Daniele Cuffaro - American Myths in Post-9/11 Music

Daniele Cuffaro

The right of Daniele Cuffaro to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved

Sparkling Books Ltd 2011

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted by any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Cover image by Madball.ch

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BIC code: AVGW and JFHF

ISBN of e-book: 978-1-907230-33-2

ISBN of printed book: 978-1-907230-15-8

Edited by Anna Alessi.

To Rosi

Special thanks to my family, to all at Sparkling Books, to Prof. Dr. Martin Heusser, to Madball.ch and to Fran Lewis.

Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

My Thoughts on that day: Remember that Day: Never Forget It

Smoke, soot, ash, cinders and smog filled the landscape, the air, entered the lungs of many and created its own horrific skyline on September 11, 2001 as the Twin Towers collapsed, the air turned thick and the smell would linger in the noses, mouths and bodies of those witnessing it first hand. The air permeating its own scent over Ground Zero forever reminding us of what is no longer there. Lives lost, world changes, popular music and its role dramatically redefined as the worlds view on music and Americas changing culture would never be the same after that day.

The music industry created its own response to the carnage and catastrophic events. Artists donated money from tours and concerts to generate funds to help victims and their families, and national security and our civil liberties would never be the same. The concentration in the music industry narrowed the diversity of voices being heard. Bruce Springsteens album The Rising was a definite response to 9/11 within popular music.

The perceptions of what the towers meant and their images as the towers fell cannot be put into words easily. The disappearance and the importance of the architecture and structure of these Towers, our rationale for going after the terrorists, going into Iraq and waging war against those who hurt Americans, created much discussion not only among the American people but those of other countries too. This cherished landmark, icon, allowed Americans to create their own stories.

This day affected New Yorkers in many different ways. The images of violence, death and destruction permeated throughout the city and the pictures captured on videos, television and in newspapers would haunt the dreams, nightmares and visions of those that witnessed the atrocity and those that viewed it on television. Blackouts on many television screens, phone lines cut and communication cut off, bridges and tunnels closed to the public and access to trains and buses suspended. The fear in the hearts of those that lost loved ones and those that walked across bridges, highways and wandered aimlessly through smoke and ash-filled streets of Manhattan trying to get home and make sense of the day would pale to the anger, torment and fear that would never subside within the hearts and minds of many Americans and of those who lived that day.

On the minds of many, not just Americans, were the thoughts of self-defence, revenge, outrage evident in the words and music of the country singers infiltrating its way into popular music after the 9/11 attacks. The American flag evokes in all of us a feeling of pride, freedom and a love for our country and all that we stand for and hope for when fighting for our freedom decades ago. Flown after this horrific day on many occasions it is a patriotic symbol. The American Flag is held dearly by most Americans and represents each one of us and our right to live in a democracy.

Thousands buried alive under the rubble left behind in the wake of the crash and many injured, maimed and grief stricken whose minds and hearts will be permanently filled with sadness, hate and anger for those that caused this to happen and hoping as the 10th anniversary nears that it will not happen again. The horrific images of that day lie dormant in the minds of some Americans and people throughout the world. As the author ignites the memories, relights the fire within all of us remind us that the tragedy of that day, the ramifications on our security and our nation are still with us every time we go to the airport, to a concert or through any checkpoint requiring security.

This book brings to light many important issues related to the 9/11 attacks and the aftershock of the events. Whether in the politics, the music, or in the voice of the President, songwriter or the singer, each depicting and relating the events, their feelings and emotional struggles are found in their own unique way, and in their own private and unique voice. Everyone wants to stand up and be heard. The songs in The Rising, remind us of the fog, smoke, the night-time sky that appeared each day as the dense smoke covered our beautiful blue sky and the air supply around us was filled with fumes and the need for people to wear masks to walk through the streets. The many songs, their meanings, the religious and non-religious connotations, they draw everyone together and cannot be avoided. Our need for hope, freedom, understanding and moral renewal hoping that out of this horror, sadness and sorrow we can heal, start over and become a strong and more unified nation.

New Yorkers are resilient and bounce back really fast. Working as a team, many came to the aide of other New Yorkers and foreigners exiting out of the towers and in need of help. Many walked down more than 80 flights of stairs filled with smoke, soot, ash, broken pieces of the glass, and much more, to find their way to safety in the clouded streets of New York. The bright sun and the blue sky no longer visible as the clouds of smoke and smell of burnt flesh, cinders and flames provided its own rancid scent that would linger in the nostrils, air and a perfume that would linger on the clothes, hands and faces of those alighting from the towers and walking through the streets. Communication cut off. Many not knowing where their loved ones were, or if they were alive, creating fear due to the unknown.

Will the world ever be the same? Will anyone ever forget that day? Lets hope not. Each year the families, friends, political figures and school children gather to remember those who lost their lives that day. Songs fill the air, music is played, speeches are given and the name of every person killed is spoken, read and remembered. Pictures of many of these people are flashed across the screen and family members recall and tell viewers about their loved one. Pictures are held up, signs very prominent. New Yorkers go about their daily business. They do not dwell on the past but hope for a brighter future for our country.

But, in the back of my mind, each and every day, is the fear that this could happen again and that America needs to stay alert, awake and watch for any signs that something might happen. Our intelligence needs to improve, those in charge of protecting us need to never falter in their duties, and we need to feel safe and secure.

Teaching in the NYC Public Schools was really one of the things that is most paramount in my life. Listening to the students reflect on that day and create their own poems, stories and impressions of what happened was heartfelt. Some of these children lost parents and others uncles and aunts. Some had parents who were firefighters or police officers that lost their lives that day or were injured. Many of the teachers had family members down there and all we could think about was trying to connect with someone and finding out anything that we could. But, how could we when cell phones were not working, connections on landlines no longer there and the world seemed so isolated for so many hours, days and even weeks.