This study investigates the shifting meanings invested in the ragtime song “A Hot Time in the Old Time, Tonight” at the turn of the twentieth century. Complicating the tune's place in the canon of military, political, and national anthems was its associations with “vice,” black culture, and white supremacy. By mapping the ritual and representational uses of the song, this investigation demonstrates how “A Hot Time” served paradoxical functions that simultaneously affirmed and unsettled American exceptionalism. In doing so, this article traces the processes of obfuscation whereby black musical traditions and white supremacy defined America's distinctive national identity.

中文翻译：

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嚎叫“热时间”：进步时代的矛盾国歌

这项研究调查了 20 世纪初拉格泰姆歌曲“A Hot Time in the Old Time, Tonight”所赋予的不断变化的意义。使这首曲子在军事、政治和国歌经典中的地位复杂化的是它与“恶习”、黑人文化和白人至上主义的联系。通过绘制歌曲的仪式和代表性用途，这项调查展示了“A Hot Time”如何发挥矛盾的功能，同时肯定和不安美国的例外主义。在此过程中，本文追溯了黑人音乐传统和白人至上定义美国独特的民族身份的混淆过程。