"You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" (sometimes "You've Got to Be Taught" or "Carefully Taught") is a show tune from the 1949 in music, 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre, musical ''South Pacific (musical), South Pacific''.
''South Pacific'' received scrutiny for its commentary regarding relationships between different Race (classification of human beings), races and ethnic groups. In particular, "You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught" was subject to widespread criticism, judged by some to be too controversial or downright inappropriate for the musical stage. Sung by the character Lieutenant Cable, the song is preceded by a line saying racism is "not born in you! It happens after you’re born..."
Rodgers and Hammerstein risked the entire ''South Pacific'' venture in light of legislative challenges to its decency or supposed Communist agenda. While the show was on a tour of the Southern United States, lawmakers in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia introduced a bill outlawing entertainment containing "an underlying philosophy inspired by Moscow."
[Most (2000), "You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught," 307.] One legislator said that "a song justifying interracial marriage was implicitly a threat to the American way of life."
Rodgers and Hammerstein defended their work resolutely. James Michener, upon whose stories ''South Pacific'' was based, recalled, "The authors replied stubbornly that this number represented why they had wanted to do this play, and that even if it meant the failure of the production, it was going to stay in."
Cover versions
The song has been covered by Michael Johnson (known for his acoustic guitar arrangements) on his landmark 1973 LP ‘’There is a Breeze’’; Iain Matthews on his 1979 LP ''Stealin' Home (album), Stealin' Home''; by Barbra Streisand on her ''Live in Concert 2006'' album; by John Pizzarelli on his 2008 album ''With a Song in My Heart (John Pizzarelli album), With a Song in My Heart''; by Billy Porter (entertainer), Billy Porter on his 2017 album ''The Soul of Richard Rodgers''; and by James Taylor on his 2020 album ''American Standard (James Taylor album), American Standard''. Musical theatre veteran Alvin Ing performed the song in his final public performance before his death in 2021, as a way to protest the increased violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
Bibliography
* Andrea Most
"‘You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught’: The Politics of Race in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific" ''Theatre Journal'' 52, no. 3 (October 2000), 306.
{{Tales of the South Pacific
1949 songs
Songs against racism and xenophobia
Songs from South Pacific (musical)
Songs with music by Richard Rodgers
Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II