THE HOUSE THAT ROCK BUILT
1960-1969
The social and political unrest of the 1960s stimulated a resurgence of Mother Goose rhymes as poems of protest. The best known and most censored of these verses are contained in Eve Merriam's The Inner City Mother Goose.
This is the house that rock built.
This is the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
This is the rhyme sung in protest
there in the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
These are the foibles sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance there in
the rhyme that turned to protest
here in the house that rock built.
This is the doo wop Mother Goose
caught in the rhyme that turned to protest
low in the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
“The House That Rock Built, 1960-1969” stephanie pope
©2013 mythopoetry.com
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notes
1. The Demensions, Nursery Rhyme Rock, 1960 http://youtu.be/t-cV8hviKI0. accessed May 27, 2013.
2. The House That Jack Built http://eclipse.rutgers.edu/goose/rhymes/tihj/. accessed May 27, 2013.
3. Social and political uses of Mother Goose http://eclipse.rutgers.edu/goose/socialpolitical/default.aspx.
accessed May 27, 2013.
4. For a short history of rock between 1960-69 see http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/rock-music-the-late-1960s-early-70s-rock-golden-age.html.
This is the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
This is the rhyme sung in protest
there in the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
These are the foibles sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance there in
the rhyme that turned to protest
here in the house that rock built.
This is the doo wop Mother Goose
caught in the rhyme that turned to protest
low in the song sung if by chance
or extenuating circumstance
here in the house that rock built.
“The House That Rock Built, 1960-1969” stephanie pope
©2013 mythopoetry.com
_______________-
notes
1. The Demensions, Nursery Rhyme Rock, 1960 http://youtu.be/t-cV8hviKI0. accessed May 27, 2013.
2. The House That Jack Built http://eclipse.rutgers.edu/goose/rhymes/tihj/. accessed May 27, 2013.
3. Social and political uses of Mother Goose http://eclipse.rutgers.edu/goose/socialpolitical/default.aspx.
accessed May 27, 2013.
4. For a short history of rock between 1960-69 see http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/rock-music-the-late-1960s-early-70s-rock-golden-age.html.