Perhaps rock and roll's most formative years were between 1945 and 1964. It is evident that the social climate of this period shaped the music. However, music also shaped the social climate. The musical meaning of songs from this era is essential to understanding the social implications of music. On a primitive level, a song's lyrics provide insight into its musical meaning. However, lyrics often paint an incomplete picture of a song's true social meaning. By studying other factors, such as the instruments, melody, and the artists themselves, one can better understand the musical meaning of a song. Through this analysis, common themes such as sex, drugs and race relations are usually found. The 2004 film Ray chronicles the life of Ray Charles. The film takes place from 1948 to 1979 and embodies the social impact of Ray Charles' music. It shows how society shaped Ray Charles' music, and how Ray Charles and his music shaped society. One of the highlights of the film was the importance of music to Ray Charles. The raw passion that Ray Charles shows for his music adds to the musical significance of his work. A Ray Charles song with important musical significance is "What'd I Say." The lyrics of this song provide a starting point for an analysis of the musical meaning of the song. In the movie Ray, after recording "What'd I Say," the producer says, "It's just too sexual for kids." » This quote illustrates an important social aspect surrounding the song "What'd I Say." It's a phenomenon that appears in post-war rhythm and blues music, the generation gap. One of the ways middle-aged teenagers rebelled against their parents was through music. Acco...... middle of paper ...... Georgia, as the film Ray depicts, segregation in Georgia was present. The fact that, in a state where blacks and whites could not even drink from the same chosen fountain, a state song sung by a black man shows great progress in race relations. This is best summed up in the film Ray, "Ray Charles changed American culture by touching people's hearts" (Ray, 2:24:05). It is clear that music has shaped the social climate and the social climate has shaped the music. . By analyzing the musical significance of songs from the era, one can gain insight into post-war society. Post-war music helped create a generation gap and was ultimately a precursor to the civil revolution of the sixties. Given the severity of social changes inspired by music, it is evident that musicianship plays a vital role in shaping culture..