Do you have to agree with the message of music?

Blisterman

A couple of things I've heard recently have made me think.

The first was somebody saying they don't listen to rap music because it's "misogynistic".*

The second was a reference I read to David Cameron being "a hypocrite" for saying he likes the Smiths and the Clash, both of which are quite left wing in their outlook.

Both these comments imply that you have to agree with the message of a song in order to like it, and I don't think that's true at all. In fact, I would probably disagree with the majority of the music I listen to, but I appreciate it on its own merits. Often time I even respect the fact that they're speaking passionately about an important subject, even if I strongly disagree with them.

But on the other hand, I'd find it hard to like songs which advocated really extreme views, for example neo nazi music.

So I was just wondering other people's feelings on this are. Does the artists's message affect your enjoyment of music? Would it turn you completely off an artist if you disagreed with them?

*Yes, I know. Don't get me started on the ignorance of this comment.

Da Shins Kelly

I don't think you always have to 100% relate to someone's music in order to appreciate it. For me, hearing an artist simply speaking honestly about their own life or something that they believe in is enough. If an artist has something interesting to say, be it about their own life or life in general, even if it doesn't mirror my own life exactly or I don't completely agree with everything that they say, I can still appreciate the courage and honesty that they have to say it. For example, I don't completely agree with Morrissey's super out-spoken stance on the meat industry which he manages to incorporate into his music (I think it does more harm than good for vegetarianism and veganism), but I do respect the fact that he cares so much and that he writes about an issue that does mean a lot to him, and in addition, the music is just good. Of course there is music, like you say neo-Nazi stuff and the like, that I wouldn't listen to simply because not only do I not agree with it, I don't think they have anything interesting to say. It's seems to be simply hate speech, which I have no interest in listening to.

There are also meaningless pop songs that I enjoy too, not because they mean so much to me or the message is so great, but simply because they're catchy and fun to sing along to. Not every song in my music collection is a song that I completely identify with.

armchair fusilier

Blisterman wrote: »

The second was a reference I read to David Cameron being "a hypocrite" for saying he likes the Smiths and the Clash, both of which are quite left wing in their outlook.

Old Etonian, Cameron, claimed that Eton Rifles was his favourite song. Weller's response - "Which part of it didn't he get?".

A bit like the Nirvana Lyrics...

He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means

There are loads of songs that I haven't clue what the lyrics are about - I just like the sound.

Rigsby

Personally, I dont think you have to agree with the message of music. It depends on your attitude to it, and to some degree, your age. However, the message, rather than the music itself can attract a strong following.

For example, I doubt very much if punk music would have been as successful, if the artists had being singing about "puppy love".

Also, quite often, apart from the music itself, "the message" can be conveyed through an artists appearance, i.e. their style of dress.

Again, would a heavy metal band be able to convey their message, wearing suits and ties ?


In the music industry, there are many conduits by which the message can be presented. There are those who listen to music which contain no lyrics. This can be a great advantage, as the message is left up to each person to interpret for him/herself.

Latchy

Rigsby wrote: »

In the music industry, there are many conduits by which the message can be presented. There are those who listen to music which contain no lyrics. This can be a great advantage, as the message is left up to each person to interpret for him/herself.

For sure ...when listening to instrumental music you are captivated by sounds which take you to whichever place you wish,even if the original song had lyrics .

Clandestine

For me, it really depends on how seriously the band takes itself, and the style of the music. Sometimes violent lyrics are just a part of the music, and work with it well

Example, if I was to take this seriously, there'd be something very wrong...

SilverScreen

It depends on the music really. In some music, such as punk for example, the lyrics and message are an important part of the music for me. As a result I will listen to bands like Fugazi or Dead Kennedys and certainly not bands with a neo-nazi or far-right message like Skrewdriver.

In a lot of music the message is fairly ambiguous or open to interpretation so it comes secondary to the music itself. Most of the time I'd rather just enjoy the melodies, textures and arrangements of a particular piece of music than try to interpret it's meaning.

Rigsby wrote: »

Again, would a heavy metal band be able to convey their message, wearing suits and ties ?

Akercocke managed to do so while looking rather dapper

Rigsby

Zero1986 wrote: »

Akercocke managed to do so while looking rather dapper

Fair play to them for breaking the mold, though I'd say they are very much the exception rather than the rule.

Executive Steve

Blisterman wrote: »

A couple of things I've heard recently have made me think.

The first was somebody saying they don't listen to rap music because it's "misogynistic".*


*Yes, I know. Don't get me started on the ignorance of this comment.

That "rap is misogynistic" thing always makes me laugh, how you can paint an entire genre of music as misogynistic is beyond me. Are there misogynist tunes out there with misogynist lyrics? Definitely! Are there MC's who are pretty unpleasantly misogynistic that are best avoided if that's not your thing? Definitely! Is that a mere drop in the ocean of a massive and diverse culture of music that stretches across the entire planet and encompasses every topic that you can think of and more? Also definitely. It's a complete copout, and indicative of someone who's just too plain lazy to listen to anything more challenging than a Snoop Dogg tune.

Executive Steve

Personally I'd say most of the music I listen to doesn't have vocals in it so it's a moot point anyway, but with Reggae especially you get an awful lot of unpleasant homophobia in certain strains of it, so I just try before I buy and never spend money on hateful songs. (which I'll unhappily admit still makes me feel like I'm missing out, I'd never in a million years play something like Beenie Man - "Damn" or Capleton - "Slew Dem" but they're annoyingly good tunes all the same).

Kold

Uhmmm depends how much of the songs 'value' is determined by message.

Saying rap music is misogynistic is some bitch sh*t though. They should be thanking Based God.

mewso

Far more annoying to me is when people completely misunderstand the message of a song like a variety show I went to had someone singing The Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work"* as part of an anti-drugs segment. All you can do is laugh.

* it was about his dying mother and the medicine not helping to ease her pain

Blisterman

Or when people take an artist like Ice T, who portrays an image of a gangster lifestyle, which if you look at the lyrics, really paints a pretty grim picture, and then claims that they're glamorising or even advocating criminality.

Kold

Pop music is horribly insidious message wise and people don't say anything about it. I used to not have to listen to it at all but since I've been travelling I'm subjected to it every time I step into a restaurant. That 'Blow my Whistle' track irks the sh1t out of me. It seems to me like a tutorial on how to perform fellatio yet is fine to blast kids with yet real artful hip hop is too 'negative'. Pop music seems to sell a lifestyle that is shallow as hell, Nikki Minaj is a horrible false little creature that seems to only sing about how a man needs to be in order to f*ck her, doing a song with Justin Bieber saying that all he needs is a beautiful girl and a drum rhythm.

Pop music's version of 'love' is so simplified no wonder so many young people's love troubles seem so horribly trivial and stupid to me.

Rothko

mewso wrote: »

Far more annoying to me is when people completely misunderstand the message of a song like a variety show I went to had someone singing The Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work"* as part of an anti-drugs segment. All you can do is laugh.

* it was about his dying mother and the medicine not helping to ease her pain

It was actually about his father but yeah, that annoys me too.