Monday, May 10, 2010

Time to Write

No, I don't mean time for ME to write. I mean time for artists to write.

I frequent a news aggregation website called Fark.com, mostly for the thoughtful yet sarcastic wit of its users, but also for the insight they more than occasionally give. A few days ago, there was a discussion of Bob Seger's "Turn the Page," which was alternately lauded and lambasted for various reasons. One Fark user's comment in particular caught my eye. Thelyphthoric said "My favorite song by any artist is always the one where they say how hard it is to write a song. Second favorite is when they talk about how tough it is being out on the road singing that song."

It was meant sarcastically, for those who aren't familiar with the mentality of Fark. At first I thought it was mildly funny, but upon further reflection, I realize the comment is endemic to the way we've been treating our artists over the last twenty years or so.

When Pop music first appeared, the lyrics were about the most banal subjects imagineable, like ice cream flavors, fast cars, unattainable women, or thickly veiled references to sex. A scant decade later, artists came to realize that music was the way to bare their soul, show their politics, reveal their innermost drug-fueled thoughts, or display a despair not heard in pop music previously. The sixties brought us incredible music - no one can deny that. But what was it that made that music incredible? It wasn't necessarily that we agreed with the sentiments, it was that we knew the artists were for real. We knew they were giving us everything they had.

At some point later on, we started to back away from sharing those intimacies with artists, culminating in the vilification of The Dixie Chicks for stating their views on politics. Their mistake was in thinking that people still cared about hearing such things from artists, whether they agreed with them or not. By the time Natalie Maines made her famous comment about President Bush, the public had already decided that an artist's viewpoint meant nothing. We didn't want to hear about oil spills, situations overseas, or subtleties on a woman's battle with an abortion. Artists were now only allowed to say which colors were most patriotic, or how Jesus was helping them drive.

But it goes deeper than that. Their opinion means less than nothing. We're great with reading about our friends' opinions about Muslims on Facebook, but any attempt by an artist to make a social comment is something to be reviled. We don't want to hear about an artist's life, either. We don't allow them to write about things they know, or things they don't know. We only want them to write about the most banal subjects, like dancing, or being seen at a club. Ironically, we also vilify those same artists for being sellouts, or shallow. Or banal.

It has to be up to artists to write about things they have experienced, things they believe, and things they want to see us become. Not just about love. Sure, love is the strongest emotion we have. But it's not the only one. And if being in love defines who you are for your entire life, then you have a big problem. A problem that needs a solution. Music can be that solution, just as it's a help for every other emotion under the Sun. Music, at its best, can help you through every emotion, every hurdle, every thought you will ever have. And as great as 60's, 70's, and 80's music is, it's a shame that so many people of all ages have to go back to those decades to find music that speaks to them. Artists and labels are doing them a disservice in causing that to happen, but they're only doing that disservice because of what people are telling them they want.

So artists, take this opportunity to write about something you believe. It doesn't matter whether it's Democratic, Conservative, radical, or otherwise. Take a chance. If it's a decent song and well-written, people will get behind it, and behind you. You, as an Artist, must help us get out of this malaise of pablum that is helping choke the artistry out of popular music.

What about singers that don't write? Well, if you're an incredible singer, sing songs that others have written, that mirror things you feel are important. But what if you're not an incredible singer? Then you'd better start writing. If you think your pretty face will get you through life, you may be right. But you'll be an empty shell nonetheless.

For the record, Bob Seger wasn't rich or successful when he wrote Turn the Page. he was poor, on the road constantly with little or no hope of financial reward, and that job, just as with everyone else who was on the road in the 70's, was 24/7/365, with no trips home. All he had was a dream. My longest road trip was 18 months, so I can directly relate to the struggle contained in Turn the Page, and I know plenty of other musicians who can also. For those who aren't musicians, I'm sure there's a portion of that struggle that they have experienced in their own life, and can share with Bob. That's really part of the point of Art - you don't have to be inside that person's skin to be able to relate to the emotions they're singing about. The wonderful connection comes when you can derive your own understanding of the song through a shared emotion, regardless of the literal experience.

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