The Transnational History of “Oh Lord, Why Lord”: The Blackening and Whitening of Spanish Baroque Pop
Abstract
The Pop Tops song “Oh Lord, Why Lord” (1968) is a classic of Spanish popular music of the last 60 years, and features in numerous collections released since then. This article identifies the many covers of this song made in a range of countries so far, and analyses the various changes that its lyrics and musical arrangement undergo. The majority of such covers are by musicians of African descent, attracted to the lyrics’ exploration in the first person of how it feels to be a victim of racial discrimination. These artists add to the song their own musical features, such as reggae rhythms or gospel instrumentation, an action which I label “blackening”. Conversely, the song has also been covered by a number of white artists, drawn to its attractive melody (based on Pachelbel’s Canon). These deal with its lyrical content and introduce musical elements in ways which erase or appropriate its original meaning (a phenomenon which I call ‘whitening’). In this way, Spain is located as a nexus of global musical exchange that exemplifies what Isabelle Marc calls “travelling music” and which participates in the Black Atlantic space explored by Paul Gilroy.Downloads
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