Pay attention to | music for guns: anti-war songs and salvation pictures

Liang Qichao once said: "If we want to transform the quality of the people, poetry and music are one of the elements of spiritual education." This discourse explains the important value of music in shaping national consciousness. The anti-war songs of 1931-1945 were born in the crisis of the Chinese nation facing the crisis of "subjugation of the country and extinction of the species", shouldering the mission of the times of "saving the country and trying to survive", becoming a beautiful landscape that accompanied the Anti-Japanese War and the embodiment of the spirit of the Chinese nation. The so-called anti-japanese songs mainly refer to the musical works with the theme of "anti-Japanese resistance" that emerged during the Anti-Japanese War. The song of the War of Resistance is closely linked to the development of the situation and plays an important historical role: accusation and awakening, propaganda and mobilization, praise and expectation. These themes are closely linked, with both continuity and each with its own phased focus.

01

Accusations and awakenings

In the September 18 Incident, Japanese imperialism invaded northeast China, humiliating the country, the people, and the nation. "The world rises and falls, and the pirate has the responsibility" and "even if you can't go to the front line to kill the enemy, you should also shout in the rear.", the patriotic trend of thought spread rapidly, affecting all walks of life. The atmosphere of "music saving the country" was thus formed. Patriotic music parents sang and cried, threw themselves into the anti-Japanese salvation movement, and created a series of songs. After the September 18 Incident, the earliest anti-Japanese songs such as "Anti-Japanese Song" composed by Huang Zi and "Rising Up to Save the Country" composed by He Andong appeared. Subsequently, anti-war songs mushroomed and continued to develop on the land of China, and in this stage, anti-Japanese songs mainly undertook two missions: indictment and awakening.

The use of songs to express "we hold the greatest hatred" and the expression of anger against the Japanese Kou have become a distinct theme, as Tian Han said in "Remembrance of Nie Er": "The greatness of Nie Er is that he expresses the incomparable anger of the Chinese people against the enemy of the nation through musical language." "On the Songhua River" tells the story-like narrative language of "hometown" and "father", and depicts the tragic picture of the people leaving their hometowns after the fall of Northeast China. "National Shame Memorial Song" directly appeals to the people's indignation against the Japanese Kou in a sonorous and powerful rhythm, "aircraft bombs were thrown, innocent people were slaughtered, and blood stained everywhere." When exposing the atrocities of the Japanese invaders, it aroused the awakening and sense of resistance of the suffering masses to "know shame and then be brave." The "Song of Resistance against the Enemy" sings: "The strong man enters the Kou and is violent, and he will take revenge for the eternal resistance to the enemy!" "The Flag Is Fluttering" is generous and high: "Rise up and unite, the flag is fluttering!" The melody of "Graduation Song" is sonorous and filled with righteous indignation: "We have to be masters to fight to the death on the battlefield, we don't want to be slaves and go straight up!" ”

In 1935, the Japanese and Kosovo pointed the spearhead of aggression at North China, and the North China Incident further deepened the crisis of the Chinese nation. At this time, the anti-war songs also developed in the direction of scale, collectivization, and integration with the masses. A series of organizational associations, such as the People's Singing Society, the Anti-Japanese Salvation Amateur Choir, and the Songwriters Association, were quickly established, and "various types of singing organizations have sprung up like mushrooms." It has become the trend of the times to use songs to stimulate the nation's awareness of the War of Resistance. Xiao Youmei mentioned in "The Power of Music": "The rhythm of music can direct the largest masses and unify the actions of the entire nation. In "On the Music of National Defense", Lü Ji shouted out the slogan of "jointly engaging in the work of saving the country through music" and tried to unite people in the music circles of the whole country to work together and fight together.

The songs of this period call for the formation of a sense of national unity and resistance. Patriotic national salvation music gives songwriting a new connotation, "During the War of Resistance, we were not allowed to have our own works of 'art for art's sake'. Composers should produce a large number of anti-war songs to enhance the mood of anti-war." The use of music to express the anti-Japanese discourse has become the need of the times, "an oppressed nation can not lack the song of salvation."

02

Advocacy and mobilization

In 1937, the Japanese launched the Lugou Bridge Incident, and the ambition to destroy China was clearly revealed. Under the anti-Japanese national united front advocated by the Communist Party of China, a wave of national resistance was set off. Under the trend of this era, the songs of the War of Resistance also flourished, playing a role in propagating the anti-Japanese united front, mobilizing the whole nation to resist the war, and opposing surrender.

First, mobilize the whole nation to resist the war. "Ballad of the Great Wall" expresses the will of compatriots across the country to jointly build a "Great Wall" and the ambition to resist foreign humiliation, "forty million compatriots are the same, the new Great Wall is long". Many songs put national consciousness and national consciousness in the first place. As far as the way of singing is concerned, there have been huge choral songs, such as "Yellow River Chorus", "Song of Sending Cotton Clothes", "Graduation to the Front Line", "Children of the Motherland", "Rural Women's Salvation Song", etc. The anti-war songs draw a magnificent picture of the nation's war of resistance with beating notes. As He Luting said: "Turn music into weapons, arm tens of millions of compatriots, mobilize tens of millions of compatriots, and fight heroically to expel Japanese bandits." ”

Second, it preaches the common war of resistance under the united front of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. "The March of the Great Knife" is directly expressed in the chest, expressing the joy of the arrival of the national war of resistance and the determination to resolutely drive out the invaders. "Song of Eight Hundred Heroes" praises the heroes of the War of Resistance and publicizes the exemplary power for the people, and "Go to the Enemy's Rear" directly expresses the affirmation of the two battlefields to resist the enemy together.

Third, while praising the whole nation's War of Resistance, the songs of the War of Resistance also gave merciless criticism to the traitors seeking glory and the surrender of traitors at that time. The "Salvation March" sings: "Down with the traitorous lackeys, the muzzle of the gun is shooting outward!" "Fighting and Killing The Traitor" sings: "The big traitor betrays the country and collaborates with the enemy, the little traitor sells himself as a dog, the middle traitor surrenders as a thief, and the quasi-traitor compromises and seeks peace." In particular, Wang Jingwei defected to Japan, set up another puppet government, and the anti-war songs directly insulted his name, such as "Down with Wang Jingwei" composed by Xian Xinghai and lyrics by Xiao San, and Lou Ping refilled the words "Down with the Traitors" with "Down with the Great Powers" as the tone.

After the outbreak of the All-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Liu Xue'an expressed the ideal of popularizing patriotic music in "Battle Song": "Not only in the city, but also in every small village, there should be a song of salvation, and then we can fulfill our responsibilities." Under the anti-Japanese national united front, the anti-war songs sang in and around the Great Wall of China, in the north and south of the great river, in every rural corner, as Feng Zikai said: "Where there are people, there are anti-war songs." The song became a charge trumpet that resounded throughout the land of Shenzhou.

Praise and expectation

The battlefield behind enemy lines led by the Communist Party of China became the main battlefield against the Japanese army, playing the role of a mainstay and becoming the hope of the War of Resistance. The anti-Japanese war songs led by the Communist Party of China also showed new characteristics of continuous development, mainly in praising the anti-Japanese regime led by the Communist Party of China, the battlefield behind enemy lines, and the active participation of ordinary people in the War of Resistance.

First, it praises large-scale production and political power building in the border areas. In the extremely difficult environment of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region launched a vigorous military-civilian large-scale production movement. "Large-scale Production of The Military and the People" sings: "The Eighth Route Army, do it yourself, have enough food and clothing, step up production, and fight for the War of Resistance," showing the great practice of the Communist Party in leading the military and the people, mobilizing the masses, and launching a large-scale production movement. In addition, the Communist Party of China has also carried out democratic construction in the government of the border region and consolidated the relations between the military and the people, and the "Song of Democratic Regime" sings: "We are cadres who resolutely hold the democratic regime, and we must have the idea of political foresight and progress." "Electing Good People to Be Officials" sang: "Nowadays, the people must take charge of political affairs, and the people have the right to choose," singing another world in the border areas under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Second, praise the masses of the people for their war of resistance. Mao Zedong stressed: "Soldiers and civilians are the foundation of victory." This famous statement reveals the decisive role of the masses of the people in winning or losing the war. In the battlefield behind enemy lines, the Communist Party of China let go of the masses and the military and the people fought together. In the wave of the all-people war of resistance, many songs calling on the people to participate in the war were produced, and the lyrics were simple and straightforward. "Unity is Strength" embodies the fighting spirit of the Eighth Route Army and the common people shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart, and adherence to the War of Resistance. "Go to the Soldier" sings: "Call the fellow, pick up your gun!" Run to the battlefield. For example, "The General Mobilization of the People", "Song of the Self-Defense Forces", "Militia War", "Authentic Battle Song", "Singing Two Little Cowherds", and many other songs praising the masses show that a vast ocean of people's war has been formed in the battlefield behind enemy lines.

Third, it praises the central position of the Communist Party of China in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Created in the most difficult years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China" responded to Mao Zedong's call for propaganda to carry out propaganda that "without the Communist Party, there would be no New China.", and in "Supporting the Communist Party of China", "Children do not leave their mothers, melons do not leave their seedlings, and the Chinese people cannot do without the Communist Party" vividly express the close relationship between the Communist Party of China and the people whose blood is thicker than water. During this period, songs praising the leaders of the Communist Party also appeared, such as "Dongfang Hong" and "Our Leader Mao Zedong", which expressed that the core position of the CPC in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and carried the expectations of the Chinese people.

"If you want to know the road, you must first be history", history is the best textbook. On the occasion of the study and education of party history carried out by the whole party in the centenary of the founding of the party, General Secretary Xi Jinping particularly emphasized that "we must pay attention to the innovation of methods and methods." With its unique spreading power, appeal and penetration, the anti-war songs have lasted for a long time, showing the feelings of patriotism and nationalism, shaping and strengthening the sense of the Chinese national community, and casting the red culture and red genes of the Chinese nation. Reminiscing about the past years and singing passionate songs is more grounded, so that the study of party history can touch the situation of history.

(Author Affilications:Public Art Education Center, Chinese Min University)

Follow us