Music As a Means of Resistance : Rhetorical Analysis of Three Ukrainian Wartime Songs

Abstract: This study delves into Ukrainian wartime songs of resistance that were inspired by the ‘Russian warship’ slogan. Langer (1953) believes that songs can express emotions that language alone fails to convey. Dynamic interaction of music and lyrics slows down, arrests, and intensifies images and moods. Through a rhetorical analysis grounded in Sellnow and Sellnow’s (2010) model, this paper explores epideictic purpose of the selected songs by studying linguistic and aesthetic symbols, with the focus on a semiotic analysis of intertextuality.  The findings reveal the diverse perspectives on resistance in three distinctive songs. Botashe’s composition inspires people to resist by making fun of and demeaning the enemy. Sage’s composition draws a comparison between Russians and Ukrainians, underscoring the quiet dignity of the latter. Finally, Burla’s composition makes an emotional appeal, focusing on pain of betrayal, sadness of loss, and readiness to bury the brother turned enemy. Given the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the exploration of music’s role in this context remains underexplored. This study contributes to our understanding of the emotive power of music in disseminating messages of resistance and opens doors for future research on music activism in times of conflict.