9/11: Country Music Responds

How did Country musicians’ responses to the September 11th terrorist attacks speak to the feelings of some Americans after the tragedy?

Know (knowledge):

• The significance of 9/11 as an historical event
• The response to 9/11 in the United States
• How music can speak to the collective emotions of people following tragedy

Mastery Objective:

• Students will be able to consider the diverse ways the American people responded to the terrorist of attacks of September 11th by examining the lyrics and context surrounding three country music songs.

On 9/11, The United Stated experienced the deadliest terrorist attack in its history. That morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four planes. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and one crashed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, short of its target. Combined, the attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, wounded another 6,000, and caused the iconic "Twin Towers" of New York City's World Trade Center to topple.

Reactions to the 9/11 attacks were complex, and, at times, even contradictory. Some citizens were stricken with grief, others consumed in anger. Some were filled with national pride, others paralyzed with horror. Some wanted time to grieve, others wanted immediate action. Some were simply too bewildered to contextualize the tragedy. Many felt some combination of all of the above.

In the CNN Soundtracks episode about September 11th, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson cites songwriter Harlan Howard’s assertion that the core of country music is “three chords and the truth.” After 9/11, Country music truthfully represented the diversity of American reactions to the terrorist attacks. Some artists, like Alan Jackson, spoke for those Americans confused and grieved by the incident. Others, like Brooks and Dunn, responded with patriotism, pride, and a reassuring sense of American exceptionalism. Perhaps most famously, Toby Keith responded with anger.

In this lesson, students examine the lyrics and context surrounding three country songs related to the 9/11 attacks: Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”, Brooks and Dunn’s “Only in America,” and Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” Through the lens of these songs, they consider ways Americans reacted to the tragedy of September 11th, and discuss whether some reactions might be more appropriate than others.

Note: this lesson contains words and imagery that may be disturbing or offensive. Teacher discretion advised.