What Is The Mood Of The 1954 Song 'Get That Communist, Joe'
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The Cold War was an era that instilled fear among the American people. Propaganda, fear tactics, and new laws were created to deter people from joining the Communist agenda. People out there believed that the Soviet Union was out to get them and convert them to Communism. Therefore many Americans, afraid of the lower class starting an uprising, watched their backs and looked out for any signs that someone could be trying to ruin the American dream by being a Communist. This was the beginning of the Second Red Scare, which is also called McCarthyism. Joe McCarthy, a Wisconsin senator, used fear of Communist espionage, which led to many people being blacklisted and arrested and accused for being associated with the Communist party. The 1954 song, “Get That Communist, Joe” by The Kavaliers is a reaction to this situation, and is a satirical take on how people react to Communists and how effortless it was back then to get anyone arrested for being Communist.…show more content… The man claims to have a tip for McCarthy, that they see a man “with the red suspenders driving that car with the bright red fenders” (Lines 3-4). The color red has been associated with the color for communism, beginning with the Red Army in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Therefore, during these Red Scares, someone could be accused of being a Communist by doing something as simple as wearing too much red. Since this color has been associated with communism for years, it would make the arrest process easier, and they could have potential proof that the person has been a member of the Communist Party. Yet, most people who were accused of being a Communist were often imprisoned because the interrogations are so difficult to get through that many would simply confess, even if they were innocent.