Relationships

Institutions

The relation between National Day Songs and institutions is manifested in the education system. It is almost a ritual on the eve of National Day for every school in Singapore to celebrate with mass dances, singing and other types performances that involve the songs. The National Day Songs are sometimes learned a few days before the celebration so that the whole school can sing collectively. In the music videos of some of the National Day Songs, students are usually portrayed as significant to the society. In addition, notions of youth are always prevalent in the songs by adopting hip-hop, rap and rock genres and using images of youths and sports people.

There are also signs of rapport between National Day Songs and religious institutions. Churches, according to Christian beliefs, are to submit to governing authorities. The structure of charismatic Christian churches is also parallel to the authoritarian state structure (Goh, 1999). Hence, National Day Songs have been inculcated on the service of many churches, together with prayers and sermons with bible references.

Other Culture

The link between National Day Songs and other cultures is most evident in the cross section with video culture. Music video has the privilege of arousing senses of audience making National Day Songs a popular culture. Mintz (1983) stated, “the aesthetic quality of work… may be relevant to the work’s popularity, to its effectiveness as communication, and to its significance.” Thus, it is significant that the songs are made into music videos so that the aesthetic effect may be produced. The audience would not just remember the melodies and lyrics of the songs but also images that accompany these songs. Therefore, it is a powerful way to engage the viewers.

Past

Needless to say, the history of Singapore is important in this form of popular culture. National Day Songs are composed for the purpose of creating national identity and reinforce nation building. It is thus not surprising that re-enactments of Singapore's historical events are usually included in the National Day Songs' music videos. Scenes such as Chinese coolies working, Lee Kuan Yew giving speeches about merger and separation, and people working hard for the economy in the late 1960s onwards are common in the music videos. When the modern individuals watch these music videos, they are reminded of their national identity and sense of belonging. Lyrics of these songs to illustrate the past experiences of Singapore are further elaborated in the "Analysis" section.