I feel as if we are too buy inventing catchy beats to spend much time fine-tuning the messages we are relaying in the songs. Lyricists are the poets of our generation. One day our great-great-great-great grandkids are going to be reading about the things we've said & done. They will study our government, family structures, religions & arts.I have a feeling our descendants are going to think we are idiots.
Thankfully, there are exceptions. For example, in modern day music we have the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Our Lady Peace, Bright Eyes, Iron & Wine, The Midway State, Jason Mraz, Ben Folds Five & even (sadly) Mr 'pimpin all over the world' himself, Ludacris. In my opinion, the above listed artists are pretty fabulous lyricisits (I said in my opinion! Please don't start a shit-storm on my Facebook because I have one, or tell me to 'get my facts straight' because Our Lady Peace isn't 'technically' modern day music).
With the good come the bad, because we also have Britney Spears, the Black Eyed Peas & Mariah Carey. Sigh.
You think you like an artist? Turn the music down, stop tapping your foot & say the lyrics out loud in a monotone voice (with no melody). I dare you.
To help you discover who sucks, here are some of my personal favorites. Lyrics, that I'll admit to catching myself singing & praising, until I did the out-loud-monotone test:
- And maybe it goes on & on & on & on, when me & you party together. I wish this night would last forever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever
This sounds like your one really weird friend that gets sobby when he's drunk. "Dude, I love partying with you. You're so great. Lets kiss".
-Your are my cinema, I could watch you forever. Action, thriller, I could watch you forever.
Ummm, OK? Is he referring to a girl? Why does he think she's an object. Also, is he stalking her?
-Your stare was holdin, ripped jeans, skin was showin'. Hot night, wind was blowin,. Where you think you're going baby?
This one kills me because it's such a cute beat & I'd love to support upcoming Canadian artists but COME ON! What did each one of those phrases have to do with one another? Its like she was making lyrics out of a random selection of word magnets on a fridge. Do yourself a favour & listen to a lyrically relevant version of this:
-Areumdawo sarangseureowo. Keurae neo hey keurae baro neo hey
Yeah, that... I am still amazed that this song is so popular in Canada & the US. We don't seem to take very well to foreign songs (or at least not as well as the rest of the world).
Comically enough (based on what the music video represents), if you look up the translation on the lyrics, the song is about finding a quality woman who knows how to enjoy life. 'A girl who covers herself but is more sexy that a girl who bares it all' for a guy who 'has bulging ideas rather than muscles'.
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