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Rant: Songs and Stupid Lyrics
May. 4th, 2006 10:42 amIt bothers me how a lot of songs out there in the world, produced by the music industry, have such great riffs, wonderful melodies, totally absolutely awesome pumping beats -- but their lyrics are objectionable.
This isn't meant to attack people who believe the music comes first. If you think the music's all that matters, good for you. If you think lyrics don't matter, good for you. If you think I'm being an extremist for thinking that all lyrics should matter, good for you. I'm all for pumping beats. I like hip hop because it's great to dance to, and I like metal to headbang too. I like some pop music, don't get me wrong -
But why do so many songs these days have lyrics that don't show any progress with regards to societal progress? Why are songs so marred by the messages that the lyrics pound out? Usually something in regards to, "I've got a big fucking ego" (hip hop and rap are guilty - wtf! What IS it with wanting to inject your name into the song?) "I've got bling" and "the chick is hot, let's get it on".
What started off this rant?
Shakira's Hips Don't Lie. And the fact that I'm on my period. No cramps, but somehow I get crabby at pop culture.
I was watching the music video with closed captioning (I love subtitles, even if I understand English) so I got to watch the ultra-sexy music video with Shakira's AMAZING HIPS (those body movements! That takes mondo skillz! I love her dance moves!) and the gorgeous choreography, and her fabulous dance - it was like belly-dancing.
And I thought the song started out great - the guy's falling in love with the gal, the gal's falling in love with the guy, they both want each other, they both want to get it on, uh-huh, that's pretty awesome and I'm all for spreading love and sex and seeing sexy dance moves.
And those shots where it's just her back with those shiny things? What's up with those shiny things? I don't know, but it's shiny and pretty fucking awesome!
Then, ugh, a cut to Shakira sitting on a chair looking all cute and the most aggravating part of the song which sours my mood:
Oh boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don't, don't really know what I'm doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint
Have come to fail now, fail now
See, I am doing what I can, but I can't so you know
That's a bit too hard to explain
Right.
Lady, you are on tonight and your hips definitely show you know how to move that body of yours, but when it comes right down to it, you don't know what you're doing? Coupled with the fact your boy is turning "half-animal, half-man" - do you know what that sounds like to me? "I am making a dog rabid but I don't really know how to handle a rabid dog." You've spent half the dang song coming onto the man, you better know what to do with him! Take some responsibility!
Britney Spears! Guilty of this as well! "Hit me baby one more time" - idiot! "Oops I did it again" - WHY? "Toxic love" - Oh, fucking hell. We just keep going down the toilethole with you, don't we, Mrs. Federline, till we reached the sewers.
Christina Aguilera's Dirty music video - don't even get me fucking started. The song is fun, I like the music, but god, the music video is skanky as hell. Never mind, the trash can enjoy it and eagerly await the come-uppance of more skankiness to come as girls everywhere try to out-skank each other!
Okay, okay, let's go with Jennifer Lopez's Get Right. This is... well, it's a bit of a grab bag of mixed messages. Firstly, she starts off with what sounds like a host of "you're falling short of my expectations" - then, she says, "what do you do for me?" If he's falling short of expectations, then he's falling short, okay? But no! She tells him, "sign this contract and spend the night with me bitch!"
I like a girl to take control. Women's lib was not in vain!
But what does she do?
"So much we've got to say, but so little time
And if tonight ain't long enough
Don't leave love behind"
Yes, she mixes love up with sex.
Sex is not love. Just because you're dragging a guy home with you tonight doesn't mean you're going to spend the night in love. Maybe it'll lead to love, assuming you two keep hooking up.
Why am I nitpicking? It's just music after all! It's for fun! It's entertainment!
Yes, and no. Yes, I do like music, I love harmony and I like how the sounds are engineered together. But what do you get instilled in your brain with lyrics like that? That it's okay to equate sex with love. That it's okay to be objectified (okay, I admit, I don't mind being objectified as long as I retain the god-given right TO objectify as well - that's a fair trade to me). That it's okay to make stupid mistakes over and over again and NEVER LEARN!
What other song bugs me like that?
Oh yes: Lustra's Scotty Doesn't Know. From the Eurotrip movie or something. Basic premise: Scotty doesn't know I'm fucking his girlfriend. First, the girl's an idiot, and second, the narrator's a prick. What a prick. Fiona's giving you head and Scotty doesn't know? What a fucking prick. You've been fucking Fiona behind Scotty's back for a long time now? What a fucking prick. And now you're going to put the cherry on top by TELLING? Well, that elevates you a little above scum status in a way, but you're still a fucking egoistical, dishonest piece of shit.
Punk songs. Oh boy, punk songs.
I was watching Much More Music's Video On Trial (which is quite the enlightening show, I see videos which I never see otherwise) and they were doing a review of Limp Bizkit's Behind Blue Eyes.
The first verse is enough to see what a self-centered little prick this boy is:
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
Go cut yourself. I'm sure people know what it's like. Namely - - your fans. I hate stupid emo shit like this: "No one understands me! I'm all alone and I hate people!" "I understand you completely dude!" "Yea dude, actually, no, no you don't." "Yes I do!" "Nobody understands me and I'm alone!" (Okay, so it doesn't actually happen that way, but I'm editing some handouts right now and I'm writing completely on reflex, so nyah.)
You think you got problems? Buck up, bitch, everybody has problems, you're not the only one. Grrrrr!
The worst part is that... THESE are the songs playing on our airwaves. Malaysians, you know what I'm talking about, with the Black Metal debacle and all, where rap and hiphop with the big tits and the bling is fine, but metal music which decries government monopoly and encourages seeking truth is slammed down because it sounds pretty fucking demonic.
I'm going to end this rant on a positive note, however, because my current favourite song just has it all: a great tune, a spunky attitude, terribly on-the-dot fan-fucking-tastic lyrics with a I-Fucking-Dare-To-Break-Free message AND a hilarious accompanying music video.
( Pink - Stupid Girls, taken from lyricstop.com )
You must download it, yes, right now. And Black Eyed Peas' Where is the Love? is also good.
Oh, and I was watching The Fabulous Life of Missy Eliot and while I'm appalled at the shit this woman spends her money on, I found out that she's currently spending time scouting out talent and she's a spokesperson for an anti-violence against women cause or something like that; I know I was impressed. That's pretty fucking admirable. Who cares if she shows up to the Grammys in $3000 tracksuits?
...
Oh, that feels so good to get off my chest. *adjusts bra* Back to work.
This isn't meant to attack people who believe the music comes first. If you think the music's all that matters, good for you. If you think lyrics don't matter, good for you. If you think I'm being an extremist for thinking that all lyrics should matter, good for you. I'm all for pumping beats. I like hip hop because it's great to dance to, and I like metal to headbang too. I like some pop music, don't get me wrong -
But why do so many songs these days have lyrics that don't show any progress with regards to societal progress? Why are songs so marred by the messages that the lyrics pound out? Usually something in regards to, "I've got a big fucking ego" (hip hop and rap are guilty - wtf! What IS it with wanting to inject your name into the song?) "I've got bling" and "the chick is hot, let's get it on".
What started off this rant?
Shakira's Hips Don't Lie. And the fact that I'm on my period. No cramps, but somehow I get crabby at pop culture.
I was watching the music video with closed captioning (I love subtitles, even if I understand English) so I got to watch the ultra-sexy music video with Shakira's AMAZING HIPS (those body movements! That takes mondo skillz! I love her dance moves!) and the gorgeous choreography, and her fabulous dance - it was like belly-dancing.
And I thought the song started out great - the guy's falling in love with the gal, the gal's falling in love with the guy, they both want each other, they both want to get it on, uh-huh, that's pretty awesome and I'm all for spreading love and sex and seeing sexy dance moves.
And those shots where it's just her back with those shiny things? What's up with those shiny things? I don't know, but it's shiny and pretty fucking awesome!
Then, ugh, a cut to Shakira sitting on a chair looking all cute and the most aggravating part of the song which sours my mood:
Oh boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don't, don't really know what I'm doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint
Have come to fail now, fail now
See, I am doing what I can, but I can't so you know
That's a bit too hard to explain
Right.
Lady, you are on tonight and your hips definitely show you know how to move that body of yours, but when it comes right down to it, you don't know what you're doing? Coupled with the fact your boy is turning "half-animal, half-man" - do you know what that sounds like to me? "I am making a dog rabid but I don't really know how to handle a rabid dog." You've spent half the dang song coming onto the man, you better know what to do with him! Take some responsibility!
Britney Spears! Guilty of this as well! "Hit me baby one more time" - idiot! "Oops I did it again" - WHY? "Toxic love" - Oh, fucking hell. We just keep going down the toilethole with you, don't we, Mrs. Federline, till we reached the sewers.
Christina Aguilera's Dirty music video - don't even get me fucking started. The song is fun, I like the music, but god, the music video is skanky as hell. Never mind, the trash can enjoy it and eagerly await the come-uppance of more skankiness to come as girls everywhere try to out-skank each other!
Okay, okay, let's go with Jennifer Lopez's Get Right. This is... well, it's a bit of a grab bag of mixed messages. Firstly, she starts off with what sounds like a host of "you're falling short of my expectations" - then, she says, "what do you do for me?" If he's falling short of expectations, then he's falling short, okay? But no! She tells him, "sign this contract and spend the night with me bitch!"
I like a girl to take control. Women's lib was not in vain!
But what does she do?
"So much we've got to say, but so little time
And if tonight ain't long enough
Don't leave love behind"
Yes, she mixes love up with sex.
Sex is not love. Just because you're dragging a guy home with you tonight doesn't mean you're going to spend the night in love. Maybe it'll lead to love, assuming you two keep hooking up.
Why am I nitpicking? It's just music after all! It's for fun! It's entertainment!
Yes, and no. Yes, I do like music, I love harmony and I like how the sounds are engineered together. But what do you get instilled in your brain with lyrics like that? That it's okay to equate sex with love. That it's okay to be objectified (okay, I admit, I don't mind being objectified as long as I retain the god-given right TO objectify as well - that's a fair trade to me). That it's okay to make stupid mistakes over and over again and NEVER LEARN!
What other song bugs me like that?
Oh yes: Lustra's Scotty Doesn't Know. From the Eurotrip movie or something. Basic premise: Scotty doesn't know I'm fucking his girlfriend. First, the girl's an idiot, and second, the narrator's a prick. What a prick. Fiona's giving you head and Scotty doesn't know? What a fucking prick. You've been fucking Fiona behind Scotty's back for a long time now? What a fucking prick. And now you're going to put the cherry on top by TELLING? Well, that elevates you a little above scum status in a way, but you're still a fucking egoistical, dishonest piece of shit.
Punk songs. Oh boy, punk songs.
I was watching Much More Music's Video On Trial (which is quite the enlightening show, I see videos which I never see otherwise) and they were doing a review of Limp Bizkit's Behind Blue Eyes.
The first verse is enough to see what a self-centered little prick this boy is:
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
Go cut yourself. I'm sure people know what it's like. Namely - - your fans. I hate stupid emo shit like this: "No one understands me! I'm all alone and I hate people!" "I understand you completely dude!" "Yea dude, actually, no, no you don't." "Yes I do!" "Nobody understands me and I'm alone!" (Okay, so it doesn't actually happen that way, but I'm editing some handouts right now and I'm writing completely on reflex, so nyah.)
You think you got problems? Buck up, bitch, everybody has problems, you're not the only one. Grrrrr!
The worst part is that... THESE are the songs playing on our airwaves. Malaysians, you know what I'm talking about, with the Black Metal debacle and all, where rap and hiphop with the big tits and the bling is fine, but metal music which decries government monopoly and encourages seeking truth is slammed down because it sounds pretty fucking demonic.
I'm going to end this rant on a positive note, however, because my current favourite song just has it all: a great tune, a spunky attitude, terribly on-the-dot fan-fucking-tastic lyrics with a I-Fucking-Dare-To-Break-Free message AND a hilarious accompanying music video.
( Pink - Stupid Girls, taken from lyricstop.com )
You must download it, yes, right now. And Black Eyed Peas' Where is the Love? is also good.
Oh, and I was watching The Fabulous Life of Missy Eliot and while I'm appalled at the shit this woman spends her money on, I found out that she's currently spending time scouting out talent and she's a spokesperson for an anti-violence against women cause or something like that; I know I was impressed. That's pretty fucking admirable. Who cares if she shows up to the Grammys in $3000 tracksuits?
...
Oh, that feels so good to get off my chest. *adjusts bra* Back to work.