| They Are Not Just Words Anymore: A Study of Lyrics in Popular Music (C) Copywritten 2002 |
| Media is defined as any form of mass communication. It is the way we, as individuals, or as part of a group, pass on our thoughts to a large quantity of others. Media comes in various forms. With overwhelmingly developing technology, newer forms of mass communication are always being discovered. Music, however, remains much as it was when it was first conceived: the arrangement of noise to convey emotion. The reason music has remained� unchanged is due to its audiences ease in relating with the most important element of music: the lyrics. When a song is created, the lyrics are forever a representation of that song that listeners can repeat, memorize, and recall more easily then any other medium. Lyrics therefore are a powerful form of communication. They have also gained much validity in the past fifty years, a time in which music has become less restricted by censorship and more acceptable by the majority of society. However, there are still some people who have held on to their traditions, and insisted that lyrics which include objectionable ideas are a cause of some of society's major problems. Over time, this assumption has spawned what is now known as controversy over lyrics, and has become a major source of fuel for media coverage. By analyzing the effects new age rock and rap lyrics have on the fans of the artists, their parents, and even the musicians who created the lyrics, it can be concluded that the controversy of lyrics has heated up over the last few decades, and has a far greater impact on society then it ever did. |
| By all proper definitions, music is a form of art, not unlike painting, writing, or acting. All of these activities are forms of expressionism--a creative form of communicating ideas and beliefs that all artists wish to share with their audience. In the 1960's, Bob Dylan, an artist who Carl Belz, said was "the most important American contributor to rock" (p158), was very well known for including deep emotional and personal content in his lyrics. Belz explains that "Dylan's records have always been decidedly close to his personal life and thought." This open style of song writing is not exclusive only to great rock/folk stars of the past however. The modern music industry has recently witnessed a sharp rise in artists who hold nothing back and truly speak what is on their mind. One such artist is Detroit rapper Eminem, who told Launch.com in an interview that "I make my music for me. I know how I want it to sound. I don't think about if anyone else is going to like it. I listen to it and make it for me, so that I'm satisfied with it." Clearly, Eminem also writes his thoughts into his music. However, his aggressive and shocking lyrics as well as his hate-filled themes have not, as of yet, earned him the title of most important American contributor to rap. Instead, the chart topping artist has battled his way through countless censorship issues, angry protests from the parents of his fans, and even lawsuits filed by the members of his own family. While Dylan and Eminem both use their lyrics to convey their thoughts to the world, their backgrounds and styles differ greatly. Anyone old enough to remember Dylan and current enough to have heard Eminem would have difficulty admitting that their shared style of emotion lyric writing has created an equal amount of media hype for each artist. |
| ����������� On the opposite end of this controversy spectrum, are the angered, offended parents of the youth whom have, according to their parents' complaints, become tainted and poisoned by new age rock and rap bands. It is no secret that the content of most modern rap lyrics centers on concepts like violence, sex and sexual behaviors, and drugs. Betty H. Windfield explain that "because music can convey feelings and emotions, the danger of this music is clear and present to those who fear [these] behaviors, and fear [them] enough to justify censorship" (p11). Parents ruthlessly try to control what their teens listen to. While it is true the standards for what qualifies for banishment from the CD stores have become tamer then ever before, there are still parents that regard rap and rock as "violent media". They believe that this is one of, if not the main, source of influencing "violent" behaviors, along with television and video games. For this reason, protests are not uncommon towards recording companies, record outlets, and the artists themselves. Perhaps the greatest irony that can be derived out of the entire issue is that rather than suppressing the amount of objectionable material being produced, the ranting of angry moms and dads has created a new classification of media that acknowledge and thrive on the rejection of parents and other authority figures. Shows like Much Music's Too Much For Much and new specialty channels such as Much Loud and Edge TV all focus on new age shock music. Of course, the parents are still not impressed, yet these programs are growing in ratings every day. From an age where edgy, explicit music videos were non-extant, to a period where they became shunned, and now to a time where they are broadcasted and enjoyed simply because of what they are, the mentality of adults towards overt and border lining musical lyrics has evolved at a rapid rate. |
| ����������� By far, the most important group involved in the study of how lyrics have changed the perceived concept of controversy is the teenagers. They are the fans; the audience; the CD buyers; the money spenders; the idolizers; in effect, the driving force of the whole music industry. In the case of Eminem and Bob Dylan, a significant comparison can be made once again. Both artists have a sizable fan base comprised mainly of teenagers. Eminem's popularity among young people is equally as strong as Dylan's was during the 1960's. Why so? Launch.com reporter Billy Johnson Jr. says that it is because he has "a lot of interesting lyrics... things that make the listener want to go back and rewind and listen again." Interest alone is not the only trick that the artist has however. In many of his songs, Eminem expresses his stresses and hardships and how he is angered at virtually every aspect of life. The reason these concepts are so effective in connecting with the listeners of his music, as Sheila Davis explains, is that "a song is successful when an audience responds with a recognition that says: "Me too... I've felt that... I've seen what you've seen... I know what you mean" (p3). By rapping to teens about teenage problems in a way teens understand, it's no wonder Eminem has amassed such an overwhelming "army" of fans, as he calls it. And the teens themselves are more then happy to side with the rapper and relate to him as their general in the war against a life that has possibly dealt them a poor hand and has generally pissed them off. While Dylan had a substantial amount of fans himself, it is doubtful that he was idolized as aggressively by his fans as Eminem. |
| ����������� The lyrics of modern rap and rock music have spun a controversial web that has the listeners, their parents and the artists tangled up in it. This web has also become more complex and far reaching with the introduction of the new millennium. The impact differs from party to party, however the severity of this impact rises with each new artist. The fans will always be faithful to their favorite artists; otherwise they will cease to be fans. The parents will always seek to protect their kids from whatever they feel is causing them harm or confusion; otherwise they will cease to be parents. In regards to the artists, particularly those who are as personal and offensive as Eminem, the Detroit rapper had this to say in his song Sing for the Moment to those who question his motives for writing the lyrics he does: |
| We sing for these kids who don'thave a thing, |
| Except a dream and a f***ing rap magazine. |
| Who post pin-up posters on they walls all day long, |
| Idolize they favorite rappers and know all they songs. |
| Or for anyone who's ever been through sh** in they lives, |
| So they sit and they cry at night, wishing they'd die, |
| Till they throw on a rap record and they sit and they vibe. |
| We're nothing to you, but we the f***ing sh** in they eyes. |
| That's why we seize the moment, try to freeze it and own it, |
| Squeeze it and hold it, cause we consider these moments golden. |
| And maybe they'll admit it when we're gone, |
| Just let our spirits live on through our lyrics that you hear in our songs. |
| ~ Eminem |
| Works Cited |
| Belz, Carl. The Story of Rock. New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1972. |
| Davis, Sheila. The Craft of Lyric Writing. Cincinnati: Writer?s Digest Books, 1985. |
| Johnson, Billy Jr. "Made In the Shade". Launch News Features. June 12th, 1999. <http://launch.yahoo.com/read/feature.asp?contentID=157742> |
| Windfield, Betty H. Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. London: Greenwood Press, 1999. |
| Dan's Notes: I wrote this essay in my first year Psychology class. I felt it was a good piece of writing, if you are a fan of Eminem or Bob Dylan, or just of music in general. |
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| This is my writing. If you want to rip it off, there really isn't much I can do to stop you, but you will be shunned in your next life. If you have something to say about it or want to comment, critisize, or question something, then head to the guest book and speak your mind there, or e-mail me personally. |
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| My e-mail: [email protected] |
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