Beth Messner

ABSTRACT This research offers an ethno-musicological content analysis of country hate music from the 1960s. This analysis explains hate motivation in music by examining lyrics and musical themes in 23 songs. This research considers how white racial extremists use music to advance their goals and movement objectives through lyrics that dehumanize African-Americans and create imagery of white unity and solidarity. Most of the scholarly literature on "hate music" examines bands from the 1970s, such as the English band Skrewdriver, and hate-motivated heavy metal and racist skinhead music (Cotter). This study breaks new ground by examining an all-but-ignored time period in the history of the music of white racial extremists.