Hey here’s a question for the ones out there that listen to the lyrics.
What would you think if I wrote nonsense in this blog?
Would stand up and click away from me?
Lend me your time and I’ll write you a post.
When I reflect (it was called spaced-out during my youth) on the many lyrics of rock and roll, I find many of them contained words of wisdom.
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| yes I know I Am The Walrus was NOT on this album |
You Can't Always Get What You Want but you get what you need, The Rolling Stones taught me long ago.
Do the rappers of today give any good advice?
Three Dog Night reminded me once, Mama Told Me (Not To Come). Did I listen? No. Hey they removed that incident from my record. I’m good.
Today looking more like a walrus, I went looking for the meaning of John Lennon’s verse. The odd story I found was that he purposely wrote some nonsensical words because he received a letter from a student telling him that analyzing Beatle songs was an assignment at his school.
The song also tells of the eggman. According to wikipedia (more reliable than my friends on the street corner) eggman is Eric Burdon. He apparently was some kind of animal because his eggman nickname came from his fondness for breaking eggs over naked women's bodies. (to think some say that eggs are bad for you - ha)
Eric and The Animals did teach me about job burn-out in their We Gotta Get Out Of This Place song.
In my latest youtube mining, I uncovered another message laden song by The Animals. The most interesting part of this video clip is the “trophy wife” in the background (you'll notice it right at the beginning). How did they get away with that one?
I get by with a little help from my friends (good advice for your whole life).
another circus
11 comments:
Haha...gives new meaning to "Trophy Wife"
Songs that make me smile.... You were asking if rap has something to teach. Teach? Sometimes. Make me laugh? Yes! Because I see everything in pictures of how it's described. I have a music video in my head. Now the egg man isn't quite as I pictured but it's interesting.
That's really interesting about John Lennon's nonsense!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Stop Making Sense is an album.
I often wonder whether the lyrics to songs are true stories. Sometimes I know they are, as in the song "Under The Bridge" (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Other times, I'm curious if the events in the song actually happened to the writer/singer/band.
Love the Trophy Wife....too funny!My daughter had a teacher once that loved the Beatles and they analyzed their songs too....
I rarely get the words right to any song I hear or sing.
I think that music as lessons for life moves in cycles, depending on the political and social climate of the times. In the 60s and 70s, when there was so much going on and so much social turmoil (civil rights, women's rights, vietnam, etc.), music provided an outlet for people to express feelings and unify causes. I love the music from that era. The 90s brought a few bands like that to center stage, like Rage Against the Machine, Sarah McLaughlin, and System of a Down, but it also brought boy bands and Britney Spears, and there's not really any higher meaning to be found there....
I like using We Didn't Start the Fire as a quick social movement lesson in my sociology classes :)
I really appreciate you taking time to write a germane comment. I appreciate all comments and visits (any other readers - I'm not knocking the above comments - often I don't reply due to lack of time) but I really enjoy a comment conversation. The topic of social impacts on music is very interesting. There certainly is a feedback system between music and social attitudes. I'm not sure what that says about the grunge period. Billy Joel's song is a favorite and like many songs takes me back to a memory. I'll toss you a question. Given the terrorist attacks, two wars, "Arab spring" why don't we hear more activist songs?
Are you speaking about activist songs just within the US? I think that there have been a few attempts, namely the entire Springsteen album "The Rising" (though, listen to Paradise for an interesting spin, as it was written from the perspective of a suicide bomber), and System of a Down (B.Y.O.B is probably the most open criticism I've heard, to date). Rage Against the Machine came back together in 2007 mostly as a response to displeasure with the then-current administration. Even Linkin Park, to some extent, spoke to major social issues. Foo Fighters came out and played to protest a Westboro Baptist protest of their own concert.
The bands who are trying to get these types of messages across just don't get the airplay or the media attention. As with all social movements, I'm assuming they're still just part of the underground. Maybe part of it also has to do with the fact that our country is SO divided - 50/50 split on a lot of the hot-button issues - and mainstream bands are worried about alienating their audience?
You made me realize that basically I didn't know what I was talking about in my comment. I really don't follow underground protests anymore. One could start a conspiracy theory about the media but it probably is the money and alienating potential customers. My thought about the divided country is that there might not be that many more extreme people but we hear the extremes more because of the media, the internet and the money backing causes.
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