million children from the post-war baby boom became teenagers and young adults. The movement away from the conservative fifties continued and eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real change in the cultural fabric of American life. No longer content as images of the generation ahead of them, young people wanted and sought change. These changes affected education, values, lifestyles, laws, and entertainment. Many of the revolutionary ideas which began in the sixties are continuing to evolve today (Kurtus, 2007). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Kurtus, Ron (2007, July 18). School for Champions. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from "We Didn't Start the Fire" (Facts) History Summary from 1949-1989 Web site: http://www.school-for-champions.com/history/start_fire_facts.htm
• Miller, Joel (2007, August 19). Sermoncraft. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from In the Fire, Under the Great Cloud of Witnesses: 8-19-07 - Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Web site: http://joelssermons.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/in-the-fire-under-the-great-cloud-of-witnesses-81907-hebrews-1129-122/
• YouTube, We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from YouTube Broadcast Yourself Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v= rq3PVHVn0kE

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