Social/Political Commentary in Music

[kaya]

No. They're transplanting their views onto impressionable teens. Young people these days (outside of America at least) are inundated left wing politically influenced artists/celebrities. I'm not a Conservative by any means, but that's lopsided and unfair. I got to where I was politically by listening to what both sides have to say and making my mind up. These kids are being asked to choose between fashionable musicians and old politicians; who do you think they're going to side with. So yeah, artists should keep their big mouths shut, and if they want to enlighten people then give people the unbiased facts and let them make their minds up. People aren't too dumb to do that.

←

Seriously, 'impressionable teens' and 'young people these days' are NOT 'inundated' with 'left wing politically influenced artists/celebrities', that's a joke. There are hardly any actually political bands in the mainstream of the music industry, and the ones that are rarely make specific, coherent or cogent arguments about current issues/events or people.

for the most part it's just general angst crap, ocassionally you might get a issue-specific song, that recent SOAD song comes to mind, but most is so generic it's hardly influential in any meaningful way, 'fuck the system' etc. is about as rebellous as good charlotte or sum41 head-banging/dressing like punks and throwing up the horns.

you act as if music is dominated by artists with cogent, so-called 'left-wing' political arguments and statements, when in reality the majority is just packaged 'non-conformism', one of capitalisms most effective cultural products. I would argue that 'young people these days' are more influenced by the fake 'rebels' of the sony or universal music variety than anything of meaningful political strength.

So yeah, artists should keep their big mouths shut, and if they want to enlighten people then give people the unbiased facts and let them make their minds up. People aren't too dumb to do that

im suprised squancho hasnt pulled out a nazi-reference yet, artists should be allowed to express their opinions in their art, that's raison d'etre of art! EXPRESSION, saying they shouldnt be able to do it because it 'influences' teenagers to be 'left-wing' (what's wrong with that btw?) is akin to claiming that marilyn manson drives people to mass murder, it's just music, main-stream artists ARE NOT driving any 'teenagers' to anything meaningfully rebellous or 'left-wing', saying 'FUCK BUSH', 'FUCK THE SYSTEM', is great, but the same teenagers are still going home to sit down, take off their nikes, get changed into their comfortable *insert trendy clothing brand here* clothes, take off their nikes, eat their mcdonalds and watch big brother, just because they think george bush II is an 'idiot', doesnt mean we should start restricting or censoring artists that conservatives label 'too radical' or 'rebellous', this isnt a theocracy/stalinist/authoritarian/fascist state, it's democracy remember?

hehe, Zearle, this guy has some decent anti-capitalist hip-hop if not at times abit 'fuck the system', he rhymed proletariat though, so respect

[Guest Angry Baboon]

im suprised squancho hasnt pulled out a nazi-reference yet

Oh, bugger off you silly twit. Don't drag me into this

EXPRESSION, saying they shouldnt be able to do it because it 'influences' teenagers to be 'left-wing' (what's wrong with that btw?)

Because teens are impressionable? I guess that makes the Hitler youth okay then, influencing impressionable teens through cultural fads. Oh wait, does that only apply to your own political ideals?

PS: Do you have try and turn any vaguely political topic into an anti capitalist/racist/homophobical/politically incorrect tirade?

[MalaCloudy Black]

Who the hell wants to listen to a conservative rock band? Rock, rap and several other genres of music have their roots in rebellion, struggle and controversy, and I'll take that over the safe commercial crap that many bands churn out because they're afraid to say something that might upset a potential customer. There'll always be bands that are too ham-fisted or simplistic in their attempts to cram politics or ethics in their songs, but that isn't an argument that politics in music sucks any more than Vanilla Ice is an argument that rap sucks. To me, addressing real issues, political or otherwise, in lyrical form will always be one of the primary purposes of music, and any indeed most forms of art.

←

I've got to agree with conniption, here. A lot of great music is based around things like rebellion and controversy, as conniption so mentioned in his original post. Without these elements, there might have never been any Elvis, or any Beatles, or any Rolling Stones to influence generations of artists & musicians.

And I have no problem with social & political commentary being used in music. One of my all-time favorite songs is the Jello Biafra written, Sepultura-performed song "Biotech is Godzilla".

[kaya]

Oh, bugger off you silly twit. Don't drag me into this

←

Thought id just return the favour, since you seem to enjoy lacing your posts with 'commie' ribs from time-to-time, the childish games we play.

Because teens are impressionable? I guess that makes the Hitler youth okay then, influencing impressionable teens through cultural fads

Captain hyberbole to the rescue again! yeah, since the effects of SOAD or dare i mention RATM, are so much like that of the hitler youth, 'okay then', id hardly consider neo-nazism a 'cultural fad', it's a conscious political/social movement, one that does affect some impressionable teenagers, but equating the negative influence of nazism on teenagers to a perceived 'negative' influence of 'left-wing' music is moronic. i dont think teenagers are going to go out and start shooting cappies after listening to SOAD, they might dye their hair or where a political t-shirt, theyre not going to start harrasing people who they deem 'racially inferior', or commit, assault, arson, robbery, or murder, oh wait, COMMIES ARE FASCIST NAZIS LOL! SIEG HEIL! LOL!

Oh wait, does that only apply to your own political ideals?

Seeing as none of the artists mentioned or in mainstream distribution reflect my political 'ideals', no, it doesnt. Again squancho, never make assumptions about my political beliefs, since you have no idea what they are, and funnily enough they're not as 2D as you like to think.

PS: Do you have try and turn any vaguely political topic into an anti capitalist/racist/homophobical/politically incorrect tirade?

Im sorry Squauncho, next time i want discuss my opinions on politics in music or political music in any thread entitled, "Replying to Social/Political Commentary in Music"

oh and "tirade", give the hyperbole a rest, everything i do is a 'tirade', a 'rant', 'self-righteous', 'egotistical', hope it makes you feel better or something. :thumbs-up:

[Skummy]

I'm going to paraphrase the liner notes from my new Tim Buckley double-album and say that a great political songwriter isn't one who tells you what to think or one who tells you what's wrong and what's right. A great political songwriter is one who asks questions and leaves you to make up your own minds.

See Dylan, Bob (early) and Waits, Tom for examples.

[Emperor Fuckshit]

Oops. Watch the video and you'll understand.

Basically it is about the treatment of women in sweatshops in Mexico. Very well done.

←

Invalid Litter Dept. is just about one isolated incident though. It's one particular case where there have been a large number of murders of women in a particular Mexican factory. I'd say it's too esoteric to be truly socio-political, but it's still a great song.

Basically, if it's good then fine. Stuff like the vague, st00pid liberalism of most Stiff Little Fingers just sounds like self-parody a lot of the time. Political songs are hard to enjoy, although The Clash 'Spanish Bombs' and The Jam 'Start!' both do it well. I just hate politics, so, you know...

Social commentary is both easier to perform and enjoy, and most of the bands I really like show elements of it. Million Dead, Richard Hell, The Clash, Bad Brains etc. I care more about social issues than politics. Most political bands like RATM, SOAD and so on, I just can't stand. If you see me wearing a NOFX 'Not My President' shirt, kill me. We get it -- Bush ain't great. Go away now.

Edited June 24, 2004 by Emperor Fuckshit