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And Rock 'n' Roll. Quite distant from the sounds of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and other groups that are firmly a part of the Rock 'n' Roll from the era, there is nonetheless a certain rhythm and feel to this song that makes it a peripheral form of Rock 'n' Roll, and of the more popular songs of the style and the era (Eder 2011). It is also somewhat unusual in its message, not simply because it reflects on a rather laid back and relaxed position rather than a specific event, emotion, interest, etc. -- other songs have accomplished this feat as well -- but because of the particular angle from which this position is presented.
The idea of just kicking back and relaxing has been the subject of many different songs, and at first listen The Drifters' hit doesn't seem to be much different. In "Up on the Roof," however, the lyrics and even the melody suggest that the feeling of peaceful relaxation is not actually all that ideal, but is in fact necessary as an escape from all of the hurry and worry of society: "On the roof it's peaceful as can be / And there the world blow can't bother me" (Goffin & King 1963). The roof is not really a "Paradise that's trouble proof" by its own merits, but specifically because it is located "smack dab in the middle of town" and is there when "this world starts getting you down" -- it is an urban haven away...
This song can be seen as a direct response to the growing urbanization that was taking place in the country during this period, and hints at the social problems that both population density and the increasing information inundating everyone as television and radio programming proliferated (such as the line, "When….people are just too much for me to face," as an example) (Goffin & King 1963).
Conclusion
If music is reflective of the society that makes it, the music of a fragmented society must be somewhat fragmented itself. The Drifters' song "Up on the Roof" exemplifies one aspect of fragmentation in mid-twentieth century American society. The problems of density and information inundation have only worsened since, yet peaceful rooftops seem to be scarcer.
References
Eder, B. (2011). The Drifters. Accessed 11 August 2011. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-drifters-p4136/biography
Goffin, G. & King, C. (1963). Up on the Roof. Accessed 11 August 2011. http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/the_drifters/up_on_the_roof.html
Lindinger, M. (2010). American Society in the '50s and '60s. Accessed 11 August 2011. http://sites.google.com/site/mrslindinger/Home/american-studies-ii-2/unit-vii-the-50s-and-60s
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