Politics In Music
Over the span of months in 2004, when the election was coming up, a slew of musicians put out partisan political messages either in songs, albums, or campaign tours. To be fair I will say that the overwhelming majority were liberal and favored Kerry and encorporated major acts/bands such as the Dave Matthews Band and Bruce Springstein. Others like P. Diddy pariticipated in the "Vote or Die" campaign to get more young people at the polls- a bipartisan effort. However, the question is does politics belong in music?
Yes I feel that music is a means of expressing oneself. But the answer is simply-NO! Politics should not be in music. Especially when the issue is taking such an extreme that it becomes offensive.
Incubus is a kick ass band. I loved the songs "Drive", "Wish You Were Here", "Nice To Know You", and others. In 2004, they put out an extremely liberal biased song to which a disturbing video was shown. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, the song "Megalomaniac" was released in on A Crow Left of the Murder. What disturbed me was that the band, in the video, implied that President Bush was Hitler. In my mind there is no comparison between the two. The evils of the Nazi regime were gross violation on human rights. In the WWII era, Hitler had persecuted and murdered by mass genocide 6,000,000+ Jews as well as countless Gypsies, and the physically and mentally handicapped. The Nazis led by fear; the SS patroled the streets; people who broke laws were killed. Bush has not set up Concentration Camps anywhere, nor has he degraded certain peoples by forcing them to differ themselves (as proof, in the election he got more hispanic and African American votes than in 2000). He does not lead the US by military force like Hitler, nor does he have a "Final Solution". It is from this that we can logically conclude that such claims are libel.
There are also others- Rise Against released their track "Give It All", which the song itself was not biased, but the video was hinting at reform to get Bush ousted from office.
I'm not going to go into detail about every single band that does this, but if bands want to discuss politics, do it on C-SPAN, go on the news channels. Don't put out libel because who knows, you might get sued. As for nonpartisan efforts to get people to vote and tours supporting a candidate, I don't see anything wrong with that.
ROCK ON PEOPLE--POST A COMMENT!!
posted by Anonymous at 5/06/2005 08:17:00 PM
11 Comments:
I hope Warren stops by but there was always some political messages in Pop Music. In fact the folk music was largely all political.
I think it was more subtle like the Doors Unknown Soldier.
Check your portfolio
there are a lot of country groups with politics like the Dixie Chicks and whoever else. lyrics need to be better and about deeper things than just the words. i saw this thing with Bruce Springsteen, and although i'm not a fan of his, he explained some songs and the context other than the words. and Thursday's lyrics make me like that band a lot. they sing lyrics that have messages other than political although im sure that it can be conveyed as a political statement.
In my day and Warren's day it was subtle.Yet I used to listen to him in the eighties . As soon as he got political I tossed him aside.
The older bands were talking about issues that were resolved.
The Dixie chicks were stupid in that anti american country music is a recipie for disaster.I'll stick with Charlie Daniels and the rest of the real Americans.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
personally id just listen to Zakk Wylde and the hell with everyone else. BTW, who deleted their comment
Maybe a troll, sometimes they post and forget to change the default option that shows their username. Look at your email message notifications, it will show in there if they have a blogger account.
Bands and singers should at least know what they are talking about if they are going to write political stuff.
Natalie Maines, is clearly not very bright and Bruce Springsteen's crap was so stupid that he had to explain the lyrics line by line. For Pete's sake you idiots, shut up and sing!
They at least ought to be able to do it in a artful manner. If they think sheer volume and outrageous lyrics are going to change anyone's mind they are living in a delusion.
Then there is the film community....
These people get up in front of a microphone without a script and they are screwed. They come off as hysterical, delusional or constipated! Come on Sean, you really should have stayed in school, at least until the third grade.
I still have a lot of that old protest music, its stuck in here and there among the other music. Some of it is good, some crap.
I have one piece done by, Frank Zappa and Capt. Beefheart, that is an incredible work, but it didn't sell for beans.
You have to remember that these pieces were anti-war in nature and weren't overtly anti-Johnson or anti-Nixon. Hell, I bought some of this stuff when I was in the Army and I wasn't interested in the political message.
My opinion,
They are supposed to be artist not politicians. If they cross the bounds they should be prepared to pay the consequences, not whine and cry.
the whole film community for the most part is full of shit. i'm glad that TEAM AMERICA showed these people for what they really are when it comes to politics. people who watch these frauds on tabloid shows don't know any better- hence why i call them "the braindead". i don't give a rats ass for what alec baldwin has to say, i'll make my own opinion. thats why music should stay music, its supposed to be about the basslines or drumbeats, or guitar solos.
AH
The deleted comment was mine it was a duplicate. Warrens assesment
of the protests songs of the 60's
is correct. The songs were political but aimed at an issue not
a person. Folk music was almost totaly political. I am sure there is Peter Paul and Mary in you collection listen when you get a chance.
i don't listen to the folk stuff. whatever happened to the blues, singing about being down in the gutter or speed metal or even the grunge. there needs to be another revival.
AH
You have a better chance of a Rockabilly revival.The roadhouse type of music seems like a fading form.
youd be surprised how many metal fans there are. the black label society show sold out fast and when i went to see them, people traveled from CT to see them and they had to go back to work the next day. the concert was over at about 1:15-1:30 AM. that is true devotion.
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