Protest Songs and Such

These protest songs follow a path of no one is going to hold us back and we are going to persevere and keep on fighting for what we want to do. This is present in "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round", because the singer keeps singing that nobody is going to "turn me 'round" (pg. 44). This means that no one is going to get in his way, and later on, he talks about marching up to the freedom land, so the song is essentially about how no one is going to stop him from trying to get to the freedom land. This ties in especially with the character "Stackolee", who doesn't let anything get in the way of what he wants, including the devil.
The song "We Shall Overcome" is also about no one holding you back from what you want, but it also sends the message that the singers (presumably black slaves) will eventually overcome these hard times. This loosely refers back to the folklore of Brier Rabbit who would always get into some sort of mischief, but in the end he would come out on top and outsmart the fox. The song also refers to the slave song, in which it would have a simple rhythm, a steady beat, and an uplifting message to help the slaves keep on going.
Most if not all of these songs and readings are about someone, something, or some group stuck in a bad situation and have to use their minds and their resources to get out of said situation. Whether it be to persevere until the very end or to use their wits to outsmart a fox, nearly each one of these readings represent the "underdog" figuring out a way to come out on top in the end.