Music is a powerful concept. It is subjective, broad reaching and so innately human. Of all its abilities — entertainment, expression and healing — music from each decade, or even year, serves as a time capsule.
1970: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel. 1980: “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd. 1990: “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor. All the years in between, we heard Frank Valli’s croon, Michael Jackson’s eruption of pop and Roberta Flack’s smooth, soulful voice. Irrespective of age, race, occupation or gender, these musicians bring us back. They send lyrical messages, tell stories, comment on society or just share a bit of pain.
In the past, we’ve used music to inspire change in the world. John Lennon’s “Imagine,” with its tranquil melody and dreamy four-note piano figure, is an anthem for world peace. “Earth Song,” in its bluesy, operatic glory, showcases Michael Jackson’s voice and provokes the audience to think. In a controversial political and racial climate, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong provides a ray of hope and optimism. An entire genre — punk rock — was born as an outlet to rage against Margaret Thatcher. Less than a decade ago, we were able to construct a wholly new genre to properly express ourselves. What are we doing now? Of course, not every single ever released can be extraordinarily powerful. But we seem to be going through a dry spell right now.
Compare the songs previously mentioned to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” for example. It’s the song of the summer because it has an infectious and addicting disco beat. But the dance party ends there. At least, it should. What kind of message are we hearing in the lyrics? “I know you want it / You’re a good girl … Let me domesticate you.” On a spectrum of reactions, ranging from discomforting to appalling, where should we lie? Regardless of what Thicke intended the lyrics to convey, more than a few of us in his audience hear messages about ideologies of male domination and what women secretly want.
Even worse are some of the videos released in reaction. The foremost one, a feminist parody called “Defined Lines”, by the Law Revue Girls, is, well, ghastly. At first, the opening disclaimer “No Men were harmed in the making of this video” heightens curiosity. As the video progresses, we never really see a coherent argument aside from “It’s a man’s world, that’s not fair.” Although witty and well done, the video is far more sexist than the original. We need look no further than, “Let me emasculate ya!” Can somebody please tell me why are we letting these songs immortalize this decade? We need more of Macklemore’s “Same Love.”
I am not declaring all contemporary musicians worthless. Nor am I claiming that we cannot enjoy music unless it moves mountains. I am simply wondering: Are we wasting our potential away? Because, and let’s be honest here lyrics like “What does the Fox say?” pale in comparison to those on Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
My point is only this: These musical time capsules will outlive us. We are the citizens of the world in 2013. Our music reflects us. It should follow that the music that goes into our time capsule is an accurate reflection of who we are as a community, of our goals as a society and of our achievements as a civilization. We already know our potential. Let’s reach it.
