I like to think of myself as a dedicated musician. My music will, by no means, ever make a life for me but I enjoy playing my guitars without reason. This leads me to my latest thoughts of society's failure:
The evolution of music!
Music is simply not what it used to be. In the past, music was about the lyrics. The lyrics connected to people on personal levels, lead them into a state of imagination or a new world, perhaps it even gave them a false reality or a better view of a true reality. But the fact is, music was designed based on its lyrics. I'd say that today's version of music is much less about the purity of the lyrics or the connection to the lyrics. I'd instead argue that it revolves around intensity, pumping up its listeners, or, worse than any other reason: being catchy.
Oh how I hate those catchy songs where the lyrics have no true value... and sometimes lack any meaning, but they do stick in your head like that annoying little wasp that won't leave but you can't seem to swat fast enough.
For these reasons, I listen to a lot of older stuff, old and new blues, old and new jazz and country. I went through a long stage of heavy metal, rock, all that good stuff. I still listen to Metallica just as much as I ever did, and Avenged Sevenfold fills my blood with what can only be defined as pure awesomeness (it's enough of a word to count). I enjoy going to metal concerts, I enjoy the heavy, brutal nature of the music and I enjoy the moshpits which leave me in so much pain the next day, but were so worth it the night before. Having said that, I do not sit at home moshing by myself. Instead, I like to turn on some BB King or some classic John Coltrane and I like to let the music guide my thoughts. I listen to music such as Metallica or Avenged Sevenfold, and sure, it gets me pumped and I'm ready to play sports or workout or have a good time, but I can't think things over while listening to them. If I want to think, I've found that the best remedy is Explosions in the Sky (which I realize is modern music, but instrumentals never lose their feel) or a bit of Medeski, Martin & Wood. And you can never go wrong with a good dose of Johnny Cash to ease the mind.
Don't get me wrong, I do listen to current music. I love stuff like Jack Johnson, Johnny Reid and I love the Foo Fighters. But if you listen to their lyrics, they hold more substance than new, catchy tunes do. I would, however, still argue that they do not hold the same meaning that an old Bob Dylan or a Velvet Underground song would.
I guess music, like so many other things, relies on the time. Our world today is one of technology, speed, we're reverting back to drugs and alcohol without falling into a state of hippy-likeness. We live in a world where we don't like to beat around the bush but we do enjoy having things spoon fed to us; screw metaphors and similes, just tell me whats going on. I guess I'd rather live in an older day, every now and then. Our world is falling apart... hell, it's been falling apart for decades. But I'd rather be at the start of our destruction than at the end.
Don Maclean was right about one thing:
The music died.
What he didn't know was that the day the music died lasted over a span of many years. We've successfully completed the destruction the day that Nirvana no longer existed, and New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys tickets sell out in mere minutes.
3 comments:
So true!
Music managed to sell back then, despite the fact that it was more substantial- I'm not sure why they decided 'we must have bubblegum lyrics from now on!'
Silly music industry.
Bob Dylan + Johnny Cash + Velvet Underground = awesomeness
Let's get something straight about Nirvana here... Kurt Cobain is considered a tragic hero whose life became legendary after suffering through abuse, drugs and depression. His lyrics and music are amazing, and he is one of the best artists of our time. That being said, I don't believe that he actually is a tragic hero. He contributed amazing music, but it is his persona that was amplified after his death. People forget the bad, and desperately hold on to the good. It's as comparable to another great frontman, Jim Morrison.
New music doesn't have good lyrics... it sucks actually. But it's about tunes, catchiness and marketability (hey, PussyCat dolls suck, but they're considered hot). There is some awesome new music with great lyrics out there, but you won't hear it on the radio. I'm talking about Jack Johnson, Foo Fighters (music is an evolution. No Cobain death, no Foo), City & Colour, Sam Roberts, Sloan, and my personal fav, The Tragically Hip.
I like the Hip because of their lyrics. They're poetic, sincere, and have so many meanings. One of the times I met the band, another fan asked Gord Downie (lead singer) what lyrics meant in a certain song. Gord looked at him and said "What do they mean to you?" and then he just walked away. I was mad at the other fan for asking such a stupid question and making Gord leave. Lyrics are what You make of them... but the opportunity to make them your own have to be there.
The music didn't die after Kurt Cobain, it just went into hiding.
I'd agree that there are still the few that support lyrics creating the song, and I'd agree with the bands you said.
But I have to stay pessimistic in this situation and attempt to accept the sad reality that music will never be what it once was. That might not necessarily be a bad thing, but it is unfortunate. I do think that lyrics will one day overcome the suppression they are experiencing, but that day is not today. This fact saddens me.
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