Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Message behind the music.

Tonight I had a conversation with Robert about lyrics. Their words, their meanings.

There's a big difference between quality and crappy lyrics. Let's see if you can pick out which is more "significant" in the real world.

The movie ran through me
The glamour subdue me
The tabloid untie me
I'm empty please fill me
Mister anchor assure me
That Baghdad is burning
Your voice it is so soothing
That cunning mantra of killing
I need you my witness
To dress this up so bloodless
To numb me and purge me now
Of thoughts of blaming you
Yes the car is our wheelchair
My witness your coughing
Oily silence mocks the legless
Those who travel now in coffins


Everybody look at me, me
I walk in the door you start screaming
Come on everybody what chu here for?
Move your body around like a nympho
Everybody get your necks to crack around
All you crazy people come on jump around
I want to see you all on your knees, knees
You either want to be with me, or be me!

Now, what lyrics are more meaningful? I guess it depends on your perspective. I know the majority of people would rather sing along with Nelly Furtado's "Maneater". Most teenagers probably don't know what Rage Against the Machine is even talking about in "Testify".

But seriously, what kind of world are we? We are the kind of world that turns a blind eye to the suffering and destruction around us. Now I can hear the people now "I read the newspaper! I know about the war, the famine, the genocides!"

I don't know about you but I'm not doing anything about it.

And I know. We're teenagers. We're not severely wealthy. We live in Newfoundland. We have lives, friends, studies, obligations.

But when is this going to stop? Who's going to put a stop to it if we won't?

Stolen from Matthew Good, a comment someone left on his website that pretty much inspired this whole thought of mine:

“…if this was another decade, there would be riots in the streets. I guess our rebellious youth are waiting for the revolution to be streamed on Youtube first.”

3 comments:

Meagan said...

"The perils of indifference". . .

It's a good essay. Read it :)

Josh said...

Never forget this attitude.

In Paul's letter to Timothy, we're told not to be discouraged simply because we're young. But I understand what you're saying.

The biggest problem is that by the time the teenagers that care grow up, gain the power to do anything, nobody will remember the fire they had to save the third world.

Tony Campolo tells a story about a young man he met over a decade ago. The teenager had gone on a missions trip. He saw the death, the suffering, and said "I will go to Medical school, and I'll come here. I'll make a difference."

Somewhere in Med School that fire went out. He now does Plastic Surgery in New York.

"young man, control in your hand
slam your fist on the table and make your demand
take a stand
fan a fire for the flame of the youth
got the freedom to choose
better make the right move
young man, the power's in your hand
slam your fist on the table and make your demand
you better make the right move"

Josh said...

I said "save the third world" but I meant "save the world."

Some people in Developed countries are in just as hard shape as the children we see on Vision.