Music and Culture

Music is probably one of the few artistic mediums that can reach the masses. I say this after only briefly thinking about it, so correct me if I'm wrong. The majority of Art in our culture is aimed at the creme of the crop, the elite of society. Classical Visual Art is displayed in fancy museums and studios that exclude the lay person. Ballets, symphonies, operas, and plays are viewed nearly exclusively by the upper crust. This is unfortunate because Art can be incredibly powerful in sending messages to people and influencing culture. I wonder what good elitist Art can do when it is funded by and made for the same elite that have the privilage of enjoying it?
The Art for the masses seems to be largely musical (as well as the graffiti of inner cities). This, in a grasping optimistic view, is hopeful because music can be very easily spread throughout people - it's not like there is only one copy of the song that must be heard exclusively in a studio. It transcends that - it can be heard over a radio or from a cd from anyone with the simple technology to play it. Music, in this sense, has a real power to touch people and, ideally, enlighten them. Since most songs have explicit lyrics, it avoids a large part of the subjectivity of purely visual art - the words of a song can send a clear message to the public. Look at the music of the 60's and 70's! It's so powerful.
It's too bad that popular music these days is so largely terrible, musically and lyrically. I'm sure there are some jems out there, there always are, but the problem is that you have to dig through so much shit to find them! When was the last time that Brittney sang something insightful about life or society? With all the influence the celebrities have over our culture, this is really scary.
As demonstrated in the previous post of Jack Johnson lyrics, there are songs out there that talk about real things, and provided that the listeners listen, could provoke some serious, critical thought about society. I only wish there were more!
Personally, I love classic rock and am experiencing a very long obsession with Pink Floyd. They have amazing lyrics (which I will post after this one) and amazing sounds. I can't get enough of them, but that's not really my point here at all.
My point is that if mainstream music could revive some of its grassroots authenticity and integrity, this world just might be a better place. If the majority of people listened to songs that talked about real issues, not just fluff garbage that perpetuates the status quo of crap, they might just take a step back and look at their lives, their actions, and their world.
But maybe mainstream music has never been that powerful. Maybe it's all about the lesser-known movements that eventually come into the light because they speak out to the real masses of people. I'm not very "in" with really any newly created music (I tend to lock myself up in my classic rock bubble, probably not so good, I know), but a friend showed me to some very insightful lyrics by a band called Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The song is called The Creature and speaks wonderfully about the capitalist system and society:

The Creature

There is a creature that has to feed
It stops at nothing to fill its need

The people live in gruesome squalor
So that the creature may grow taller
Those with nothing, have to bleed
To help the creature spread its seed

They learn to dine on fecal matter
So that the creature may grow fatter

The creature tells of evil gnomes
Coming to destroy our homes
And trolls, who come with gun and knife
To threaten our way of life

The creature has enslaved our town
But no-one thinks to bring it down
Provided with so much distraction
The people can’t be moved to action

And when people are all dead
Still the creature needs its bread
When we’ve been sucked completely dry
The creature needs its food supply

A parasite can not survive
Unless its host remains alive

It has amassed such awesome wealth
Maybe it can eat itself!

If only there were more songs like this floating around out there!
Everything that goes into your head is brainwashing you to an extent, so here's to the musical movement to awaken people to what's really happening around them! To more than one night stands and cosmetic-surgury-"beauty"! To more than diamonds and luxury cars! Here's to hopeing that something potentially very powerful can and will do something good!