By 1969, the United States was on the edge of anarchy. Political debate, military conflict, and social upheaval combined to form a powder keg of American problems. Even though the people found a voice through only the most radical bands at first, by this crucial period, many more musicians were joining the anti-war movement. The Chicago Transit Authority, more commonly known as Chicago, released an album at the climax of American turmoil called Chicago II, which encapsulated the ideas of rebellion and revolt that were widespread at the time.
Chicago’s album spoke the message of the masses. The band made the album with the intentions of directly criticizing American policy in Vietnam, speaking the words of the typical citizen through their Rock and Roll. Robert Lamm, the founding member of the band, wanted to give a voice to the prevailing ideology of the time, to vocalize, as he once said, “the idea of the average person having a certain amount of power, and power…to stand up to the policies of the government and protest the war.” The album even had a special dedication: “With this album we dedicate ourselves, our futures and our energies to the people of the revolution...And the revolution in all its forms.” Chicago had become a politically conscious group, using their music to express the thoughts of the American public.
Two songs from the album particularly stand out as social commentary. “Where Do We Go From Here?” and “It Better End Soon” both have blatant political critiques of the callousness of government, and even the indifference of some of the American population. The first song begs the masses to stand together for peace and use their fervor to create lasting political change. Lamm writes, “Let's all get together soon, before it is too late/ Forget about the past and let your feelings fade away/ If you do I'm sure you'll see the end is not yet near.” He expresses fear and unease at the current state of the world, but he still retains hope for the future. The second song more clearly states Lamm’s stand against the war. He bluntly speaks of the cruelties of war: “The people dying/ Crying for help for so many years/ But nobody hears.” Lamm then directly attacks the government for its immorality, claiming that “The big heads of state/ Won't let us be free/ They made the rules once/ But it didn't work out/ Now we must try again.” Grounding his faith in the people, Lamm sings on about making a change in the world and improving the lives of posterity.
The band Chicago and their second self-titled album is yet another brilliant example of American freedom of expression. Through song, Chicago was able to give a voice to the many disgruntled citizens who wished for change. Their actions and lyrics epitomized the resilience of the human spirit when faced with a crisis, and the morality of those who wish to bring about peace in the world.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sixties and Seventies Anti-War Songs
Feel free to comment with the names of any good songs from this period that you know. There are a lot them out there, and it's very likely I missed some of the best songs of the era, so if you have any ideas, let me know. Thanks
Barry Maguire's "Eve of Destruction"
America has long valued its system of personal rights and civil liberties. Arguably the most cherished, and at times, the most hotly controversial form of expression is freedom of speech. While the federal government has, at times, effectively hindered the common citizen’s right to an opinion, history has proven that the voice of the masses will find some outlet, and the complaints of the nation will be vocalized. In his song “Eve of Destruction,” Barry Maguire speaks from the perspective of the average American, using poetic devices to develop his criticism of the world at large.
Maguire begins the song with several contemporary allusions to set the time period and topic. He states, “The eastern world, it is exploding,” referring to the Vietnam War raging overseas. Directly disapproving of the federal voting policy, Maguire sings, “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,” with a heavy tone of sarcasm. He mocks the hypocrisy of the nation with a paradox: “You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’.” He also uses basic alliteration as a means of expressing his frustrations and worries, asking, “Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?” Alluding to the destructiveness of war, as well as nuclear proliferation, Maguire states that “If the button is pushed, then there’s no running away/ There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave.” This quote is also a prime example of assonance, which makes the didactic verse rhythmic and catchy.
Maguire continues with a series of critical allusions to the country’s moral shortcomings. In one stanza, he attacks the government, filled with “senators [who] don’t pass legislation,” and the prevailing racism of the time (“marches alone can’t bring integration/ When human respect is disintegratin’”). Maguire compares “all the hate there is in Red China” with the violence incurred by the civil rights marches of Selma, Alabama. He is censuring the prejudice of intolerant Americans as a whole with this one historical reference. Identifying once more the hypocritical stance of many citizens, he says, “Hate your…neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” which ironically, yet tragically, points out a widespread failure to practice the morality of one’s faith.
Maguire’s words still resonate with modern day issues in a very profound and applicable way. The world, it seems, is perpetually perched on the “eve of destruction,” swaying precariously between chaos and order. Thankfully, there are voices like that of Barry Maguire to tilt the globe onto the side of reason and sanity.
Maguire begins the song with several contemporary allusions to set the time period and topic. He states, “The eastern world, it is exploding,” referring to the Vietnam War raging overseas. Directly disapproving of the federal voting policy, Maguire sings, “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,” with a heavy tone of sarcasm. He mocks the hypocrisy of the nation with a paradox: “You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’.” He also uses basic alliteration as a means of expressing his frustrations and worries, asking, “Can’t you feel the fears that I’m feeling today?” Alluding to the destructiveness of war, as well as nuclear proliferation, Maguire states that “If the button is pushed, then there’s no running away/ There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave.” This quote is also a prime example of assonance, which makes the didactic verse rhythmic and catchy.
Maguire continues with a series of critical allusions to the country’s moral shortcomings. In one stanza, he attacks the government, filled with “senators [who] don’t pass legislation,” and the prevailing racism of the time (“marches alone can’t bring integration/ When human respect is disintegratin’”). Maguire compares “all the hate there is in Red China” with the violence incurred by the civil rights marches of Selma, Alabama. He is censuring the prejudice of intolerant Americans as a whole with this one historical reference. Identifying once more the hypocritical stance of many citizens, he says, “Hate your…neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” which ironically, yet tragically, points out a widespread failure to practice the morality of one’s faith.
Maguire’s words still resonate with modern day issues in a very profound and applicable way. The world, it seems, is perpetually perched on the “eve of destruction,” swaying precariously between chaos and order. Thankfully, there are voices like that of Barry Maguire to tilt the globe onto the side of reason and sanity.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Relection of Culture in Pop Music
Consider the subject matter, content and point of view of today's top songs and identify lines which contain poetic merit. What do these songs, as a whole, say about our modern American culture? In particular, what do these songs say about your generation as the greatest consumers of music media? How are gender roles represented in popular music? How is success measured?
The majority of today’s most popular songs feature the same themes that have been so often used in the past. Love and passion are always relevant ideas, and they continue to serve as the subject matter for modern songs, but in a much different way than they once did. Also, some of the most popular songs are sung by young singers, such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Lyrics that glorify the experience of young adulthood tend to create the most publicity, and many of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Hits concern partying and, in general, enjoying life. Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling,” and Drake’s “Forever” perfectly exemplify modern’s music attitude towards love, parties, and success, while still retaining varying degrees of poetic merit.
From a literary standpoint, much of today’s music is lacking the lyricism and eloquence of the songs from previous generations. For example, the song “I Gotta Feeling” accomplishes little in the field of poetic devices aside from basic alliteration, as in “tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” Also, the song features an element of humor, but it is largely just another song to dance and sing along with. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” on the other hand, uses a great deal of poetic devices. Her use of repetition effectively displays her emotions, as the subject matter is especially relatable and relevant to the high school demographic. Mixing alliteration (“typical Tuesday,” “short skirts,” “high heels”) with a masterfully sophisticated rhyme scheme, Swift catches the ear of the young listener with a poetic and realistic song. Drake’s song “Forever” portrays the stereotypical measure of success while using rhetoric. He brags about his wealth, metaphorically stating that he is “swimming in the money.” Also, he alludes to Malcolm X while referring to his skill and reputation as a rap artist: “Labels want my name beside the X like Malcolm/ Everybody got a deal, I did it without one.” Featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, the song contains a diverse style of rhyming. In one line, Lil Wayne combines a metaphor with assonance, saying, “My mind shines even when my thoughts seem dark.” The song “Forever” uses a wide range of poeticism to convey the theme of success.
Taking a step back, these songs illustrate that our society has turned away from slower paces to quicker beats and faster rhymes. It seems that a song’s ability to be danced to or song along with is the determining factor in its popularity, and, though many acclaimed albums are socially relevant and topical, the message of a song no longer appeals to the majority of Americans. Even if a song does have a traditional theme, as in Swift’s depiction of classic young love, there must be a minimum standard of modern musicality to it. Even if a song is about nothing in particular, it could still be a success if it can compete with the other up-tempo on the charts. Though music is now far more readily accessible than it was twenty, or even ten years ago, I believe that my generation consumes music media so much more than any other because music has become so ingrained in our cultural psyche. Hearing music on a daily basis is unavoidable, and since there is so very much music out there, at such handy and affordable outlets, that any given person would have absolutely no trouble finding something he/she likes.
Gender roles are one negative aspect of modern music. In many popular rap and hip-hop songs, women, especially young women, are made out to be subservient to men. Depicted frequently as prostitutes or the like, women are exploited for their sexuality, while men are glorified for these sexual conquests. This concept leads directly into the idea of being “successful” as shown in modern music. Many songs hint at, or even frankly state, that to have more women is to be a more accomplished person. Also, one must be affluent and well-known to have achieved anything in life. These inclinations are completely untrue and should not be perpetuated by the music industries. Although popular music has very much to offer the world, it should be cautious when exercising its powerful influence, especially in regard to the youth of the world.
The majority of today’s most popular songs feature the same themes that have been so often used in the past. Love and passion are always relevant ideas, and they continue to serve as the subject matter for modern songs, but in a much different way than they once did. Also, some of the most popular songs are sung by young singers, such as Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Lyrics that glorify the experience of young adulthood tend to create the most publicity, and many of Billboard’s Top 100 Music Hits concern partying and, in general, enjoying life. Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” The Black Eyed Pea’s “I Gotta Feeling,” and Drake’s “Forever” perfectly exemplify modern’s music attitude towards love, parties, and success, while still retaining varying degrees of poetic merit.
From a literary standpoint, much of today’s music is lacking the lyricism and eloquence of the songs from previous generations. For example, the song “I Gotta Feeling” accomplishes little in the field of poetic devices aside from basic alliteration, as in “tonight’s gonna be a good good night.” Also, the song features an element of humor, but it is largely just another song to dance and sing along with. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me,” on the other hand, uses a great deal of poetic devices. Her use of repetition effectively displays her emotions, as the subject matter is especially relatable and relevant to the high school demographic. Mixing alliteration (“typical Tuesday,” “short skirts,” “high heels”) with a masterfully sophisticated rhyme scheme, Swift catches the ear of the young listener with a poetic and realistic song. Drake’s song “Forever” portrays the stereotypical measure of success while using rhetoric. He brags about his wealth, metaphorically stating that he is “swimming in the money.” Also, he alludes to Malcolm X while referring to his skill and reputation as a rap artist: “Labels want my name beside the X like Malcolm/ Everybody got a deal, I did it without one.” Featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, the song contains a diverse style of rhyming. In one line, Lil Wayne combines a metaphor with assonance, saying, “My mind shines even when my thoughts seem dark.” The song “Forever” uses a wide range of poeticism to convey the theme of success.
Taking a step back, these songs illustrate that our society has turned away from slower paces to quicker beats and faster rhymes. It seems that a song’s ability to be danced to or song along with is the determining factor in its popularity, and, though many acclaimed albums are socially relevant and topical, the message of a song no longer appeals to the majority of Americans. Even if a song does have a traditional theme, as in Swift’s depiction of classic young love, there must be a minimum standard of modern musicality to it. Even if a song is about nothing in particular, it could still be a success if it can compete with the other up-tempo on the charts. Though music is now far more readily accessible than it was twenty, or even ten years ago, I believe that my generation consumes music media so much more than any other because music has become so ingrained in our cultural psyche. Hearing music on a daily basis is unavoidable, and since there is so very much music out there, at such handy and affordable outlets, that any given person would have absolutely no trouble finding something he/she likes.
Gender roles are one negative aspect of modern music. In many popular rap and hip-hop songs, women, especially young women, are made out to be subservient to men. Depicted frequently as prostitutes or the like, women are exploited for their sexuality, while men are glorified for these sexual conquests. This concept leads directly into the idea of being “successful” as shown in modern music. Many songs hint at, or even frankly state, that to have more women is to be a more accomplished person. Also, one must be affluent and well-known to have achieved anything in life. These inclinations are completely untrue and should not be perpetuated by the music industries. Although popular music has very much to offer the world, it should be cautious when exercising its powerful influence, especially in regard to the youth of the world.
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