Extra credit review. A review of music's message from today and yesterday

Have you ever gotten yelled at by someone from a different era for listening to one of your favorite artists? "Turn that down, I don't want to hear that crap!" This often happens when Lil Wayne talks about "hoes" or Suicide Silence sings about drugs. Yes, it's true these kinds of topics are not the best but why don't you ask this person to play a song from when they were younger. Ask those from the '60s and '70s to play something like "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson. Ask them what those songs talk about. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Today's music usually involves talks of money, drugs/alcohol, and sex but hey, so did the music back then.


Over time, music's style has changed but its infamous stories haven't. Both songs from today and even all the way back to the 60's have the same messages, today's music is just a little less discreet about it. Take for example the theme of drug usage in the song "I Feel Like Dying" by rap artist, Lil Wayne. This song explores the feelings of taking drugs such as, marijuana, prescription pills, or cough syrup and the feeling of when all of the drugs are gone. Compare this song with "Mother's Little Helper" by The Rolling Stones. This song tells a story of a mother who becomes more and more reliant on pills, the mother's little helper, to the point where she is unable to stay attached to her life and eventually overdoses. The message in The Rolling Stones' song is hidden behind the code name of "mother's little helper" but the drugs and darkness are still here. It's no different nor better than Lil Wayne's lyrics. 

Another example most object is sex or sex appeal. Heart's "Crazy On You" is identical to Sean Paul's "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me." Both songs convey a sexual desire towards the opposite sex. Sean Paul and Heart base the mentioned songs around a night of pleasure as if nothing else matters. Heart tries to hint that it is the emotion of "sweet flowing love" that "kept [her] alive" but one can easily discover what really occurred that night. Sean Paul had no problem revealing the true meaning of his song toHeeb Magazine but he added, "-it's about saying it with tact. It's not wilin' out. It can play on the radio. I'm thinking about my son when I am writing this too, you know." Well, I guess "You know you got the sinting inna me pants a develop" is "not wilin' out" but let's be honest, his plans for the night are evident.



The point is, unless your this person is an active gospel listeners, chances are they listened to the same music as a child. The themes of sex, drugs, and rock and roll may be disguised as something like a "mother's little helper," but it's still there. The singers/songwriters back then were just able to use the art of language, i.e. Symbolically and metaphorically, more strategically to avoid controversy with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). I for one prefer the older tunes and their symbols. Adults believe that because the beats of the music have sped up and artists have become more open about their message that the new music is an assault to the ears. Well think again Mom and Dad. Adults now grew up in a time of drug exploration where there were fewer restrictions and more tripping. They're not such angels after all. So next time you're in the car and your parent starts to play "Welcome To the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses, you can tell them "Turn that down, I don't want to hear that crap!" (Really, please do, there's better musicians from that time.)