Course: MUSIC 140 Introduction to Jazz, Duke University
Instructor: Andrew Waggoner, D.M.A.
Teaching Assistant: Devon Carter
Peer Editor: Xuanyu Zhou (TWP Writing Studio)
When I hear the word “sit-down strike,” images of labor rights movements flash through my mind, accompanied by revolutionary songs that are enraged and robust. However, Lil Hardin Armstrong and Her Swing Orchestra’s “(I’m On A) Sit-Down Strike for Rhythm” paints an entirely different picture. Recorded on April 15th, 1937 in New York (Dickerson: 178), this song is enthusiastic yet lively and lighthearted, setting the tone for a dance rather than a protest. In fact, this song resonates with the African American dance Lindy Hop both musically and culturally, depicting a different “strike.” This essay analyzes the musical elements of this song in detail and explores the musical and cultural connection between the song and Lindy Hop.
Overall Observation
Based on my own experience, sit-down strikes, like other political protests, are often contentious and stressful, even developing into chaos and violence. After listening to this song, I feel a different strike. This is still a strike: a struggle is described, and the strikers’ political demands are explicitly stated. However, the sit-down strike in this song is passionate yet much more lighthearted and relaxed. My initial response to this song is that it could be a dance music. In the following sections, I analyze various musical elements and techniques employed in this song to explain how they help this song depict a different dance-like strike.
Unconventional Introductory Verse
The very beginning of the song sets it apart from most other jazz pieces. The introductory verse begins with two measures of E minor chords in a four-four tempo. In each measure, the chords are played in three quarter notes followed by an eighth note triplet. It sets a steady yet powerful rhythm pattern throughout this beginning part, as if an organized crowd marching on the street and shouting their dissents in a determined voice. This immediately reminds me of a famous Soviet patriotic song written in WWII – “The Sacred War”: the rhythm and the emotional setup are similar (Alexandrov and Lebedev-Kumach). While the beginning of the Soviet song preludes an epic narrative of the brave fights in WWII, the introduction in Hardin’s song is followed by a calm and depressed statement. After two measures of chords, Hardin sings about the sorrow of her dance and song being taken away. Her voice is soft and gentle, expressing sadness and misery. The clarinet adds another layer of sorrowness with a rising-and-falling melody immediately following Hardin’s voice. This is the only time in the entire song that the cause of their sit-down strike is explicitly expressed, yet Hardin ends this statement in only four measures.
Suddenly, her voice turns strong-willed and powerful, unambiguously declaring their demands: “Give me back my rhythm, give me back my swing; give me back those songs that I love to sing!” Though determined and passionate, the texture of her voice is not tense but loose and relaxed. The trumpet suddenly replaces the sorrowful clarinet, playing passionately with a much stronger voice. The tempo speeds up to supplement the rapid emotional transition. By the end of Hardin’s demand, the overall emotional setup of this song transitions from sorrowness and depression to passion and positivity. Throughout the rest of the song, passive emotions never reemerge. The jumping tempo and relaxed, syncopated melody begin to dominate the song.
Counterpoint
Departing from the unconventional yet intriguing introductory verse, the song exhibits more variation and fluidity with its use of counterpoint. Instruments play alongside Hardin’s voice not as accompaniments but adding additional layers. The melodies of the instruments go along with the human voice in harmony with no incursion from either side.
In the first refrain starting from 0:26, trumpet lowers its voice, especially compared to its passionate playing in the beginning part, to feature the human voice as the main narrator. However, the trumpet’s voice never merges into the singing – it is more relaxed and swinging, compensating for the strength and determination of the human voice. This contrapuntal arrangement contributes to the conversational tone of this refrain. Similar arrangement is also found in the second refrain from 2:09 to 2:27.
In the last refrain from 2:34 to the end, trumpet plays a slightly different role. Its voice is much stronger and louder compared to the first and second refrain. The trumpet exhibits equal strength and even higher emotional intensity than Hardin’s voice. The singing simply repeats the first phrase of the refrain to finish the whole song, which offers a downward melody at the end. The trumpet, however, plays an upward melody with increasing energy towards the very end. Therefore, this contrapuntal arrangement offers a melodic and emotional climax near the end to echo the theme of a sit-down strike.
Thirty-Two Bars AABA Form
The first refrain exhibits a clear AABA pattern. The first and second phrases of this refrain have similar but not identical melodies and lyrics. The trumpet plays identical melodies in the two phrases, and the melodic flows of the singing are analogous. The melodies are largely based on the first chord (E-flat major). The lyrics have the same structure but different content in the two phrases, reiterating that they are on a “sit-down strike” and voicing their dissatisfaction that there is “nothing left” for them. In the third phrase, both the melody and the structure of the lyrics change. The base of melodies switches to the fourth (A-flat Major) and fifth (B-flat Major) chords, and a flatter curve of melodic flow is displayed. The lyrics for this third phrase are a series of rhetorical questions, challenging the people who took away their things. The fourth phrase returns to the melody and lyrics of the first phrase, finishing up this refrain.
The second refrain starts after the middle section of improvisation, from 2:09 to 2:27. This refrain has only two phrases, repeating the first and second phrase (the “A” part) of the initial refrain. The trumpet playing is slightly modified in this refrain, but the general melodic pattern and the emotion is analogous. Following a brief piano improvisation, the third refrain contains only one phrase – the first “A”. Therefore, the song ends by repeating the first phrase of the refrain, an ending employed by many popular music.
As each phrase consists of eight measures, the overall pattern of this song can be identified as a “thirty-two bar AABA” form. This is a key structural form for jazz improvisation, which differs from the AAB archetype in blues since there is no fixed chord progression in the AABA form (Deveaux and Giddins: 37-38). This pattern is observed in other swing jazz songs in the 1930s, such as “Blue Lou” performed by Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra (176-177).
Syncopation and Polyrhythm
Except in the unconventional introductory verse, syncopation and polyrhythm is heavily used to add motion to the music. Both Hardin’s singing and the trumpet are highly syncopated in the “A” part of the refrain, using combinations of a dotted quarter note and an eighth note (♪ ♩.). This rhythm cell makes the music livelier and more fluid, adding dance-like characteristics to the song. For example, in the sentence “I’m on a sit-down strike for rhythm,” where “sit-down strike for” is in the first measure and “rhythm” is in the second measure, the words “sit-down” and “rhythm” are syncopated (| ♪ ♩. ♩ ♩ | ♪ ♩. ⁃ |).
On the other hand, the bass clearly marks all downbeats throughout the refrain. While percussion is largely absent during Hardin’s singing, bass is the only instrument to line out the tempo. Starting from 0:26, the bass starts to play out all four beats of each measure with four quarter notes ( ♩ ♩ ♩ ♩ ), serving as the major beat level instrument.
The steady four-four tempo in the beat level and the syncopation in the division levels seem to contradict with each other. Nevertheless, the band adequately coordinates them throughout the song. First, the syncopation in the trumpet part is completely preserved. The trumpet does not serve as the primary melody in the refrain, so its syncopation is less likely to cause any confusion. Plus, it can increase the liveliness and fluidity of the song. Second, the syncopation of Hardin’s singing is adjusted. The syncopated rhythm suggests that stress should be shifted to the second beat of each measure, as in the previous example “sit-down” and “rhy-thm.” However, Hardin moves the stress back to the downbeat, as in “sit-down” and “rhy-thm,” restoring the normal stress of the word and maintaining a clear division between measures. Third, the steady four-four tempo played by the bass is kept at the beat level with little melodic function to serve as a “foundational layer,” providing a rhythmic framework for the entire song (18).
The adequate use of polyrhythm achieves two things at the same time: clearly outlining the four-four tempo beats and adding motion and fluidity to the rhythm so that the music is not caged. If the syncopated rhythm makes me want to dance, the restored stress on the downbeats ensures that I make my dance moves at the right time.
Improvisation, Call-and-Response, and Stop Time
There are two middle sections in the song that feature solo improvisations of instruments. The first middle section starts at 1:00 and proceeds with six parts, each featuring one instrument (See Table 1). It is apparent that the band employs a call-and-response device. The trumpet and the clarinet take turns in improvising their solos, as if one makes a statement and the other responds immediately. As always, the trumpet is loud and clear, playing passionately and confidently. The clarinet, on the other hand, sounds more breezy and cheerful. I can see two close friends casually talking with each other: one is always enthusiastic about everything in life, while the other is calmer and more worriless, always smiling at the hassles in life. The solo is also highly syncopated, increasing the relaxedness and fluidity of this call-and-response. This makes it sounds more like a friendly conversation rather than a serious debate and encourages the listeners to chime in. Moreover, the improvisation incorporates a lot of variable intonation, also known as “blue notes” (Deveaux and Giddins: 24). Some notes are played with intentional vibration to create a “sliding” effect and express the liveliness and relaxedness of the music. This is especially the case in the two trumpet parts, where the player incorporates vibrato on certain notes.
| Featurered Instrument | Length | |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Trumpet | 16 measures |
| Part 2 | Clarinet (stop time) | 8 measures |
| Part 3 | Trumpet | 8 measures |
| Part 4 | Clarinet | 16 measures |
| Part 5 | Bass (stop time) | 8 measures |
| Part 6 | Clarinet | 8 measures |
There are two stop times in the first middle section. The first stop time features the clarinet solo, where all other instruments cease to play except for the drum that plays the downbeats every two measures. Even the bass that layouts the foundational rhythmic framework quiets down to leave the stage entirely to the clarinet. This clarinet solo is extremely rich in melody, climbing up and down with high fluidity. It makes me imagine that all the people stop talking and listen carefully to the clarinet person’s playful and charismatic speech. The second stop time features our hardworking bass, with only the drum playing the downbeats every two measures. It shows the listeners that the bass is never only a rhythmic instrument – it has its own melody. I can hear the music telling me that everyone deserves to be heard even if and especially when their voice is low and unnoticeable.
The second middle section is brief (2:26-2:35), between the second and the third refrain. Piano is featured in this improvisational section, which is the piano’s only noticeable appearance throughout the song. The piano playing was very relaxed with a flowing melody. However, contrasting with the flowing melody, the piano plays in a jumping fashion. Each note is played distinctively and powerfully, bouncing from one to another. The rhythmic flow is not disrupted by the bounciness of the notes. I can see images of talented dancers hopping and tapping on the floor with a rapid tempo but a high degree of fluidity and connectedness in their dance moves.
Multi-layered Narratives in the Lyrics
The lyrics of this song tell two stories. The lyrics employ a first-person perspective throughout the song but never elaborate on the identities, characteristics, and social context of this first-person. It is apparent that the song tells a story between the narrator and an unspecified “you”. It suggests that the other person took many things away from the narrator, especially her dance and rhythm. This deprives her of her individuality, as she asserts that she has “nothing left that [she] can call [her] own.” To me, this is a story of someone losing their own uniqueness in a relationship where the other party, potentially a lover, a friend, or a business partner, is too authoritative or imperious. It is possible that Hardin is alluding to her marriage with Louis Armstrong, where Hardin constantly attempted to impress Armstrong with her own success but rarely succeeded (Dickerson: 185). For Hardin, their relationship was asymmetrical and non-mutual: she had a significant influence on Armstrong’s success in his music career, but Armstrong was depicted as the shining star by the public that overshadowed her efforts and achievements (xiii, 98-100).
There is another version of the story. The word “sit-down strike” hints a political connotation of this relationship. Is it possible that the “you” and “I” refer to some political units or groups of people? The “B” part of the refrain provides us the answer by citing a series of dancing terminologies. Ballet, a historically elitist high art, is mentioned. “Minuet” is an “elegant dancing in triple time,” originating in French court and rooted in classical European music (BBC Music Magazine). “Truck” and “Suzie-Q” are tricky dance moves used in many African American dances like the Big Apple and Lindy Hop (Popik). The lyrics suggest that ballet and minuet symbolize “your” uniqueness, and that “I” never take away “your” uniqueness by performing them; however, “you” perform the truck and Suzie-Q and thus “my” uniqueness is deprived. Given the contrast between the two groups of dances, it is possible that the lyrics allude to the relationship between White Americans and African Americans. As a result, the lyrics seem to imply a political resistance, which parallels the cultural appropriation of African American dances by the dominant white society.
The story that a listener hears depends on their own experiences. As a political science student, I connect with the political connotation more closely. The possibility of narrating a political struggle first jumps in my head as I see the word “sit-down strike.” Being preoccupied with this clue and lacking prior knowledge into Hardin’s marriage with Armstrong, I fail to identify the more basic plotline of the narrator’s struggle within a relationship. In retrospect, the double storytelling of this song serves as a great analogy to help the listeners imagine the nature of the political struggle.
Musical Connection to Lindy Hop
Not only does the storytelling incorporate African American dances like Lindy Hop, the style and the musical elements of this song also resonate with it. Lindy Hop is a social dance born in the African American community in Harlem in the late 1920s. Swing jazz music like this song and swing dancing like Lindy Hop are strongly associated. Their developments have been mutually influential: the dancing styles and techniques of Lindy Hop encouraged the evolution of swing jazz that accompanied the dance, and the spread of jazz music assisted the spread of Lindy Hop across the country (Spring: 183-185). Different from early social dances that include two movements for each measure, Lindy Hop involves “four movements for each measure of accompanying music” (187). Lindy Hop employs syncopated rhythms to make dance moves at off-beats, corresponding to the syncopation in jazz music (Engelbrecht: 7). In addition to set moves, improvisation is encouraged especially during the breakaway, where the dancers separate from their partners “at arm’s length to execute their own steps” (Spring: 190; Deveaux and Giddins: 173).
The musical elements in this song parallel the major characteristics of Lindy Hop. The song is in a four-four tempo. The bass and the drum clearly layout the rhythmic framework and the downbeats in the beat level. It would assist the dancers to execute or improvise their dance moves on a mapped rhythmic foundation, making the entire dance lively yet organized. Building upon the steady rhythmic foundation, syncopation is heavily used throughout the song to echo with the syncopated dance moves on off-beats, such as triple steps. Moreover, the improvisational segments (two middle sections) of this song are longer than all other segments combined (the singing). This would provide greater room for dancers to improvise their dance moves and for the band to adjust their playing to work with the dancers.
Cultural Connection to Lindy Hop
The history of Lindy Hop subjecting to cultural appropriation may influence Hardin and the musicians on how they design the lyrics. The origin of Lindy Hop is not only purely African American but also deeply rooted in the racial segregation. Jim Crow laws in the south and de facto segregation in the north meant that blacks and whites could not “legally mix in social spaces, either on the dance floor or on the stage” (Baran). Moreover, the Great Depression in the late 1920s and 1930s worsened the situation. Black people were denied the already limited employment opportunities and excluded from many public assistance programs (Baran). The unique dancing evolved in the African American communities in Harlem is the direct result of these factors: dancing within their own racial communities was one of the few opportunities for African Americans to escape from their miserable life.
However, the Great Depression also sparked a whitening of Lindy Hop. Constrained economic position incentivized the white youth to “reject their parents’ beliefs” and “embrace new ideas about music, class, and race” (Unruh: 46). More white youth started to dance Lindy Hop as a defiance to traditional cultures. While white people were fascinated by the art created by African Americans, they repelled the connection between the art and its creators (Baran). White artists and the art industry dominated by whites began appropriating Lindy Hop and other African American dances by erasing black figures and elements then packaging them as white arts (Baran). For example, the 1937 American comedy film A Day in the Races edited out the scene of black people dancing Lindy Hop, because “these scenes involved ‘racial mixing’” (Unruh: 46). Print media also contributed to the cultural appropriation of Lindy Hop as they started to refer to Lindy Hop as “America’s national dance” and conceal its connection to the African American communities (48).
Jazz suffered a similar fate around the same time. White audiences always have ambivalent feelings towards jazz too: they enjoyed the music as a wonderful expression of personal emotions, but they considered it as an “attack on middle-class, Protestant values” of the dominant white society (Unruh: 46). The spread of radio to many American households in 1920s and 1930s assisted the dissemination of jazz (45). However, racial discrimination denied many black musicians of their opportunities to broadcast their songs in nationwide radios (45). The Great Depression exacerbated the situation as the white producers decreased the already limited opportunities for black musicians (45). With greater resources and opportunities, white musicians appropriated jazz by adjusting the music to accommodate white middle-class audiences. They repackaged them as white music and dominated the market, eliminating the presence of black figures and erasing blackness from the root of jazz.
Being a jazz musician actively performing in 1920s and 1930s, it is possible that Hardin witnessed, if was not directly confronted with, the cultural appropriation of jazz. The similar experience of Lindy Hop around the same time may influenced her to incorporate the musical and cultural elements of Lindy Hop to enrich the storytelling of the song.
Conclusion
This essay reviews the song “(I’m On A) Sit-Down Strike for Rhythm” by Lil Hardin Armstrong and Her Swing Orchestra in detail. I first analyze the various musical elements and techniques employed in the song, explaining how they assist the song to depict a unique sit-down strike. Based on my observations of the musical elements and a review of the cultural context in the late 1920s and 1930s, I then demonstrate how the song resonates with Lindy Hop both musically and culturally. With the impressive music, intriguing storytelling, and allusion to the broader cultural context, this song indeed portrays an extraordinary sit-down strike.
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