Lyrics Talk Reality?

Eminem lyrics talk about hate, anger, distress, love, killing and so much more, but that does really shows our reality? I hardly accept this. Of course lyrics can transcend boundaries, barriers, ideologies, social statuesque and many more. It can convince rivals to unite, it can disturb homogeneity, it conveys an intention, and it can depict anger, frustration, unjust. It is always difficult to say lyrics we hear represent our reality. In a single music we can find stack of lyrics with lots of contradictions, the artist’s opinion or belief, his/her own experience which may be exceptional. A musician who portrays his ex-wife as a rival for death, by no means accepted in any social standard. We must not forget that some artistes intentions for capitalizing financial ceiling by being exceptional with odd styles and lyric connotations. To be accepted with the set apart groups, age categories, ideologies they transmit messages that knock down the group mind setups. Of course this may not be their reality. On the flip side of coin lyrics can easily bypass wronging for better. It can unite uncompromised views and ideologies. We have seen music can bring social change for better, for creating awareness, for mobilizing society. The art has both ears and eyes. The imagination, the memory it creates can be dear to our heart. Sometimes a single line is vocal in telling our reality. It creates imagination for reaching every beat of heart. In between the two extremis, music lyrics can be fun, that doesn’t have any value than relaxation, in some music we can find pile of lyrics that doesn’t have sensual meaning than just bunch of words scrambled in a crowd. But we just enjoy the beat, the wording as nothing but entertainment. In short lyrics can do good or bad, can manipulate or sell an opinion, can be cliché nothing worth than fun.  

Music Across the Border

Music transcends social, cultural and political boundaries. I have seen this in my country. Bahir Dar is a small town, located 400 kilometers from Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia). Bahir Dar is a town surrounded by Lake Tana and rich with astonishing history of civilization and the flourishing of Christianity in 330 AD. The town is also rich with archeological remaining and uniqueness of its culture. Many tourists are in love of the richness this place provides. The central part of the town during the night bestows a safe haven for those who are hungry of its music. Cluster of little houses across the streets pour their melodies from their doors and windows. Who can resist running-off from this? These houses are shelters for anyone who is in love of their music, anyone. For nationals, for foreigners they grant their astonishing melodies. The dancers wear the traditional cloths that are white and colorful at their tip. The drums and the vocals are food for soul. Of course the dancing style is energetic and needs basic training. Who cares, anyone in the room can try and have fun.

On one occasion I was in one of those houses with my friends; a foreigner who even doesn’t understand the language, the words, and the difficult dancing style was in the middle having a great time with the musicians. It was then I realized that music doesn’t have boundaries. Nowadays it is really common to find at least two or three foreigners in those houses; I guess the music has a feeling of belongingness. The foreigners also accustomed of eating the traditional foods and drinks that are not easily adaptable for anyone who is an outsider.  

While I am within the milieu of Ethiopia, on April 1993 part of an Ethiopian province Eritrea had a referendum held for independence. Later in 1998 a border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea aroused. It was during this time that there was massive displacement of people from both countries. Those Eritreans who lived for a long time in Ethiopia were transported and moved to Eritrea, and the same was done on Ethiopians who had lived in Eritrea. The people in the two countries however, were tide-up with culture, blood, and marriage. Those who were displaced, their soul start searching for their belongingness. Only music has the guts to transcend those hostile situations between the two countries. Music that is released in those countries surges and reaches those souls. Musicians are the only ones who have the courage and valor to sing about the love that bonded the two nations. I heard that no one is allowed to hear any Amharic music (Ethiopian Language) in Eritrea, but for the people who endures the love of Ethiopia and her music, this is a tale of the full. It reminds them the wonderful memories they had with their brothers. It shows their resiliency and emotional attachment for the country they are attached with. I hope as music crossed those hostile boundaries, we all one day will cross the delineations sketched by our dictators. One day this will be history and we will unite as one nation as we were.

Moral Responsibility

Moral Responsibility

Musicians are the product of their society that surrounds them. The idea of responsibility therefore is raised, because they are the messengers to the general public they have to be accountable in maintaining social norms and standards that are placed. They have to give due respect to that. This is the idea that puts them to be accountable. As stated in Music And Culture “Musicians, like all artists, do not work in a vacuum, isolated from time and society.” (Tomasino 86). On the other hand Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde agree with “neither art nor artist has a moral responsibility to liberal social causes” (Tomasino 89). On the other hand on the inclination of the idea that musicians are responsible for change Camille Paglia agrees that musicians are responsible in bringing up change in an acceptable or in an undesirable way by the society. As Paglia asserts Madonna has brought a big impact in the realization of feminine phenomena that is the assertion of self control which directs woman to be of themselves while showing their life style in whatever they choice. This is the idea of independency. As these writers noted the idea of liberal social causes rests upon the freedom of an individual in expressing his/her own feeling in whatever way they choice to express it. This idea claims that musicians must not be accountable for any bad outcome in a society; they reflect their view, their freedom of expression. However it is my understanding that any belonging in a community has to be harmonious with its group. A jungle gorilla must abide with its community in order to be part of its group. Let alone human being nature has set to every creature to be harmonious in their belonging. As we know music can strengthen or break its society. Music can hurt or heal its audience. Why? Because it has the power to convince. Those words can speak to the minds of the people. Of course man is free, the right to express his feeling. But this doesn’t mean to cross the fine line delineated in our minds. Whatever that comes out of our mouth, we have to be accountable. It is me who said about it not anyone. So who is going to be blamed… it is solely me. As the Guardian wrote “…  artists have a responsibility. They have a responsibility to themselves, but also to the people who listen to their music; a responsibility to be honest.” I do believe that we as a members of a harmonious society, we have to respect the norms that build our being, had it not been a rule we follow we may not be in a situation we are now, if not in a distraction of ourselves and the people that surrounds us. As having a wide audience musicians have to respect this rule and avoid promoting immorality.

Works Sited

Tomasino, Anna. Music And Culture. New York: A Longman Topics Reader, 2005. Print.

Bizzle , Lethal . "Cameron may still be a doughnut, but he's learning." Music Blog 5 Jul 2007: Web. 25 Mar 2011.   <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2007/jul/05/cameronhasrealisedthatpeop

Parental Advisory Label

Although I believe that record companies should be responsible in providing notices on their products including on the Parental Advisory Label (PAL), for most part however, parents have a decisive role in selecting a material that is appropriate for their life style. As we know parents are the first and most important teachers of their children. Of course all music is not always appropriate for all ages. In general record companies’ label a material with three distinct features in which they assume the material may depict. These are the use of strong language, violence, sex or substance abuse. As we see the matrix covers general aspect, where detail and specific issues may be escaped or ignored. Elements that are most of the time unsuitable for little kids such as bad attitude, frightening and tense music that have ominous nature, heavily dramatic and action-oriented music, profanity content and the like may be over looked while labeling the material. When I say this however, I am not ignoring the steps that the music industry is taking in helping parents to determine what is and is not appropriate for their children.

On the other hand, it is known that different families do have diverse family life styles which are ruled by their own norms.  For instance, cultural morals and standards in a family, and religion can have a significant impact in their preferences. For instance families who are against of witches, monsters, and heroes may not allow such illustrations in their music or music videos even though the material is allowable for all ages. This shows that let alone families, it is even impossible to define each individual situation in which a record label should determine that a sound recording contains unwanted content.

In another note, even if the materials that are allowable for all ages may be interpreted differently from person to person. For instance music lyrics are often subjected to varying interpretations. In addition music that has loud and raspy can be perceived as dreadful, even if the lyrics are proper. Sometimes we even forget to understand the lyrics of music that is accompanied by soft and soothing instruments even though it has poison in it.

In another instance I expect that kids who are forbidden to see and hear materials that contained PAL contents, may be curious to know what is in the material. Remember the time when we were kids we tend to sneak on the materials we were forbidden to touch. Let me remind you the news I heard, a little boy was given a CD from his grandparents as a Christmas gift which they taught it is appropriate for his age by looking on the PG label up front, however the CD turned up to be Black Eyed Peas CD which by mistake recorded in kids CD layout.  His grandparents only seen the label upfront; they didn’t know what is inside. This shows that parents/guardians should take careful attention in providing materials even though materials rated appropriate for their children may have something which is inappropriate. As Parents we have the primary responsibility for instilling our children proper morals and values.

rock and roll is immoral or evil in its nature

I like music especially spiritual songs, I am not that much focused on the genre of the music. I can hear rock and roll, jazz, hip-hope..But I understand there are music that fall in the controversy on the message they convey either in their lyrics or by the styles of their transmitters. But we must be wise enough before generalizing everything is wrong or conveys wrong message. I would like to bring up here the idea raised as “rock and roll is immoral or evil in its nature”. It is my understanding that there are a lot of evil messages passed -on in different style of art. We see artistic works hanged on different museums that convey porn, poets that serve to talk about adultery, naked truth of sexuality, anything you name social evils. There are also many music that transmit messages that are deviant from the common ground established in our society. We see bands starting from their name they talk about bad, do bad, and influence their fans with their bad style. Last week I read about a musician who was found dead in his house due to cocktail of drugs he took. As I read all through the story, I found out the musician was a produced, a writer, and instrument player in one of well known rock and roll band. Despite one of their members was also dead due to drug over dose. It is unfortunate that those who are in rock and roll music practice something that hurts the industry. They talk about suicide, they talk about hate, and they talk about discordant views. They show their ruined style of living with cigar, heroin, alcohol, showing naked body, insulting, anything which is bad. I agree in some instance what Paul Cobley said, he has some truth in it. Imagine their audience who are in their younger age, where there mind is in the process of maturation, where their life experience is limited, where they prefer to hear their peers than their parents (here I am not condemning them why they listen to their peers it is natural- we all once had passed through that point and were rebelled to our parents rules and ideas and prefer to be ruled by our autonomous power. Imagine this time when you are in emotional turmoil, listened to a music which can liberate you from depression, anger, hate by performing suicide, thinking of freedom after death. Of course why not I am brain washed, I can perform it. We see so many behaviours and fashions are direct consequences of these models. If youngsters are shown their idol is wearing badly and tastelessly they can take it as a hip. Their idols are loud. It is obvious that hearing music that is loud and noisy catches ones attention and controls intention, if not it is now considered as boring and sluggish. Of course how can we be in accordance with the past generation who love to hear soft and calm music?

When we see some rock and roll musicians on TV or in their music videos they show us horror, blood, darkness, skeleton, murder, contorted faces; this makes us to be intense, tensioned and controls our mind and body. Why don’t they show us happy, relaxing, calming figures I think the art is produced to relax us, not to terrify us and be our nightmares. It is even difficult to realize some of the wording, the rhythm, or to see every detail of the beauty of the music. When they are interviewed or talk about they use bad languages- is this the way we have to communicate by insulting and disrespecting each other? It is now a hip to add in every bit of our conversation a seasoning “F”. In any public place-church, schools, meetings, social gatherings…I really hate hate this phenomena. I am from this generation, does that mean I am out dated, old fashioned or primitive? No I am not I respect everyone, let alone human being animals respect each other, if one group passes its limit it is not by no means acceptable. I guess we are better of animals if not….

Is Rock and Roll to be Blamed?

In everyday of our lives overall generalization leads to misunderstanding and misjudgment. When we look to Mr. Bloom’s idea mostly he was looking to one side of the story that is “rock and roll music is bad’’.  He mentioned that rock and roll doesn’t transmit good behaviors rather it instigate violence, drug use, sexual arousal, and the practice of misbehavior. He didn’t see any value what the music has brought to one’s success, inspiration or knowledge. He concurrently denies and excludes rock and roll music as part of art or its contribution it brings similar to any other technical subjects. There is also weak correlation of rock and roll music in initiating violence, Satanism, drug or any unwanted sexual behavior. He was mostly admiring the old generation and their tradition; he did not recognize how his parents or his grandparents were discontented with his generation. It depends on the personality of somebody, for anything we think of healthy can be unhealthy if we use it in a bad orientation. For instance salt is the specie of life, let’s use it excessively doesn’t it has unhealthy effect? Life needs balance, if we take something to the extreme and destroy the other balance, we definitely are in trouble.

Mr.  Bloom may be spiritual, but he did not realize there are even a lot of rock and roll spiritual songs that reaches the hearts of many. I am also questioning his objectivity. He was subjectively judging everybody’s potential without even have any objectivity to proof. Of course in some instances he is right. There may be violence, hate, and insult on any music or TV programs. We should be selective. In the early days of his time music was in its primal stage but there was nothing that hinders his generation to practice unsafe sex and having caught many STDs, or else engaging in drug use. Then who is going to be blamed. Of course sometimes generation gets into some kind of madness that doesn’t mean everyone is mad. For instance, look how we are dealing with texting; some of us are killing our productive life. Everywhere you go you see a doctor next to his patent, teacher in his class room, office staff in working hours, students in class room, train driver, pilot ……are obsessed with texting. This is killing the worth of life. But when I say this I am not generalizing with everyone. For instance I don’t want to text and I never did it. Why? It is my choice, I choose to be wise in every minute I have.

 Mr. Bloom even did not understand how the new generation has advanced intellectually, economically, technically. These are the products of the generation he is blaming. Therefore everybody is different and may have passion for one or may be for many, which can easily fit in their life style. For instance, being a devoted mom and advancing my career are my passions, but listening to music can’t be a barrier to do my passions.  

Music Analysis

            Music Analysis

A single music can have lots of meaning for each one of us. It may not produce common understanding or meaning for all of us. If someone analyzes music and tells to audience this means that, it may not give sense for all of them. As Copland mentions “nothing really tells him what he should be hearing, no treatise or chart or guide can ever sufficiently pull together the various strands of a complex piece of music-only the inrushing floodlight of one’s own imagination can do that” (Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.6). If someone surveys what the meaning of a single music among audiences he will come up with different ideas and concepts. I am not arguing here that music doesn’t have to undergo analysis but the analysis has to be done by each listener. Of course for the best product of music, it has to pass many evaluations by professionals. When I am questioning myself, why do I like that music? I say “because there I have some place in it, those words in some way speak to me”. Those words are telling me my memory, my experience, what is in me.  When we listen to different music we are taken away to the situation where we heard of it, what happened, all in all it reminded us the surrounding state.

I don’t have any knowledge on music scale, its tone, symmetry or pitch; so I will not be confused what is best and what is worst in it but I am enjoying it. It travels me miles away to where I was. It gives me exclusive meaning. When Copland tells his profession as musician he said “I have vigorously hissed, at other times as vigorously applauded; in both circumstances I remain comparatively unmoved.  Why should that be?..... but once out of my hands the work takes no personal credit”( Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.7). This is like beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each individual mind contemplates its own meaning and worth.  

Most of the time I hear music but; sometimes I listen to it. When I am listening, the value it worth amplifies. Each lyric speaks and it really helps me to know it well. The beauty of music is it has everyday meaning for one who is attended to it.  When I am indulged in music it relaxes me, it exceeds my contentment, and it talks me with every emotion I am just feeling. When Etheridge shares her experience hearing the Beatles she said “I thought that I had heard the voice of God. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever heard, and it moved me in a way I had never before experienced” (Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005: p.11).

Therefore I am not interested if someone is analyzing my music and telling me its connotations. The wording, the tone, the instrument even the mess-up has its own meaning for me. I analyze my music by not hearing, I do listening. When I listen to it, it has a special worth to me. It touches my sprite, my soul. It exceedingly feels me with peace. It attends to my memory.  

Bibliography

Anna Tomasino. ‘’Music and Culture’’ 2005. Pearson Education Inc.